Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Top flight needs Utd says Csaba
CSABA Laszlo believes Scottish football needs a strong Dundee United back playing top-flight football.
With the Tangerines’ game at Inverness last Saturday called off because of a waterlogged pitch, the manager headed for Pittodrie to watch this weekend’s Scottish Cup opponents Aberdeen for himself.
The Dons beat Hamilton 3-0 and, as well as doing his homework on them, Csaba noted the away support barely reached three figures.
Even if they don’t sell out this Sunday’s allocation of 2,000 tickets, he knows the Arab travelling support is likely to be at least 10 times the number that followed Accies.
And if United were riding high at the moment they would take even more fans — as it is they’ve been averaging over 1,000 per away game in the Championship recently.
That tells him how much his club are being missed in the Premiership.
“It is not against anybody but I saw Hamilton and I see which fan base is travelling with them,” he said.
“You see which fan base is travelling in the Scottish Championship with Dundee United and it is a big difference. I think Scottish football needs Dundee United back in the Premiership.”
Aware of the rivalry between the New Firm, he’s also had a pop at the Dons, suggesting while they’ve made second place in the league their own in recent years, it may only be down to the troubles of other big outfits.
“You saw that Aberdeen in the last four years, really they don’t have an opponent, just Celtic. You know that Hearts struggled, Hibernian struggled, Dundee United struggled.
“Rangers were out of the map and down. I talk there — one, two, three, four big clubs which were the same size as Aberdeen and Aberdeen have stabilised to be second.
“It was easier and now Hibs grows their fan base, are a good team. Hearts is the same, Rangers are back, it is more difficult.”
United, meanwhile, will not be handing Congolese winger Chris Malonga a contract after he spent a few days training with them.
“Malonga was here. Not in direct trials because I think this kind of player doesn’t have trials. He played for Monaco, but for eight months he hasn’t played.
“I just wanted to test his fitness but I made the decision he can’t help us, so it is better maybe to see him in the summer. We need fit players, we don’t have the time for two or three weeks when we can do something with the players so we decide no.”
DUNDEE United have agreed new dates for called-off Championship fixtures against Queen of the South and Dumbarton, the SPFL has confirmed.
The Tangerines will take on QOS on Tuesday, March 13 after the original match in Dumfries was abandoned at half-time on December 16 last year.
United’s home encounter with Dumbarton, set for Saturday week, was postponed due to the Sons’ involvement in the Irn-Bru Cup semi-finals. The game will now be played at Tannadice on Tuesday, April 3.
Both ties kick off at 7.45pm.