DUNDEE UNITED legend Jim McInally fears the management structure at Tannadice will mean they miss out on the ‘perfect’ boss in Tommy Wright. 

The 56-year-old reckons it would be a ‘no-brainer’ to snap up the former St Johnstone gaffer following Robbie Neilson’s shock return to Hearts on Sunday evening. 

However, the Peterhead manager has questioned whether Wright - who is also in the running for the vacant Northern Ireland job - would gel with sporting director Tony Asghar and American owner Mark Ogren.

McInally, who made 391 appearances for United as a player, insists it is far more likely that they will appoint a more inexperienced coach or promote Lee McCulloch from within. 

He said: “It would be an absolute no-brainer to give Tommy Wright the job. 

"Just let him be the manager. Let him sign the players, like he did at St Johnstone - and what a track record he had. 

“He would be the perfect man for Dundee United but I don’t see them going down that road.

“They’ve obviously created a way of working and I think they’ll bring in someone to work with the people already there, whether that’s a younger manager who is happy with that, or maybe promote Lee McCulloch.

“When the American [Mark Ogren] took over and Tony Asghar was brought in, and coaches were being foisted upon Robbie Neilson, it just looked like the typical scenario of ‘you need to work this way - this is the road we’re going down and we’ll recruit your players’. 

“The writing is on the wall with these clubs as soon as they go down this road.” 

And while he retains an affinity with his former club, McInally is adamant he does not blame Neilson for walking away from the top job at United if he was uncomfortable with the hierarchy. 

McInally also suggested to BBC’s Sportsound programme that Neilson had won promotion ‘the hard way’ due to his lack of complete control. 

The straight-talking Blue Toon boss continued: “If that [structure] is the way Dundee United are going and Robbie wasn’t happy with that, then I don’t blame him for leaving. 

“He’s going back to a club where he knows the structure and the people. 

“If he has done this [won promotion] without a relationship with his owner then good on him, because he’s done it the hard way.”