Dundee United manager Jackie McNamara admits some of the criticism he has received has been “personal” and “poisonous.”
However, in a defiant message delivered as he took the players for training at St Andrews yesterday, the Tannadice boss insisted he won’t let it get to him.
McNamara has come under intense pressure since United’s 4-0 defeat to Hamilton Accies on Saturday, with many supporters now wanting him to either quit or be shown the door.
Neither seems likely to happen anytime soon and, as far as he is concerned, it is business as usual as he prepares the team for this weekend’s visit of Celtic.
He certainly didn’t seem like a man on the brink of an exit but he did concede he is aware that there are a lot of disgruntled supporters out there.
McNamara said: “What goes on outside of here is no concern of mine.
“The most important thing is the team and how we perform.
“It is difficult to control perceptions, rumours and everything else that goes along with it all.
“It is a good thing I am not on social media but I get wee snippets coming back to me that are quite poisonous but that’s part and parcel of the job nowadays.
“Maybe that’s why managers don’t last long in different jobs nowadays.
“They change a lot.
“I think I am the longest serving in the Premiership at two and a half years.”
Asked if what was passed on to him included speculation that he had been sacked or was about to be, he replied: “Yes, the same as it did months ago along with the other stuff.
“Ask me how I deal with it and I say you just have to get on with it.
“Social media is very difficult for people to control and it has taken over a lot of peoples’ lives.
“It (the criticism) has been personal and it’s always personal.
“You are the manager of a football team who people pay good money to go and watch, so it is personal.
“It has always gone on in football but maybe it is different now because everyone has a voice and everyone has a computer they can hide behind, or they have friends in the Press they can leak stuff to.
“I try to be proactive in what I do rather than be reactive to what is said. If I didn’t do that then I wouldn’t be doing my job.”
McNamara was asked if he understood why there was such a level of discontent and it was also suggested to him that the response could be labelled knee-jerk.
He replied: “I think there has been a reaction to what they saw at Hamilton, those who were there.
“That’s natural and, whether it is good or bad, I take criticism the way I take I take praise when we do well.
“I have been in football a long time and know how it works.
“I know how to handle things and my focus hasn’t changed from trying to get the best out of the players.
“I haven’t changed my approach from the first day I came here.
“I want to keep it that way moving forward.
“It’s a challenge but it’s one I am ready to face.”
Adding to the disquiet about onfield matters is the suspension of youth director Stevie Campbell.
McNamara said he wants there to be a quick resolution to the club’s internal investigation.
He also gave a clear, one-word answer of “No” when asked if former Dundee, Rangers and Scotland player Neil McCann was being lined up to replace Campbell, which has been one of the rumours that has been circulating.
As regards Campbell’s suspension, McNamara added: “It is very difficult for me to comment because it’s an internal matter.
“I would like these things to be sorted so everybody can understand what’s going on.
“I have seen some reports bringing me into it but hopefully it gets sorted soon and everybody can see what’s behind it, what the allegations are, and that it is dealt with quickly.
“I would rather keep it in the club, to be honest. That’s the best way to do it. I could have said things today but it’s better to let the club deal with it, which they are doing.
“People are jumping on things but, for me, the most important thing is to get it right.”
The Federation of Dundee United Supporters’ Clubs have issued a statement very supportive of Campbell.
McNamara didn’t criticise that move from the federation but he did urge everyone to be as united as possible as the players attempt to bounce back from the Hamilton horror show.
Asked about strained relations between the club and support, McNamara said: “It’s not nice because you want everyone to be together and to be as one united, if you like.
“Again, though, it’s part and parcel of it all.
“For me, the most important thing is getting results on a Saturday because that keeps everyone happy.
“The players are young and they will make mistakes but they will also learn.
“Saturday, I think, we can put down to a bad day at the office.
“A lot of things went wrong but in the Dundee game a lot of things went right, apart from the latter part of the match.
“As for the Aberdeen one, there wasn’t much in that and we won at Motherwell.
“So on the back of Saturday’s result I think a lot of people jumped on the bandwagon.
“I am not going to start panicking over one bad result or one bad performance.”