GOALIE SPIRIT
New coach Alexander will bring his winning mentality to dressing room at Tannadice
IF David Hopkin was capable of bottling and selling whatever it was that fuelled Livingston last term, his need to return to gainful employment would not be quite so pressing.
Favourites to return where they came from as hostilities began in the Championship last August, the former Scotland international presided over as remarkable a success story as the game here has witnessed in many a long year by taking the Lions to their second successive promotion.
However easy it may have been to deride the West Lothian club’s size or style, what is beyond dispute is that many a Championship chairman would have given their right arm to change places with them on the day they won back their top-flight status at Partick Thistle’s expense.
Second best as Hopkin’s side edged an aggregate win in the semi-final, Dundee United are evidently hopeful that a few droplets of the elixir can fill the air around Tannadice and bring them the same success.
Primarily employed as a goalkeeping coach after calling time on his 22-year playing career, Neil Alexander, the man who was between the sticks for Livingston last season, hopes to impart some of the remarkable spirit Hopkin’s side showed on the United squad as they seek to extricate themselves from the second tier at the third time of asking.
‘It’s something the manager (Csaba Laszlo) has spoken about,’ said the 40-year-old. ‘It was one of the reasons he was keen to bring me on board. Obviously, I got promotion from the Championship with Hearts and managed it again with Livingston last season.
‘All through my career I’ve been in a dressing room with a winning mentality. That’s something I want to bring into the dressing room here.
‘No matter whether it’s training, five-a-sides or head tennis, I have that winning mentality that I’ve always been brought up with.
‘I think I contributed that a lot to the dressing room last year but, if it’s something I can help build here, that will stand the club in good stead.
‘Livingston just had an unbelievable spirit. The boys gave everything in everything they did. They backed each other up, worked hard and fought for each other.
‘It carried us a lot throughout the season when things were hard. That spirit and determination amassed us a lot of points and got us over the line. I’ve been brought in to spread that mentality.’
You would have thought that belief and spirit would be givens in any professional side. Yet, as Livingston proved, such qualities can be found in abundance in some places and can be less conspicuous elsewhere. Alexander contends that it is a question of nurture as well as nature. ‘You can do it through positivity in everything you do,’ he explained.
‘Promote encouragement all the time. When things are going well, give people a pat on the back. When they’re not going so well, dig people out and help each other.
‘It’s something you either grasp or you don’t. I just hope the boys get a grasp of what we’re trying to put across.’
His main remit is working closely with Benjamin Siegrist, a 26-year-old Swiss, and Matej Rakovan, a 28-year-old Slovakian, who will both fight for the No1 jersey next season.
Having started out his career with Stenhousemuir in 1996, Alexander was looking to move into coaching in the near future but admits the move to Tannadice is slightly ahead of schedule.
‘It happened very quickly,’ he explained. ‘Walking off the pitch after winning the play-off against Partick Thistle, I’d every intention of playing another year.
‘I’d quite a lot of offers from other clubs, but United came in late on and gave me a great opportunity to move into coaching and a three-year deal which was very appealing.
‘It was always something I wanted to get into. If it wasn’t going to be this season, it would have been next. But there might not have been any jobs going next summer.
‘I was the goalie coach at Hearts for a couple of years, I did a bit at Aberdeen and at Livingston last season. After 22 years, it’s a natural progression. Goalkeeping is all I know.’
Livingston, he freely admits, would still be benefiting from his experience had their board and Hopkin been on the same page.
‘I’d a fantastic relationship with David,’ explained Alexander. ‘I spoke with him just the other day. It did have a big bearing. I think if he’d stayed at the club I would still have been there.
‘But he’s made his decision for his own reasons and I’ve no problem with that. He’s a great manager and I respect his decision. I was disappointed that he left as Livingston have lost such a good manager and he did so well for the club.
‘I really enjoyed working under him. You never know — our paths may cross in the future.’
United are certainly not doing things by half this summer. Unveiled together with fellow new coaches Craig Easton and Scott Robertson yesterday, Alexander believes fresh minds and different approaches can yield the outcome all at the club so badly want.
Chairman Mike Martin’s new ruling on all staff living within a 25-mile radius of Dundee may also prove a small but important step on the road back.
‘That’s fine by me,’ said Alexander. ‘The club have got me an apartment up here so I’ll stay up as much as I can. My family are down in Glasgow so I’ll see them as much as I can. But I want to give everything to this job.
‘They’ve put a lot of belief in me and I want to repay that trust. I will do whatever is required.’ Reflecting on a career that brought promotions with Cardiff and Rangers as well as Hearts and Livingston, Alexander said: ‘I was fortunate to play in so many big games and win so much. ‘My three Scotland caps, I’m so proud of. When you are a wee boy playing in the park, you dream of being a Scotland international. ‘My six years at Rangers were so successful. Playing in the UEFA Cup final is that standout but the celebrations after the semi-final are fonder memories as we won.’