Duncan Ferguson seals swift return to management after Forest Green sacking

26 September 2023 , 06:27

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Duncan Ferguson is back in management

Duncan Ferguson is set to be unveiled as the new manager of Scottish Championship outift Inverness Caledonian Thistle just three months after being sacked by Forest Green Rovers.

The former Scotland and Everton striker will be unveiled on Tuesday morning and will replace Billy Dodds, who was dismissed from his post as Inverness boss last week. Ferguson currently has only one full-time managerial role stint under his belt, which came in the form of his ill-fated reign at Forest Green.

Ferguson won just one of the 18 games he oversaw as manager at the New Lawn Stadium. But those at the top of the Inverness hierarchy are willing to take a chance on the Scotsman after being left impressed by his coaching record during his time at Everton.

The 51-year-old spent eight years on the coaching staff at Goodison Park and served as an assistant to some of the game's biggest coaches, including Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benitez. Following the dismissal of Marco Silva as Everton boss in 2019, Ferguson was briefly named as interim manager, where he enjoyed a memorable 3-1 win over Chelsea.

Ferguson is believed to have the full trust of the Inverness board when it comes to trying to avoid relegation. The Scottish outfit currently sit rock bottom of the Scottish Championship after winning none of their opening six games this term, which is the reason behind Dodds' sacking.

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It marks a steep decline for Inverness, who contested the Scottish Cup final against Celtic at Hampden in June and were widely expected to be promoted back to the top flight this term. However, Ferguson is under no illusions that when he sits in the hotseat for the first time against Arbroath on Saturday that surviving is now the priority.

Though John Robertson and Charlie Christie were in temporary charge for Saturday's home defeat by Dundee United, Ferguson is expected to bring in his own assistant. Former team-mate Gary Bollan is believed to be among the frontunners.

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Duncan Ferguson lasted 18 games at Forest Green Rovers but will now take charge of Inverness (Nigel Keene/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock)

Ferguson was not the only name in the frame to take over at Inverness. Ex-St Johnstone boss Callum Davidson was an early bookies' favourite to take the reins at the Caledonian Stadium, while Darren O'Dea was also thought to be high on the board's wishlist.

With that being said, O'Dea is currently in charge of Celtic's reserves and was not interested in leaving his role with the Hoops. A plethora of reports touting Scott Brown with the role emerged over the weekend after he was spotted in the area, but it is Ferguson who will be calling the shots at Inverness from now on.

Josh O'Brien