The three were already tied to Tannadice until 2006, but have now pledged their futures to the club for 24 months beyond then.

In their first full season in charge, they have steered United to the top half of the SPL and that’s what has persuaded chairman Eddie Thompson to prolong their stays.

“I am delighted to have secured the services of the youngest and brightest management team in Scottish football for a further four years,” he said at a Press conference today.

“Ian and his team have met all of their targets this year and the improvement in the playing side is there for all to see. He has done exactly the sort of job that I recruited him to do and it’s important that this is followed through on a long-term basis.”

There was also praise for the manager for the way in which he supported the necessary tightening of the financial reins at Tannadice. Several senior players have already accepted pay reductions in exchange for longer deals and now he has followed suit.

“We have made no secret of the fact that we are not immune from the financial pressures affecting Scottish football and the changed circumstances that we all now find ourselves in. Ian and his team have fully understood this and we have tried, successfully I think, to combine the need for financial stability with our ambitions for the future,” added the chairman.

Ian himself stressed there was no way he would have asked players to take less money if he had not been prepared to do the same himself.

While he is reasonably satisfied with the progress made since he took charge at the end of January last year, he did not go overboard about it and wants bigger and better over the next four years.

“We have made progress and could finish fifth, but we have not done well in a cup. I would say we have done decently well and I want to continue to improve. I am excited to be getting the chance to do that,” he said.

“I have major ambitions for this club and I am encouraged that these are shared by the chairman. We both know the costs must be controlled and reduced, but, equally, we both want the team to continue to improve and challenge at the very top.”

And with their rivals facing Hearts in their final game on Sunday, that might just be enough to guarantee a successful first full season in charge for Ian.

“Tonight is a chance for us to put a bit of pressure on Motherwell and to be four points ahead of them at this stage would be a good position,” he said.

What he isn’t doing, though, is taking success against the Scottish Cup Final-bound Pars for granted.

“It is going to be a very tough game against a very good side, even if a few of the team that will play in the final are missing tonight.

“Jimmy Calderwood has done a great job at Dunfermline and when you consider he has led a provincial team to fourth in the league and a Scottish Cup Final, then it is a big surprise to me that he has not had a mention when the Manager of the Year award was being given out.”

Returning to United’s starting line-up after suspension will be wide man Barry Robson — Stuart Duff looks certain to make way for him — but Andy McLaren, Jim McIntyre and long-term absentee Scott Paterson remain unavailable.

“Jim McIntyre’s season is definitely over, Scott is training normally now, but we will not throw him in for either of the last two games, while Andy could miss them as well. He is definitely out against Dunfermline and, at best, 50-50 for Celtic on Sunday.”

This is midfielder Craig Easton’s last home game before he leaves at the end of the season. Since that news broke a couple of weeks back, there has been a flood of mail at Tannadice praising his efforts for the Tangerines both on and off the park.

“Eastie” will start on the bench tonight and could come on for his 257th competitive appearance.

Off the park, he has been a superb ambassador for United, attending numerous events on their behalf.

In recognition of nine years’ service and his popularity with the fans, a presentation will be made to Craig before kick-off by Eddie Thompson and representatives from fans’ groups.

“It is nothing too serious, but, at the minute, Jonay is definitely struggling. We’ll check tomorrow before we make a final decision on him,” said boss Jim Duffy.

Following on from yesterday’s news that midfielder Garry Brady has signed a new two-year deal, Jim will almost certainly be speaking to his remaining four out-of-contract first-team men — Barry Smith, Lee Mair, Dave Mackay and Steven Milne — before the end of the week.

“After tomorrow, but before the Aberdeen game on Saturday, I will probably check to see what their thoughts are,” he added.

“It is not imperative that I have an answer from them right now, but it would be helpful to know what they are thinking.”

Of the quartet, there is known to be interest in Mair from Dundee United and England, where striker Milne has also been attracting attention as he finishes the season in scoring form.

Home fans attending tomorrow night will be handed special numbered tickets for a draw that will see more than 20 of them win Dee 4 Life shirts that have been signed by the entire Dark Blues squad.

Dundee are in the process of confirming a three-match pre-season trip to Northern Ireland between July 17-24.

People have paid a very high price for this episode — the players and staff who lost their jobs, the creditors who lost money and you the fans who have had to dig deep into your wages, savings, etc., to raise funds for a club that might not have survived beyond Christmas.

With your help, we’ve managed to escape the immediate threat of liquidation, we’ve won the battle to keep our place in the SPL and to remain at Dens Park for the immediate future.

We now need to ask for your help again. The simple truth is that unless you and others like you buy a season ticket for season 2004/2005, it is very unlikely that Dundee can survive.

We have a business plan for next season, but there are no surplus funds in it. The plan depends completely on all supporters who bought season tickets for Dens in 2003 renewing in 2004.

That’s why Dundee Football Club are asking you to back the launch of our season ticket package for 2004/2005 by buying your ticket early and supporting the club in the way we need it most right now.

Prices have gone up since last year and we know it is asking a great deal of many of you, but the price you pay to watch Dundee will not be any higher than the prices charged by many other provincial SPL clubs.

This year, we have teamed up with Cetelem (UK) Limited to bring you a new easy and affordable way to pay for your season ticket — “Take 10”. Five per cent. of the cash value of every season ticket purchased using “Take 10” will be paid to Dundee giving much needed additional revenue.

Your money will go directly to put your team on the park each week and we can promise you that every member of the squad and backroom staff will be giving their all to reward your investment.

We believe we have the nucleus of an exciting young squad at Dens and we are cautiously optimistic we might even see one or two new faces over the summer.

The Scottish Cup Final at Hampden last year, with the sight of almost 20,000 Dundee fans, was amazing.

Our attendance figures show that as wonderful as our loyal support has been, not enough of these fans are there on a regular basis. That’s why this letter is going to over 12,000 supporters who we know have backed us in the past.

The cash you invest in Dundee through your season ticket is absolutely vital — but just as important to the club is the message the size of our support sends Scottish football and the people who back Scottish football.

We also have to prove to the Halifax Bank Of Scotland that this can be a viable business worth fighting for and saving.

Let’s show them that Dundee is not only a club worth saving; it’s a big club that can go places again.

Thanks for your time — and hope to see you at Dens next season. — Jim Duffy, Manager, Dundee Football Club.