McInnes looks back in admiration

McInnes was unveiled at Ashton Gate yesterday morning after impressing the npower Championship club’s board in their recruitment process.

Having taken assistant Tony Docherty with him, Saints have put captain Jody Morris and under-19 coach Alec Cleland in temporary charge for tomorrow’s Tayside derby against Dundee United at Tannadice.

McInnes leaves with Saints fifth in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League and looking good for a top-six challenge, with summer signings Cillian Sheridan and Francisco Sandaza impressing up front.

The Perth side were in the bottom half of the First Division when McInnes took over from Owen Coyle four years ago, but he guided them to promotion in his first full season and comfortably kept them in the top flight for two years.

McInnes told the club’s official website: “I see myself as having had three distinct groups of players in my time at the club and all have been fantastic. The current group have been absolutely first class.

“We are sad to be leaving, but myself and Tony at least have the satisfaction of leaving the club on a healthy footing.

“But that’s not just down to us – it’s down to the staff behind the scenes at the club, the board of directors, the supporters and especially the players. All of those people have been brilliant to work with. I’m confident that the club will go from strength to strength and nobody will be more delighted than me if that is the case.”

McInnes turned down the opportunity to join Brentford earlier this year, but he could not say no to the Robins. He said: “Obviously it’s a real opportunity for me to develop as a manager and, professionally, it is the right thing to do but that doesn’t mean it has been an easy decision.

“When you have been at a club as long as I was at Saints, you create a bond with people and those bonds are not easy to break. I’ll always be indebted to Saints and to [chairman] Geoff Brown and [former managing director] Stewart Duff in particular, who guided me through the transition from player to manager at the club and made it easier than it might otherwise have been.”

Wigan No 2 Graeme Jones last night distanced himself from reports he was ready to fill McInnes’s shoes in Perth.

Jones, who previously rejected overtures from former club Swansea, is adamant he’s in it for the long haul with former Motherwell manager Roberto Martinez at the DW Stadium.

The 41-year-old, who also spent time at Hamilton Accies, was at McDiarmid Park for three seasons. He said: “I look back fondly on my time in Perth. I had injuries there and they were very good to me. There are a lot of good people there, including chairman, Geoff Brown.

“But I am fully committed to Wigan and relishing life in the Premiership. Saints are a fine club but I have no plans to go back to Scotland.

“We have another major challenge on our hands but we are up for the battle.”

In contrast, Cleland, who supervised training yesterday, would jump at the chance to take over on a permanent basis.

“I’m delighted to work with the squad. It might only be for two or three days but it will be a great experience for both myself and Jody,” he said.

“I’ve been a caretaker manager in the past at Livingston before Richard Gough came in, and I did it again at Inverness before Terry Butcher took over. So it’s not as if it’s something new to me. It’s temporary at the moment but I do see it as an opportunity. I’d be silly not to.

“As a continuity candidate, I can put my hand up. I’ve been working here for two-and-a-half years and the boys are used to working with me.

“So from that perspective I might be the obvious choice. But we don’t know the chairman’s ideas on the position. He might be looking for experience.”

Skipper Morris, also linked with the job, will line up against United tomorrow but was keeping his cards closer to his chest. “I’m not thinking beyond Tannadice,” said the midfielder. “It’s only fair we concentrate on United. It is a big derby and we want to do well.

“This is a short-term measure. Who knows what will happen further down the line? Let’s get this game out of the way. Whatever they have in mind, the club’s last two appointments have been successful and I’m sure the chairman and his son Steve won’t get it wrong with the next one.”