Dundee chief John Nelms has pledged to be patient with new manager James McPake as he begins to build a team in his own image.
Former Dee player and youth coach James was unveiled as the new Dens Park boss last Friday and managing director Nelms has backed the 34-year-old to be as successful a manager as he was a player.
The American said: “It’s a very big job and we will be patient.
“He’s a young manager and he can be successful with the people around him. Mistakes will be made but he will learn from those mistakes immediately and build and grow from that.
“It is a long-term appointment, James will grow into the job and get better and better and go from strength to strength.
“We’re excited. There’s a lot of energy with James and a lot of fight. I already know his work ethic, he’s here every day, 50 hours a week working.
“He works in a manner that a professional manager works in already.
“I was quite blown away with his interview because he actually went deep into some of his processes.
“Some of the things I had problems with, he answered. It was good.
“If we get a team of players that have the robustness that James showed as a player at Dundee football club and how he works day-to-day, our plan is we should be a strong team.”
And Nelms has set a target of a Premiership return for the rookie gaffer.
He added: “We want to be in the Premiership. That’s our goal however we get there. That’s how James is, he’s a fighter, and we’re going to get there. We should be challenging to go up and getting back to the top six.”
