Duffy relishing return to front line after taking reins at Brechin

BRECHIN City head into today's Homecoming Scottish Cup fourth-round encounter with St Mirren armed with a manager who knows what it takes to go all the way to the final.

Jim Duffy led Dundee to their first Scottish Cup final appearance in nearly 40 years in 2003 and yesterday he agreed to take over the reins at Glebe Park, following Michael O'Neill's move to Shamrock Rovers last month. All being well Duffy will celebrate his 50th birthday in April at Brechin, and with his side still in the hunt for promotion to the First Division. Brechin currently lie in third place in the Second Division, behind leaders Raith Rovers and second-placed Ayr United.

It is a much-desired return to front-line management for Duffy, who left Dundee in August 2005. He has since experienced a curious range of jobs, including an intriguing term as Director of football at Hearts. A later spell as assistant to Peter Grant at Norwich City ended in October 2007, after Grant was relieved of his duties at Carrow Road.

He subsequently returned to media work, a furrow which the part-time nature of his new post allows him to continue ploughing. As well as being manager at Hibernian between 1996 and 1998, Duffy has previously held coaching posts at Chelsea and Portsmouth. The former centre-half also managed Dundee on a previous occasion before his most recent stint at Dens Park.

As The Scotsman continues on the Road to Hampden, a trek which began with the St Cuthbert Wanderers v Wick Academy tie back in September, Duffy will leave the pre-match preparations to Kevin McAllister, who was placed in interim charge after O'Neill's exit. Duffy is keen for McAllister and Grant Johnson, another coach, to remain at the club.

"Kevin was at Hibs when I was manager, and I sold him to Falkirk," he recalled. "He was a player I always admired. I didn't want to sell him to Falkirk but he wanted to go, I think for a fourth spell there. If Kevin wants to stay I will certainly be more than happy to keep him here, and Grant Johnson too.

"Of course I am officially the manager now so I am not going to sit on my hands and do nothing. You have to say that I am not aware of all the players yet, so it would be silly to go in and try and change things. Kevin McAllister knows the players and he has been training them, and preparing them. I will allow Kevin to get on with that side of it and I will step well into the background.

"Tomorrow is just about introducing myself to the players, and getting the formalities out of the way. I will then sit in the stand and watch the match. I may well find myself being dragged to the dug-out just because that emotion is what you miss. But certainly, in the first-half, I will sit in the stand and look at the game and assess things from there."

Part-time football is not new to Duffy, who was part-time with Morton as a player and also when manager at Falkirk. The players train twice a week – on Mondays in Perth, and on Thursdays in Edinburgh.

"There's not much to do in terms of fitness levels," he said. "Building a rapport with players might take a little longer because you are not with them every day. Other than that it is pretty much the same as full-time."

Dundee's march to the Scottish Cup final in 2003, where they were beaten by Rangers, saw Duffy blessed with such quality that he was prepared to leave Nacho Novo on the substitutes' bench. Dundee paid the price for the lavish spending which saw players like Georgi Nemsadze and Fabian Caballero sign for the club. Duffy's new posting is a world away from those days, although he may yet return to Dens Park as a First Division manager next season.

First, though, comes the Scottish Cup, and a tie where Brechin can revel in the absence of pressure. "I took a club (Dundee] to their first Scottish Cup final in over 30 years, and then onto Europe after that. Every club, whether big or small, have the dream that it might be their year when the Scottish Cup starts. It is great for the town. The expectations are all on St Mirren, not just to beat Brechin but to have a good cup run, because they are the form side in the SPL."