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Young, who was the club's assistant manager, will stay in charge for the remainder of the season.

"The players have been told that I have no friends at the football club from now on. It's not because I want it to be that way because I did have special friends at this football club, but it has to be that way", Young told UTV.

"I'm the boss now and I have eight weeks to make that work. If players aren't performing then they will not be in the team, it doesn't matter who it is, how many games they've played or how few games they've played. If they don't produce the goods they will not be in the team, bottom line."

McDonald guided the east Belfast club to the league title last season.

Earlier this week, he told UTV he had resigned after a two and a half year spell in charge because of the players' poor performances this season.

Assistant Manager George Neill also stepped down following a series of league defeats, including the 2-0 loss to Dungannon Swifts on Saturday which virtually ended Glentoran's title ambition.

Glens chairman Aubrey Ralph told UTV he supported McDonald's decision to quit.

"He clearly wasn't enjoying it, even when we won the league that day the pressure was so immense on him. I think that Alan had just decided that he'd had enough."

"I've spoken to him since and the change in him is quite dramatic because there's a sense of relief now that the pressure is gone and unfortunately it's all going to be Scott's now," Ralph said.

Young has chosen Pete Batey as his Assistant Manager and Tim McCann as First Team Coach.

They face a Big Two clash for their first game in charge, with Glentoran welcoming Linfield at the Oval in Saturday's JJB Sports Irish Cup Quarter-final.

© UTV News