It’s often said the bookies rarely get things wrong so Ian Murray being installed as the early favourite to replace Terry Butcher in the Hibs hot seat would suggest the current Dumbarton boss is definitely on the Hibees radar.
Most supporters believe the opportunity to manage the club he’s supported since birth would be too great a temptation for the 33 year old to turn down but in the same breath admit the challenge could be too huge for him to overcome.
In his favour are his knowledge of both Hibs and the Championship with his 18 month spell in charge of The Sons definitely beneficial in his managerial apprenticeship.
Having lead his current side to safety over the course of both campaigns despite being hindered by the part time status of the club, Murray’s stock is certainly on the rise.
However, when Hibs have appointed former players to the Easter Road dugout in the past, a long line of failures is the norm.
Bar Eddie Turnbull’s Tornadoes side of the 70’s, managers with a previous playing allegiance to Hibernian seem to disappoint when appointed.
Pat Stanton, John Blackley, Franck Sauzee, John Collins and Mixu Paatelainen are some of the playing legends who’ve tried and been unsuccessful in turning around a club in various stages of decline.
Granted Collins won Hibs a trophy but his signings for the beginning of the 2007/8 season began the turmoil which now envelopes the fallen giants and a succession of managers since has failed to clear entirely the deadwood within the squads left behind from each previous incumbent.
That is until now. Butcher’s final act as manager saw him clear the decks of the uninterested souls who masqueraded as professional footballers last season – for this Hibs fans owe him a tiny piece of gratitude although one or two of the imposters remain.
Now would be as good a time as any to appoint a young, enthusiastic boss who can provide the club with a figurehead and long term plan which both fans and players can buy into.
At only 33, Murray could certainly bring the youth and fearlessness an old campaigner wouldn’t but would require patience from both boardroom level and the stands as his managerial learning curve develops.
His Dumbarton side like to entertain and score goals but they also concede too many but the majority of the Easter Road support would welcome the return of cavalier football after successive seasons of turgid, eye-bleeding hoofball under Pat Fenlon and Terry Butcher.
Murray would definitely have the club’s best interests at heart and is unlikely to want to jump ship should he prove to succeed where so many have failed before him.
His tender years should also enable him to nurture a long term plan on the structure of the club from grass roots level.
Tony Mowbray was the last manager appointed to have a clear mind on how he forsaw the development of the club when he urged the board to invest in a training centre where every age of player could be coached under the watchful eye of backroom staff.
Since the East Mains complex was completed the turnaround of quality youth players to first team squad members has been relatively poor but it’s hopefully something the new man, with the right plan can rectify.
Whether or not Murray can convince Leanne Dempster he’s the man to turnaround the Hibees fortunes remains to be seen but there’s far worse options out there.
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Are you mad?! Ian Murray has brought a professional approach to Dumbarton, hence his relative success with a part-time team he trains a couple of nights a week.
Now your saying he is ready to step into the hotseat at Hibs?
You truly are all nutcases. Number two to a man with experience and NO connection to Hibs would be perfect.
Not since Eddie Turnbull have we had a successful ex Hibs player as manager. And I include John Collins who coukd have been.
I was lucky to see Pat Stanton playing for Hibs. However I also remember the Hibs supporters chanting Stanton must go when he was manager. Clean slate inside the boardroom and dressing room. Give it a rest with “Hibs minded” managers. It doesn’t work for crying out loud!
The article reflects the lack of success ‘Hibs minded’ managers have had throughout the years John but the truth of the matter is we are now a Championship outfit and as such there won’t be a stampede of quality managers breaking down the door. We tried experience with no affiliation to the club with Butcher and it backfired spectacularly. At the moment there’s no sense of direction so why not get someone in with youth on their side. As a no.2 Murray wouldn’t have the freedom to manipulate the club in the direction he wanted. If we go for experience it’s likely both the new appointee and fans will want the short term benefits regardless of the long term ones. The club needs built from the bottom up and there are few managers out there capable of looking at anything bar the first team.
Murray would be more widely accepted than some outsider with a sketchy past. He’d probably not accept the assistant role unless McLeish or Mowbray type figures were appointed which let’s face it just is not going to happen.