Dundee 1 Inverness CT 1: Wartime general wins battle but conflict continues to rage

Monday 11 March 2013

YOU tend to hear about John Brown before you see him.

Billy McKay regains his feet after his headed equaliser salvages a point for Inverness

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Chris Tait

That does not so much speak to a truth about the Dundee manager as it grabs you about the chops and screams in your ear. His reputation for being a somewhat blunt motivator with a modest coaching record gave fans the ammunition to shoot down his appointment at Dens Park last month before he even had time to utter his first battle cry.

Yet all that now seems to have been drowned out amid the growing optimism that Brown may yet be the right man to lead a club that had fallen 14 points behind the rest of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.It has taken him time to capture the imagination. That was partly due to his only other senior management role, at Clyde, ending after a dismal run of just three wins in 15 matches, but perhaps more readily it was down to that enduring image of the 51-year-old standing on the steps of Ibrox to address a mass of Rangers supporters, unconvinced of Charles Green's motives to take over. That harmed his credibility – Dundee later condemned some of the more enthusiastic criticism of his appointment as "disgusting" – but a steady run of three league matches without defeat has eased those tensions with supporters. Indeed, Saturday's draw with Inverness Caledonian Thistle was even followed by some urging the board to draw up an extended contract to keep Brown in office beyond the end of the season.It is an intriguing demand but one which needs to be informed by more than just his capacity to stir a squad that has not been in the mix for survival since August, and his own impassioned performances. Brown represents an almost Churchillian figure for Dundee; one possessing all the rousing bluster you could want during times of war, but who might be considered less suitable in peacetime. After all, his short tenure at Clyde only unravelled after he had succeeded in keeping the side in the Irn-Bru Second Division despite the duress of the relegation play-offs.The Dundee manager is not tactically naive, given his subtle tweaking has teased three goals from John Baird in his four games in charge, although his attempts to scrub up the Dundee defence have not yet contributed to a clean sheet, with Billy McKay's header on Saturday leaving a stain on an otherwise bright performance. With his tenure played out between midweek fixtures Brown has had little time to customise training sessions to his preference, though, and it is the perception of a coach who demands everything from players – or else – which is still having the greater impact on his squad."Nobody has got on the wrong side of him yet so I don't know what it would be like – I really don't want to be the first," said Nicky Riley, the Dundee midfielder. "There is not much changed in training because we've had so many games. Now we'll see how things are going to be."Andrew Shinnie may also be giving thought to change, with the elegant Inverness forward out of contract in the summer and reportedly of interest to Birmingham City, among others. The 23-year-old would only feign interest in such speculation on Saturday – "Whatever happens with my future will be resolved over the next few weeks," he said – although his consistently striking displays could mean that his time in the Premier League will come to an end in the summer.It may prove to be over by then for Dundee, too. Well, all bar the shouting.

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Dundee 1 Inverness CT 1: Wartime general wins battle but conflict continues to rage

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