YOU’VE GONE SIDEWAYS ROBBIE
Asghar slams claim Hearts are bigger club
DUNDEE United sporting director Tony Asghar has rubbished claims Robbie Neilson has moved to a bigger club in Hearts.
Asghar was stunned when his manager left Tannadice for Tynecastle on a three-year
deal. There was already bitterness between the clubs after Hearts owner Ann Budge began legal action aimed at reversing United’s promotion.
And more petrol was poured on the fire by Steven Pressley yesterday when the former Jambos and United star insisted Hearts were “far bigger”.
But Asghar said: “I’m disappointed because I thought we worked together well and we got the Championship title.
“I was surprised it’s happened at this time but it’s been stated that Hearts is a club he’s always liked.
“I’m surprised he’s gone sideways. If he was going to move from our club he’d have gone to a bigger club.
“He helped to build some of the structures we put in place. Both of us worked together on that.
“We still had a lot of work to do. He made players better, along with myself, he build up the coaching staff.
“He’s definitely a young manager with a lot of possibilities in the game.
“I’m just surprised he’s taken the step to go back to manage in the Championship.
“Would I see it differently if Hearts were in the Premiership? Not necessarily.
“We spoke a lot of times about Hearts and I’m surprised as I didn’t believe he was thinking that far ahead.
“He wanted to build something at United. If his thought process was to have another go in England or to try abroad, I could understand that.
“It’s surprising he’s gone back. But you never know how people will react when someone asks them to come.
“We’re disappointed but ultimately we’ll move on.”
Earlier Pressley said: “I played at both clubs and both are great clubs but there’s no doubt about it that Hearts are by far the bigger club.
“They can attract 20,000 supporters. It didn’t have that before but they have that now. There is clearly money available there. They have strong benefactors who are supporting the club.
“The compensation they paid for Robbie demonstrates they are in a good financial position.”
Asghar knows the Hearts faithful will fiercely argue Pressley’s point but has insisted “bigger” can be defined in a number of different ways.
The United chief said: “Bigger clubs don’t always mean the ones with bigger finances.
“Hearts are in the Championship and we are in the Premiership.
“Do you define bigger as fan-based or by what league you are playing in?
“Bigger can also mean having the best values, the better ability to make players better, to be successful within the leagues. As I say, we’re in the Premiership and they are in the Championship.”
Pressley was speaking on the same podcast as Craig Levein, who revealed he would be interested in a return to Tannadice.
The former Scotland manager said: “I had three years at Dundee United and as much as I loved my time at Hearts, that four years was quite special for me.
“We managed to build a really strong team and I would never say never to the Dundee United job.
“But I don’t know the structure at Dundee United so it’s something I would need to look at in great detail if I get offered a chance of the job.
“I’d be open to having a conversation but that doesn’t tie you to anything.
“Having a conversation is something that I think would be interesting.”