The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Burger will draw on time at Hearts for Tannadice mission
DUNDEE UNITED: First-team coach says stadium must be turned into fortress
New Dundee United first-team coach Werner Burger insists the pressure of chasing European football with Hearts will stand him in good stead for a promotion push at Tannadice.
United boss Csaba Laszlo added the 60-year-old German to his staff last week, renewing a hugely successful partnership from their time together in Edinburgh, which included a thirdplaced finish in 2008/09.
Laszlo was named SFWA manager of the year in his only full season in charge of Hearts and, while his rein lasted just 18 months, goes down as the longestserving boss of the Vladimir Romanov era.
Burger was pivotal as his number two throughout the rein, as well as during stints with MTK Budapest and Slovak outfit Dunajska Streda, and he is determined to bring a winning mentality to Tayside.
He said: “This is my second time in Scotland, and hopefully I can support Csaba and bring my experience to the club to make sure we reach our big target this season.
“Hearts were in the Premiership at the time and the target was to qualify for Europe. The pressure was still there.
“This will be the same. But I am very positive and am looking forward to starting.
“I said at Hearts the Scottish attitude is a little bit like the Germans’. The players are always willing to work hard and I think this will be positive.
“We need to bring our ideas and mentality to the team. I think if you have a big target, then you need a team who have the mindset to reach it.”
Burger is under no illusions about the ‘target’ that must be reached this term, with United seeking to build a squad capable of returning to the Premiership as champions after two campaigns of play-off heartache.
He continued: “I was here to watch some games in April and I thought it would be possible to climb (to the Premiership), but now we need to face the situation. We are still in the Championship and every effort needs to be to win promotion.
“Normally there are four or five different clubs who all have the same target, so there will be a lot of competition.”
Laszlo and Burger tasted defeat at home just seven times during their spell in charge of Hearts, and the duo are determined to turn Tannadice into a fortress next term.
Burger told arabzone: “When I spoke to Csaba, he told me that the club have already sold many more season tickets than last season, so that is a positive signal. There is an interest and support from the fans.
“There are a lot of new players coming into the team and we are building, and I think it is vital that our stadium is like our castle. We need strength and quality at home to win our games here.”