By Natasha Woods, Alan Campbell, and Richard Winton
THERE were no sackings last night, despite a day of managerial turmoil in Scotland, but Craig Brewster delivered the sort of frank assessment which could easily have been mistaken for a resignation statement.
On a day in which Valdas Ivanauskas’ future at Hearts came under further scrutiny and reported Hibs target Mixu Paatelainen left his post at Cowdenbeath to take “a job at a higher level”, the Dundee United manager said his team were heading for the First Division if they don’t improve. He also admitted his ability to turn things round should be questioned.
A comfortable 3-1 win for Aberdeen ensured United remained rooted to bottom place in the SPL and Brewster looked like a man who would be unsurprised if he was about to become the latest manager to fail to live up to chairman Eddie Thompson’s expectations.
It is understood that Thompson will betray his reputation for impatience and persist with Brewster in the short-term at least, but the manager seemed ready to be put out of his misery last night.
“The pressure intensifies every time you don’t win and we never looked like winning today,” Brewster observed. “Who knows what will happen now. The chairman has his job to do and I have got mine. We will see how long that continues.
“When you have gone 27 league games with only two wins, you have to question everything about the club. It is obviously not good. And maybe we simply aren’t good enough,” added the man who moved from Inverness to Tannadice in January.
“I told the players is it tough and it will be tough in the First Division, because if we continue to play like that, that is where we are heading. People question me and whether I have the ability. Well, I had the ability at Inverness and those boys responded brilliantly, but at Dundee United it is not happening.”
But at least Brewster appeared post-match. Ivanauskas refused to speak to the media after his side lost 2-0 to Kilmarnock.
It is understood that the Tyne castle coach convened a meeting with club captain Steven Pressley to discuss the team’s poor performance – hence his no-show. Neither Vladimir Romanov, the club’s owner, nor his son and chairman Roman Romanov, were at the game, ruling out the possibility that the Lithuanian’s future was at stake at the meeting. The head coach has been criticised by the club’s supporters for recent selections, and yesterday his substitutions were also loudly questioned.
The fans also made their displeasure known at the continuing absence of French midfielder Julien Brellier from the Hearts squad. Brellier has declined to sign an extended contract, and the fans started chanting his name only minutes into the second half of a game in which their side surrendered tamely after going behind against the run of play.
Scotland midfielder Paul Hartley also admitted Brellier was a loss to the side. “Julien played a big part in our side last season. He’s a fantastic
