The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Dundee United boss Csaba Laszlo yesterday confirmed that Tangerines legend Paul Sturrock – pictured at Tannadice last week with Paul Hegarty and Hamish McAlpine – is acting purely as an adviser despite being appointed to Laszlo’s backroom team.
Dundee United legend Paul Sturrock is acting purely as an adviser at Tannadice, it has been confirmed.
Since it was announced that Luggy would be joining Csaba Laszlo’s backroom team, there have been some who have read more into it than just a manager getting help from someone with a deep love of the Tangerines.
If Laszlo, who instigated the move, does feel under pressure or even threatened by having Sturrock about the place then he is doing a good job in hiding it. The same goes, according to Laszlo, for his assistant Laurie Ellis.
Instead, the Hungarian appears delighted to be able to pick the brains of one of United greatestever players.
The Tannadice boss said: “I had been speaking to Paul every day over the last few weeks on the phone and we came up with the idea of him coming up to help between now and the end of the season.
“That gives him the chance to come up, look at matches and look at the teams we are playing as well.
“He might see something from the stand that we do not see so it’s something I felt could be helpful.
“He is around here and he came to watch training, but I want to make it very clear that Laurie Ellis is my assistant.
“I think people got confused when they heard Paul was coming in but Laurie is the No 2 here – that is not in question.
“There has been no change on that front. Things are the same as they have been since I came in.
“Paul is here to be an adviser because we want to use his experience and knowledge of the club.
“He was in the coaches’ dressing-room before training today and we had a good chat about things.
“So he is part of the staff but as an adviser.
“I thought this was a good idea because he is experienced and has a lot of knowledge about football.
“I am not the kind of coach who thinks they know everything and never needs help.”