Pressley named Dundee head coach after Brentford exit

Dundee person appointed erstwhile Falkirk and Coventry City head Steven Pressley arsenic nan Scottish Premiership club's caller caput coach.

The 51-year-old erstwhile Scotland centre-half past week near Brentford, wherever he had spent 4 years arsenic nan Premier League club's caput of individual subordinate development, saying it was clip for a "new challenge".

Only connected Sunday it emerged that Dundee had been fixed support by Linfield to speak to David Healy, who had led Irish Premiership broadside to nan sixth convention title of his 10-year reign.

But Dundee opportunity Pressley "emerged arsenic nan standout candidate" aft "a thorough and broad hunt process" to find a successor to Tony Docherty, who was sacked contempt starring his broadside to information from relegation connected nan final time of nan season.

As portion of a restructuring of nan Dens Park shot department, erstwhile St Mirren adjunct David Longwell has besides joined nan nine arsenic method manager, focusing connected subordinate development, having ended nan play arsenic caretaker head pinch National League nine Fylde.

Dundee constituent to Pressley's "fantastic knowledge and acquisition of nan game", pinch managing head John Nelms adding that he "brings pinch him a shared halfway worth of subordinate improvement and a rounded attack to winning football".

Pressley was still a subordinate pinch Heart of Midlothian erstwhile he took his first steps into guidance arsenic caretaker for 2 games astatine nan extremity of nan 2004-05 play and became adjunct to Scotland head George Burley successful February 2008.

He suffered relegation pinch Falkirk successful his first foray into full-time management, but he past led Coventry clear of relegation successful League One contempt nan nine going into administration.

He was yet sacked aft a mediocre tally of results and had short spells successful complaint of Fleetwood Town, Cypriot top-flight nine Pafos and, successful 2019, League Two outfit Carlisle United.

"Steven will beryllium installing a model that delivers connected nan messaging that nan elder players and nan improvement players are 1 effective team," Nelms told his nine website.

"David comes to america pinch a agelong and productive history successful nan improvement of players some northbound and southbound of nan border.

"Player improvement has ever been astatine nan forefront of our nine and, pinch nan magnitude of young emerging talent, it is important that nan restructuring of nan shot section will emphasise this moreover more.

"His main domiciled will beryllium moving alongside method head Gordon Strachan and caput coach Steven Pressley to guarantee nan concentrated improvement of nan individual player. David will besides person further roles wrong nan first squad set-up."

Longwell has been academy head pinch St Mirren, Orlando, New York, Shrewsbury Town and Burnley.

He was besides St Mirren adjunct for 5 months from December 2014 and filled nan aforesaid position pinch Shrewsbury and Fylde, wherever he took complete arsenic caretaker head successful February arsenic they headed for relegation.

Dundee opportunity Pressley, who was signed arsenic a subordinate by Strachan erstwhile he was Celtic manager, has already started his caller domiciled contempt being connected a pre-planned metallic wedding day vacation to nan acold east.

When Docherty was sacked pinch nan particulate hardly settling connected a disappointing Premiership campaign, fewer Dundee fans who would person thought they would beryllium uttering nan building 'Elvis has entered nan building' conscionable a fewer weeks later.

At nan clip of nan departure of Docherty - and his backroom unit - nan nine stated their volition to "restructure nan shot department".

Giving Pressley nan title of caput coach, alternatively than manager, and nan creation of a caller method head position decidedly projects nan look that things will beryllium different going forward.

There will beryllium immoderate fans who will constituent to nan truth Pressley has been distant from nan Scottish crippled for much than a decade, positive he has not held a managerial domiciled anyplace since leaving Carlisle six years ago.

However, location tin beryllium nary uncertainty Pressley is bringing immense acquisition to Dens Park.

And he will besides person a knowledge of nan English market, peculiarly pinch regards to immoderate imaginable young talent coming done nan ranks southbound of nan border. That knowledge could beryllium invaluable arsenic Dundee look to fortify their squad.

Pressley besides played nether Dundee method head Strachan astatine Celtic, truthful nan ex-Scotland leader will beryllium good alert of nan qualities his erstwhile subordinate tin bring to Dens.

But this is not astir nan past. The occurrence aliases nonaccomplishment of immoderate assignment is wished by results - and yet that is what Pressley and co will beryllium judged connected going forward.