Dundee United will today unveil Jackie McNamara, the manager they feel is utimately destined for the English top flight.
The now former Partick Thistle boss has finally won the faith and backing of the Tannadice board to lead the club into a new era.
For much of this often fraught managerial race, Falkirk’s Steven Pressley was in the lead. However, the former Dunfermline, Celtic and Scotland player overtook him in dramatic style and has now struck gold.
While it was widely reported elsewhere that Pressley was the only show in town, Courier Sport was aware that at boardroom level minds hadn’t been made up.
On Tuesday afternoon word came through that a decision had been taken and that it would be McNamara, and he will be officially presented at a press conference at the stadium today.
It is understood McNamara conducted himself brilliantly at his interview when he was grilled by chairman Stephen Thompson and other board members.
One director told Courier Sport: “He will be a Premiership manager one day.”
McNamara also fits the criteria set by United at the outset of their search. They wanted a younger coach whose career is on an upward trajectory and who can be trusted to bring out the best in the wealth of young talent at Tannadice.
Pressley’s case was a strong one, partly because it was being championed by former United manager Craig Levein.
However, the Bairns boss’s results record at Falkirk isn’t the best and the feeling began to grow that it would be hard to sell a Pressley appointment to a large section of the United support.
In the end, Pressley was phoned by Thompson to break the news to him that he was not, after all, to become Peter Houston’s successor.
It will come as a huge disappointment to the former Tangerines’ skipper, who was strongly recommended by Levein and who shares the same agent John Colquhoun as both the former Scotland national coach and Houston.
This move by United should be seen as drawing a clear line under the Levein/Houston era at the club.
McNamara, who made more than 250 appearances for Celtic after making his breakthrough with Dunfermline, is expected to bring Simon Donnelly with him from Firhill to be his assistant.
Compensation will be winging its way to Maryhill in due course.
The pair have led the Jags to a challenging position at the top of the First Division while working on a shoestring budget.
As regards his ability to nurture the likes of Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong at Tannadice, it was noteworthy that Tuesday also saw Thistle youngsters Stephen O’Donnell and Stuart Bannigan being called into the Scotland under-21 side for the upcoming friendly with Greece.
McNamara (39) is likely to meet his new players this morning, chat to the press, then get down to work.
He will, of course, face a dugout debut that could hardly be more intense or heaped with greater pressure.
Rangers will arrive on Saturday for a William Hill Scottish Cup fifth round tie that has already been mired in controversy.
The Ibrox club’s board have officially backed a boycott of the fixture by their own fans only around 200 are expected on the day and the home support will be desperate to win given the tension between the two clubs.
It will be a challenge the new United boss is sure to relish.
For more analysis of what Jackie McNamara will bring to the manager’s role, see Wednesday’s Courier or try our new digital edition.