Bungling Kenneth McDowall stepped into the spotlight at Ibrox yesterday admitting that his new job was tainted and revealing that he was told by the board to axe Ian Durrant.
With Ally McCoist sent on gardening leave and no money to bring in a new manager number two McDowall was handed the reigns and is likely to be given a crash course in media training.
Tainted is the headline of the day as the the stand-in boss describes taking over from McCoist as he washes his hands and blames the board for Durrant’s demotion.
“It’s tainted, isn’t it?,” McDowall admitted about his promotion to head a new management team alongside Gordon Durie and Lee McCulloch. “What can you do? I have got to try to make the best of a bad situation that has happened.
“On Sunday evening, I got a call from Derek Llambias asking me to come in to Ibrox. He asked me if I could come over immediately, which I duly did. I made that drive in. When I got there he informed me that Ally had been put on gardening leave and he asked me to take charge of the team.
“In doing so, he told me the board had made changes to the coaching team – those changes being Gordon coming up to work with me and Lee being appointed player-coach. He asked me to tell Durranty to drop down and take the second team.
“It wasn’t a matter for discussion. As soon as they asked me to carry out my duties to take the first team, they asked me if I would inform the boys of the changes.
“People will possibly say that was for the board to do. That’s open for debate with whoever wants to debate it but they asked me if I would do it, which I duly did. It wasn’t easy, but the boys fully understand because, at the moment, there is a lot going on.”
Last night Sevco fell 12 points behind Hearts as the Edinburgh side won 2-0 away to Cowdenbeath with former Celt James Keatings opening the scoring.
On Saturday McDowall will face his first match in charge away to Hibs with Sevco having lost all three league matches against Edinburgh clubs this season.
The ‘promotions’ of McCulloch and Durie are hardly inspiring. McCulloch has no coaching experience while Durie had a short spell managing East Fife, as coach of the Sevco development side he signs off with five wins from 13 matches including a 6-1 defeat from Celtic at Murray Park.
