Media reaction? Media loved Mackay, they could play out their hackneyed "good honest Brit shafted by evil foreigner" mantra. People like Pat Murphy were vehement Mackay would be fully exonerated after the court case... oops. The fact Moody used to be a journalist, used to do PR explains why the media were on Mackay's side.

His career dovetailed because quite frankly, he wasn't as good as his own hype - remember the MOTD appearance where he did everything but say "I want the Everton job"? His stint at Wigan was woeful; for all the comments of the media reaction killing his managerial career, the players involved completely crap all over that point. If a single chairman believed Mackay was good enough, he'd be managing now. It would be spun as a public rehabilitation after all... I'm convinced some chairmen would appoint a serial killer is they could guarantee promotion.