PHENOMENAL
»»Ogren celebrates 3 years in charge at United and says club is on the right path »»He says sporting director Asghar and boss Courts have done an amazing job
MARK OGREN celebrated three years in charge at Tannadice this month and insists the transformation in Dundee United is something to be proud of.
The American tycoon took control of the Tayside club in December 2018.
United were treading water in the Championship and he made it his mission to turn them back into one of Scottish football’s heavyweight clubs.
Ogren has invested heavily in the club, infrastructure and the team, while helping guide them through the financial perils of the ongoing pandemic.
Now they are back in the Premiership but there is no chance of Ogren or anyone else at Tannadice being allowed to rest on their laurels.
He said: “We are just three years into our ownership. To look at where the club was and where we are now is pretty phenomenal, no matter how you look at it and from what aspect of the club you measure it.
“It has taken a lot of hard work by a lot of people to get us to where we are today.”
The Minnesotan knew United was a sleeping giant that could be awakened with the right plan.
Ogren said: “We saw it as a real opportunity. Looking at Dundee United and its great history, when we came in it had fallen on tough times.
“We thought if we come in with the right people and invest some money then we can make a difference and win promotion.
“It was an opportunity in Scottish and European football. The passion from the fans and people around the club has been nothing near what I have been involved with. The people around Dundee United are so engaged in the club.”
Ogren has been absent a lot of the time because of Covid but he is still actively involved in all the big decisions.
He has left Tony Asghar to take charge and has insisted he wouldn’t have bought the club had his sporting director not handled the day-to-day running.
The American said: “The leadership team is led by Tony, who is doing a great job.
“It was Tony who attracted me to Dundee United. I told him I would only buy the club if he runs it for me.
“He has done a truly amazing job and the progress the club is making is there for all to see both on and on the pitch.”
It has been a rollercoaster ride for Ogren. United faced the heartbreak of losing the Premiership play-off on penalties to St Mirren and the season they won the Championship against a backdrop of empty stands and a season being called early.
They then lost boss Robbie Neilson to Hearts and brought in Micky Mellon, who helped establish them in the Premiership and are now kicking on under Tam Courts.
Ogren never met Mellon in person because of Covid but he said: “I knew from people at the club that Tam was very highly regarded. He wasn’t an unknown within the club.
“He might have been to people outside the club but we knew how good he was and how he could do well at Dundee United. He knows his players and how he can develop them.
“He wants to utilise all his assets, to learn and improve. He has a lot of strengths.”
United have built a squad that mixes experience and academy graduates with the ambitious prefollowing contract signing of Tony Watt thrown in.
Ogren said: “We are merging and developing the young players but continuing to improve more experienced players. The academy is the cornerstone of our club.”
The question is how much longer the Ogren family will remain at the helm?
He said: “We have set no timeframe and as long as we are satisfied with what the club is doing then I can see it being for quite
some time.”