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Would McGhee Really Have Worked For Romanov?

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Motherwell manager Mark McGhee has insisted he would NOT have had a problem working under Vladimir Romanov and has claimed he turned down the move to Gorgie for ‘purely football reasons’, according to the Evening News.

The former Aberdeen striker recently decided not to fly to Lithuania to complete what was thought to be nothing more than a rubber stamp trip for his move to Tynecastle. However a last minute change of heart and a call from John Boyle changed McGhee’s mind.

It was suggested that McGhee had asked for assurances that he would have full team control at Hearts and had turned the job down because these could not be given, but McGhee insists this is purely speculation and is in fact complete nonsense.

He said:

‘My time under Theo Paphitis at Millwall made me a better manager.

‘These types of chairman require answers. They require that their employees justify their decisions with clear rationale and purpose. Some people shy away from this. I believe that is because they don’t have the answers and that this sort of scrutiny is too much for them.

‘Many managers would benefit from this sort of pressure. Theo made me a better manager. I believe Mr Romanov is similar. He is passionate about his club. He requires that his manager communicate with him. The person who realises that and is in a position to take the job will have a fantastic opportunity.

‘Motherwell chairman John Boyle made me an offer and, just in case anyone accuses me of staying for the money, it was a fraction of what Hearts offered me. I want European football. The mistake I made was that I should have realised that earlier and made that clear to Hearts.’

So….McGhee in a show of support for Romanov? Whatever next, Cristiano Ronaldo to Gorgie……?!

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MrH

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10 comments

  • MrH says:

    The comments are certainly interesting. You could be excused for believing that MM is leaving the door open for a potential future move to Hearts actually, and maybe all of the mutterings in the press about Korobochka staying on for another year is linked to this. On the other hand…

  • Specs Haver says:

    Wow – how bizarre is that ? I wonder just how unique MM is in recognising that managers need to work WITH owners – maybe thats why he was the preferred candidate due to his time at Millwall.
    So perhaps the 2nd name on our list is also someone who has worked for a mad dictator ?

  • imcd says:

    There is something about all of this that just does not feel right. As far as we are led to believe McGhee has got one foot on the plane and then suddenly as the result of a call from Mr Boyle he changes his mind and he decides to stay at Motherwell for the lure of European football and a fraction of the remuneration Hearts are offering? I don?t think so. Firstly, with the very best will in the world, what do we realistically think will be the extent of Motherwell?s European adventure ? much more than 1 or 2 matches? Secondly what else is there left to achieve at Motherwell for McGhee ? third place in the league again, a cup perhaps? I suspect that Motherwell will be very hard pressed indeed to achieve any better than they have this season (or indeed replicate their third place) ? what better time is there to leave when you have given the team and the supporters their best season in years? In any event, McGhee would have thought all this through long and hard before agreeing to meet with Romanov ? what fresh and head-turning arguments could Boyle have come up with at the eleventh hour? The only thing to my mind that would make McGhee change his mind so dramatically would be the manager?s job at Celtic ? maybe along with the Boyle call he also got a promise from elsewhere?..

  • MrH says:

    You make some potentially valid points imcd, but perhaps it was simpler than that, and he just felt that because Boyle had given him a chance to get back into management, that he owed him more than one season and jumping at the first chance he could. Bit like when Jefferies initially turned Hearts down after Falkirk’s chairman played the emotional blackmail card.

  • imcd says:

    You?re right Mr H ? I am an old cynic who should have more faith in humanity!

  • itsnomarooned says:

    There is certainly sense in what McGhee has been saying about working with owners but didn’t he fall out with Theo Paphitis when players were sold without consultation? Perhaps he didn’t have the agreement with Paphitis that he was angling for with Romanov.

  • MrH says:

    Possibly, but I really can’t help thinking that his comments are aimed at leaving the door open for himself should Hearts still be looking for a manager in a year’s time.

  • itsnomarooned says:

    and let’s face it ….. none of us would be surprised if we were!! More alarmingly I read on another unofficial site that Molfeev is set for a return! Sigh.

  • MrH says:

    That wouldn’t be a surprise either!

  • Dalien says:

    I read about the malofeev thing a couple of weeks back too. Worryingly he is seen as a stop gap for a year until we can get McGhee who in a year will be going to Celtic or a championship/premier league team in England. (I say Celtic but still can’t see why Celtic fans still hate such a successful manager just because he didn’t play and support them.)

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