Mixu: not the first choice, but the best

"I'm ready for my close up, Mr Thompson"

So it's Big Mixu Paatelainen, to give him his full name, who has taken over at Tannadice.

What did we learn from Dundee United's search for a new manager?  Plenty about the Scottish media, for a start.  Whilst the Finn's name was mentioned in passing with the post, it wasn't really until the morning before he was unveiled that it became clear that he was likely to be appointed.  The press had spent the previous several days constantly dropping John Hughes' name - initially based on fact (United made an approach for him last Friday evening, with Inverness suggesting where they could stick it) but they kept flogging the horse for days afterwards, with three days worth of stories suggesting that Yogi wanted to move to Tayside, but with little other than conjecture to back them up.  "Yogi wants to speak", "Yogi is going to speak", "the bookies have stopped taking bets after John Hughes became odds-on favourite", "Inverness are going to let Yogi speak".  Anyone who put some cash on Mixu on Monday will be buying the drinks for the rest of the week.

We got the strong impression that Mixu wasn't the first choice.  United chairman Stephen Thompson looks like Blofeld, but seems to plot like Dr Evil; he approached St. Johnstone about Tommy Wright first, only to be rebuffed, and Wright happily signed a new contract at McDiarmid Park a few days later.  One wouldn't be surprised to see Yogi do the same at Inverness; rumour has it (and it is, like so much else, rumour) that Thompson wouldn't countenance anywhere near the compensation that ICT demanded for the potential poaching of their coaching staff.

That said, I like the appointment.  I really can't remember why Mixu got punted by Hibs - I've read stuff today about the fans not liking his style of play, but I seem to remember they finished in the top six twice when he was in charge.  Mind you, he also spent six figure sums on John Rankin and Colin Nish (!).  His Killie team, though, bring back overwhelming positive memories.  They were great to watch, with an incisive, attacking passing game.  Admittedly, a lot of that might have been down to signing Alexei Eremenko and being able to motivate the playmaker to break into a jog occasionally.  Who knows, maybe he could do the same with Chris Erskine?  Mixu did turn around Kilmarnock quickly, though.  And he certainly got the best out of players like Craig Bryson, Liam Kelly and Connor Sammon.

I think he suits United better than Wright or Hughes would have.  The former has built his success at St. Johnstone mainly on a solid defence (though not this season!) and a bunch of experienced, hardworking and disciplined players.  Jackie McNamara has left behind a squad of talented but hugely inconsistent youngsters with fragile confidence, and very few grafters.  And the defence was an absolute shambles.  I think huge turnover would have been required for Wright to get the team he wanted and the style he wanted.  That would have taken a lot of time, and a lot of expenditure.

I don't think Hughes would have been a great fit either, for two reasons.  Firstly, it took him several months to get Caley Thistle playing the way he wanted them to; whilst Caley Thistle could afford him the time (and a number of iffy results in the first few months) Dundee United would not have been so patient.  Secondly, whilst he is an outstanding coach and could certainly help develop Charlie Telfer, Blair Spittal and other youngsters at the club, recruitment remains a real weakness for him.  His recent successes came from improving the squad he inherited rather than from bringing in new players, and his attempts to replace the likes of Graeme Shinnie and Marley Watkins have been rather haphazard.  Dani Lopez?  Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo?  Good grief.  Miles Storey, who has transformed their season, was apparently suggested by the chairman.

It's probably for the best, really; Caley Thistle managers are cursed.  No, really.  Not one of the managers in their history has gone on to have success elsewhere.  United have first-hand knowledge of this, after paying decent compo to the Highlanders in 2006 for Craig Brewster and getting their fingers burned spectacularly; 9 months, 30 matches and 3 wins later, Brew was punted.  Whilst a top three league finish and a cup win would probably be the pinnacle for most bosses, it definitely will be for Yogi.  It's just the way things are.  Had he gone to Tannadice, he'd have been gone by May, having got them relegated, and then ended up in charge of an English League Two team for all of eight matches before getting sacked there as well...or am I getting him mixed up with someone else?

So Mixu might not have been the first choice, but I reckon he's the right one.  From Dundee United's point of view, he had better be.


Lawrie Spence (LS) has ranted and spouted his ill-informed opinions on Narey's Toepoker since September 2007.  He has a life outside this blog.  Honestly.