John Robertson is returning to Caley Thistle – but as a sporting director. So who will be the club’s next manager?
The Championship club are already advertising for the man to replace Robbo, who was given time away from the job in February on compassionate grounds.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Football Club are inviting applications for the position of Head Coach.
👉 https://t.co/MTkmfdtJq1 pic.twitter.com/3mQOd4jp1G
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) May 13, 2021
Neil McCann took over from Robertson on an interim basis and, assisted by Billy Dodds, guided the side from the lower reaches of the second tier to fifth spot, missing out on the promotion play-offs by just three points.
His approach and results went down well with ICT fans, but he stressed he was always going to go at the end of the season.
McCann, who was a Scottish Cup winner as a player with John Robertson at Hearts, has since turned down the vacant manager’s position at Falkirk. He is planning to take on a football advisor’s role with an agency and doesn’t appear to be an option here.
So, with McCann not in the frame, who could be in contention to be the next Caley Thistle manager?
Billy Dodds
Could McCann’s successful assistant come into the fold, alongside current first-team coaches Barry Wilson and Ryan Esson?
The former Ross County number two is based locally and jumped at the chance to help McCann drive the team towards the play-offs, which they just missed out on last month.
His experience as a leading striker for club and country seemed to translate well at ICT as the firepower and form of forwards such as Nikolay Todorov and young Daniel Mackay told in their late-season press towards the top four.
Dodds said on BBC Radio Scotland tonight: “It will be a brilliant club for somebody”, adding he “loved his time there”.
John Hughes
The club’s Scottish-Cup winning manager from 2015 needs no introduction and is right now seeking the one point from Ross County’s final Premiership game at Motherwell on Sunday to keep the Dingwall club up.
Hughes replaced Stuart Kettlewell in December, tasked with the job of ensuring the Staggies remain in the top division.
If County do beat the drop, the chances are Hughes could be talking about a new deal at Victoria Park. If it goes the other way, then perhaps an ICT return becomes a live option.
Paul Sheerin
The Aberdeen first-team coach is a Caley Jags legend, being a scorer in that 3-1 Scottish Cup “go ballistic” game against Celtic in February 2000.
He took over from Derek McInnes at Pittodrie earlier this year when the Dons boss was sacked and is set to be back of Stephen Glass’s coaching team. Could he and another ex-ICT star, Barry Robson, be lured back along the A96.
In 2014/15, in former Arbroath boss Sheerin’s first year with the, he coached the young Reds to the Development League title.
Stuart Kettlewell
The former Ross County gaffer, along with Steven Ferguson, guided Ross County to a Scottish Championship and Challenge Cup double in 2018/19 and is an intelligent, highly-regarded coach.
He was, however, sacked from the Dingwall post at the end of last year, with the team toiling at the foot of the Premiership following 10 winless games.
Kettlewell is out of management right now and moved away from the Highlands, but surely this job would appeal? Has also been linked to the Falkirk job.
Jim McIntyre
Another familiar face in Scottish football and already a winner in the Highlands would be ex-Ross County manager Jim McIntyre.
Alongside Billy Dodds, he guided the Staggies to a stunning League Cup triumph in 2016 and they also led County to to a top-six finish in the top-flight before a tricky spell kicked in.
McIntyre and Dodds were sacked by the Dingwall club in September 2017 after a poor start to the season, but many felt, given what they’d achieved there, it was a cruel call by chairman Roy MacGregor.
Out of work, ex-Dunfermline boss McIntyre would surely be interested in a venture north again.
Derek McInnes
The sacked Aberdeen manager will no doubt have designs on bossing back in England, seeing his time at Bristol City cut short with the axe in 2013. It would be unfinished business for him.
His latter years at Aberdeen detracted from the fact he kept the club at the top end of the Premiership, had the Dons as annual Europa League entrants and, of course, ended a 19-year trophy drought with the 2014 League Cup final win against Caley Thistle.
Ray McKinnon
The ex-Aberdeen and Dundee United player has just left Queen’s Park after guiding the refocused and restructured Spiders to the League Two title.
He has managed Dundee United, Falkirk and Raith Rovers and was in charge at Morton for just four months before sensationally switching to Falkirk. He’d only been Queen’s Park boss for 15 months.
Danny Lennon
The Clyde boss was thought to have been a contender at Inverness when John Robertson returned to the club as manager in 2017.
The Bully Wee flirted close to the drop zone, staying out of the League One play-offs in the final weekend of the season, but he has managed St Mirren and Alloa and knows all the Scottish leagues, but this season’s toil might not do him any favours.
The club is pleased to be able to announce the return of John Robertson to Caledonian Stadium as our first ever Sporting Director.
Full Statement 👉 https://t.co/fKPhodHMVG pic.twitter.com/DzySCk0Kqe
— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) May 13, 2021
