Former Dundee United boss Ian McCall reckons John Hughes’ Ross County exit could be linked to the impending vacancy at Tannadice.
It emerged on Monday evening that Micky Mellon is set to leave United following less than a year in the post, having led the club to Premiership safety and a Scottish Cup semi-final.
That news came mere hours after it was confirmed that ‘Yogi’ would not be continuing in Dingwall following his successful great escape.
And McCall, the Tangerines’ gaffer for two years from January 2003, has hinted that the two could be linked.
Reacting to the news of Mellon’s exit on BBC Sportsound, McCall said: “I don’t think it [Mellon leaving] does come as a shock.
“Given his reputation down in England, I’m almost certain there will be a gig down in League One for him.
“But I tell you one thing: it makes sense why John Hughes didn’t take the Ross County job!”
And McCall dismissed the notion that Hughes is a mere fire-fighter, insisting he has proven himself capable of competing for lofty league placings and silverware.
The Partick Thistle manager continued: “He has been at other clubs — good gigs and bad gigs — but when he went to Inverness, that wasn’t a siege thing. He won a trophy for them and finished third in the Premier League.”
McCall, meanwhile, is adamant the United job remains an inviting one — even if he always felt it was one of the two most challenging posts in Scottish management.
He added: “When I was up there, I always thought that Dundee United and Aberdeen were the toughest jobs in Scottish football because you were within one generation of Wee Jim [McLean] and Sir Alex Ferguson.
“They were better than Rangers and Celtic the vast majority of the time and you had fans in the stadium who were aware of that, and that’s how you were judged.
“And at Tannadice there are pictures of Wee Jim everywhere! It’s a tough gig — but a great gig for someone. There’s no doubt about that.”