DUNDEE ASSISTANT boss Ray Farningham is tipping club manager Barry Smith to bounce back stronger following recent speculation over his position in the Dens Park hot-seat.
Smith’s future was shrouded in uncertainty last week but he finally received assurances from the Dark Blues’ board that he is secure in his post for the foreseeable future.
Farningham believes that with the matter now closed, the management team and the players can refocus all their energies on securing survival in the SPL.
He said: “Barry’s a strong character. I think he showed that by the way he handled everything that went on recently and he’ll become even stronger as a result of all this.
“It’s never nice to read all the speculation but the bottom line is he’s the manager here because of what he’s done for the club.
“Nobody should forget what he’s achieved since he took over, like keeping us up in the First Division when we were docked 25 points for going into administration, not long after he’d taken charge.
“Barry is as committed to the club as anyone you’ll find. He is a real Dark Blue and wants the best for the club.
“I’m just glad everything has died down now and we can get on with the job in hand.”
Farningham admits he owes Smith a big debt of gratitude, after he asked him to leave his post as manager of Third Division Montrose to become his right-hand man at Dundee.
He added: “I owe Barry a lot. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have got the chance to come back to Dens Park.
“So I’ll always be grateful for this opportunity to work at the highest level and we’re determined to climb the table. We knew it was always going to be a difficult season.
“We were put into the SPL just a matter of days before the season got under way and had to find players pretty quickly.
“That is difficult in itself but this is no time for panic.
“We need cool heads and confidence within ourselves because it’s still early days as far as the league table is concerned.
“We know that if we can start putting pressure on the teams above us when the league resumes, then things can change very quickly.”
Dundee are actively looking to bolster their squad in the January transfer window and Farningham is hoping that any new arrivals could provide the club with a much-needed boost.
He added: “It would be nice to bring in a couple of new faces to freshen things up.
“We’re always looking to enhance our squad and bring some extra competition for places.
“We haven’t been that far away in too many games this season so hopefully the New Year will bring about a change in fortunes.”
One of those new faces could be Aberdeen youngster Declan McManus.
The 18-year-old striker has banged in 15 goals in just 10 games for the Dons under-20 side this season but his path into the first team is blocked by the prolific Niall McGinn, Scott Vernon and Rory Fallon.
Pittodrie boss Craig Brown is keen to loan McManus out to help him gain experience and Dundee are believed to be weighing up the possibility of bringing him to Dens.