More than 48 hours after his departure was widely reported Dundee United have confirmed that Jackie McNamara has left the club.
Saturday’s 2-1 defeat against ten man St Johnstone was the former Celtic captain’s final match in charge with chairman Stephen Thompson making the decision in the immediate aftermath of the match.
Earlier today Dave Bowman took charge on a caretaker basis with the club confirming the news of McNamara’s departure shortly before 10pm.
A club statement read: “Dundee United Football Club and Jackie McNamara have mutually agreed the departure of McNamara as First Team Manager with immediate effect.
“Following widely reported talks between the Chairman and McNamara, the Club and McNamara agreed that a change was required to improve the results of the Club’s first team, with immediate change being required following the Club’s start to the season.
“Simon Donnelly, Darren Jackson and Craig Hinchliffe have also left the Club. The Club thanks Messrs McNamara, Donnelly, Jackson and Hinchliffe for their service. The Club will commence recruitment for a new First Team Manager and associated staff.”
McNamara’s cause was given a savage blow earlier this year when it was leaked that he was paid a bonus from transfer fees brought in.
This clause was put into his contract as compensation for taking a salary much lower than Craig Levein and Peter Houston who he succeeded in the job.
Having axed a manager that helped bring in £8m in transfer fees as well as reaching two cup finals the onus is now on Thomson to come up with someone to surpass those achievements.
In a later statement the Tannadice chairman said: “We have a strategy to run the Club in a financially sustainable way while achieving real progress on the pitch and these things are not mutually exclusive.
“This is a big Club with a large squad and playing budget, so we won’t be short of interest from top managers within the game.
“We have one of the most exciting young squads in British football and a lot to be upbeat about. The next manager will be taking on a talented bunch of players at an exciting time for the football club.”
Once upon a time I would have marked Jackie Mac down as a future Celtic manager. I think his bad month against us last season has blown that possibility away.