Aberdeen have sacked manager Stephen Glass after a dismal time in charge at Pittodrie with the Dons looking for a third manager in a year.
The final straw came with yesterday’s Scottish Cup defeat by Motherwell and the search for a new boss is sure to have the Red Army wondering who will be their next boss.
Glass was confident yesterday that the axe wouldn’t fall despite sitting ninth in the Premiership table but the Pittodrie board have decided enough is enough and opted to make a change.
“I think I’ve got the backing of the board, I’ve certainly got the backing of the players, but you’re asking the question for a reason,” Glass said after the Motherwell defeat.
“This club’s seen what happens when you chop and change managers every couple of years like they did when I was playing. You end up where you shouldn’t be.
“There’ll be a lot of flak flying about, most of it in my direction, but I’ll protect the players and we’ll try and win.”
As well as Glass, coaches Allan Russell and Henry Apaloo are also leaving Pittodrie after Aberdeen confirmed the change of management.
As the Dons board look for the next person to take the Pittodrie hotseat, we’ve run the rule over some possible names who could be in the running.
Here are five potential candidates to replace Stephen Glass at Aberdeen:
Jack Ross
The former Hibs boss is looking to get back into work and is sure to be among the favourites to replace Glass. Despite things not ending well at Easter Road, Ross is still held in high regard within Scottish football and would make an obvious contender.
Neil Lennon
Lennon is going to be linked due to his links with Dons skipper Scott Brown as well as his experience with Celtic and Hibs – but would the Northern Irishman be a good fit at Pittodrie? Dave Cormack has spoken regularly of wanting a certain style of play and Lennon doesn’t quite fit there. However, he’s won titles and cups and could help Aberdeen climb the table.
Jack Collison
While it is unlikely to be a popular decision with Aberdeen fans, Collison is Atlanta 2 boss and ticks many of the boxes Cormack is looking for. The Dons’ link with the MLS side could make things easier if they decide to repeat the move that brought Glass back to Pittodrie. However, the fact it would be a repeat of how Glass landed the job, it will no doubt see some opposition from the Dons fans.
Jim Goodwin
The St Mirren boss has done a fantastic job with the Buddies and it seems like it is only a matter of time before a ‘bigger’ club lure him away from Paisley. Reviving Aberdeen’s fortunes could be the job that entices Goodwin away from St Mirren and his teams tend to try play a style of football that will please the Red Army.
Kevin Thomson
Stranger things have happened. The most unlikely of our five candidates but the Kelty boss could well be given the chance to take a big jump and reunite with best pal (and Dons’ assistant manager) Scott Brown. Unlikely to be a popular appointment if he was given the job but after interviewing for the Kilmarnock post recently, it’s clear he’s been attracting attention for his work with the Maroon Machine.
NTOF now offers a YouTube channel featuring exclusive interviews, post-match discussion, in-depth debate, and much more – LIKE and SUBSCRIBE and don’t miss any of our videos.