Mark McGhee’s 31-year managerial career has had its share of ups and downs.
Since kicking off with Reading in 1991, there have been titles won, promotions gained and European football achieved.
But, like any other manager, the new Dundee boss has also endured some tough times – and a few flashpoints – along the way.
His objective at Dundee is, on paper, a simple one – keep the Dark Blues in the Premiership.
So will McGhee’s short-term stint at Dens Park amount to another success story or another rough ride?
Here are Courier Sport’s collection of highs and lows from the new Dee boss’ storied dugout career.
Flying start with Reading
McGhee kicked off his managerial career as a player-manager with Reading in 1991.
Having been recommended for the job by his former Aberdeen boss Sir Alex Ferguson, McGhee combined playing and managerial roles until 1993, when he ended his on-pitch career.
Success followed quickly, with McGhee leading the Royals to the Division Two title in 1994, then up to second place in Division One by December of that year.
His success at Elm Park saw him head-hunted by Leicester City, then of the Premier League.
Sacked by Wolves
Despite being unable to keep Leicester City in the Premier League, McGhee was poached by Wolverhampton Wanderers and started well at Molineux.
His Wolves side was pipped to automatic promotion to the Premier League by Barnsley in his first full season in charge before losing to Crystal Palace in the play-offs.
McGhee, who had a young Robbie Keane at his disposal, could not replicate that season’s success and was sacked in November 1998.
Title number two with Millwall – then sacking number two
A-year-and-a-half after his Wolves departure – and after a brief spell as a scout for Gordon Strachan’s Coventry – McGhee was snapped up by Millwall.
The South Londoners were rewarded when the new Dundee boss led them to the Division Two title – the second of his career – in his first season in charge at the New Den.
The following season he came within a whisker of clinching back-to-back promotions, but his side fell in the play-offs to a last minute Birmingham City strike.
The following season saw a downturn, but he survived a ninth place finish before eventually being sacked in October 2003.
Brighton glory followed by punch in guts
McGhee wasn’t out of work for long and, after being appointed Brighton manager, swiftly secured promotion to the Championship through the play-offs.
The former Aberdeen and Celtic star kept the Seagulls in English football’s second tier the following season – an achievement that stood as their highest finish in 14 years – but he was unable to prevent relegation the following year and was eventually sacked in September 2006.
McGhee star shines at Motherwell
Mark McGhee arrived at Motherwell in the summer of 2007 and made a transformative impact at Fir Park.
Having inherited a team that had narrowly avoided relegation the previous season, McGhee led the Well to a third place Premiership finish in his first season, securing European football for the first time since 1996.
McGhee’s toughest managerial test came mid-season, with the shocking sudden death of Motherwell star Phil O’Donnell, who collapsed on the Fir Park pitch in a game against Dundee United.
The Well boss’ sensitive handling of the tragedy is still appreciated today in Lanarkshire, where his success saw him linked with the Scotland job and a switch to Hearts before Aberdeen came calling.
Dons disaster
As a beloved player of Aberdeen’s trophy-laden golden era, McGhee was initially willed to succeed as manager by the entire Dons support.
But things quickly turned sour.
An 8-1 aggregate defeat in Europe to Czech side Sigma Olomouc – the Dons’ heaviest defeat in UEFA competitions – saw fans turn against him.
By the time his Aberdeen side lost in the Scottish Cup to Raith Rovers the following February, the atmosphere was poisonous.
McGhee claimed he was spat at by a Reds fan in the aftermath of a result he dubbed the worst of his managerial career.
Things would get even worse on the pitch however, with a notorious 9-0 defeat at Celtic Park arriving in November of 2010.
McGhee was sacked three weeks later with the club second bottom of the Premiership.
Bristol Rovers, Scotland, Motherwell return
A spell at Bristol Rovers failed to capture the imagination and he was sacked with the club second bottom of League Two – but McGhee’s career journey took an upward turn again when Gordon Strachan brought him into the Scotland fold.
The new Dundee boss assisted Strachan – currently the Dark Blues’ technical director –Â until his resignation from the national team job.
Meanwhile, McGhee’s began a second stint in charge at Motherwell, where he started positively.
However, a slump in his second season resulted in fans calling for his sacking.
The low-point arrived on February 15, 2017 when McGhee’s Motherwell were thrashed 7-2 by Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
McGhee was sent to the stand and a run-in with a Dons fan, who was surreptitiously filming the incident, went viral.
He was sacked 13 days later – and has yet to serve a six-game ban over the incident.
Dundee?
After short spells in England with Barnet, Eastbourne Borough and Stockport County, where he assisted new Dee No. 2 Simon Rusk, McGhee’s career has brought him to Dens Park.
He has one job – to keep Dundee in the Premiership.
Whether McGhee – and Dundee – are destined to end the season on a high or a low is now the big question on every fan’s lips.
