Legend Luggy’s return gives Laszlo a lift as United show their fighting spirit
DUNDEE UNITED dropped another place in the Championship table, but there are signs that the club have gained something tangible in their efforts to earn promotion.
It took a huge slice of fortune for Scott McDonald to claim the equaliser in this match but the fact Csaba Laszlo’s team showed the fight to recover suggests the return of Paul Sturrock may have injected some life into an ailing team.
Sturrock’s body may be struggling to cope with the effects of Parkinson’s but his mind remains sharp as a tack. Crucially for Dundee United, his heart also beats as strongly as ever for the team in tangerine.
The appointment of new chairman Mike Martin earlier this month saw Sturrock re-employed by the club as a chief scout and now, with the Tannadice play-off bid threatening to fall apart, he has been brought back on board as a member of the coaching team.
Sturrock’s return has been painted as coming at the behest of manager Laszlo but Martin has become increasingly worried at the former Hearts boss’s failure to coax any sustainable form from a group of players that should be challenging for the Championship title.
United were joint top when Laszlo was appointed. They now sit fourth behind Morton, Livingston and runaway leaders St Mirren.
United need to be in the top flight. For Sturrock, a man who memorably won the Scottish league title as a player and helped beat Barcelona en route to the 1987 UEFA Cup final, the thought of a third year outside the top flight is unthinkable. Financially, it could be disastrous.
There is a sense that Martin is trying to deconstruct the last great folly of predecessor Stephen Thomson’s reign.
Laszlo, who carried the personal endorsement of United’s general manager and former Hearts spin man David Southern, never looked a natural fit to take over from Ray McKinnon and a malevolent chaos has set in.
The Hungarian’s programme notes for this match were revealing. He wrote: ‘I am suffering as a manager to see this. Who is blamed for this? Is it the manager? Is it the club? Sometimes you have to question the players...’
Hardly a rousing call to arms, nor a declaration of unity.
Sturrock was not present in the dugout but he did have access to the sanctity of the home dressing-room before the game and at half-time.
Even before Thursday’s latest announcement, his influence had been brought to bear on the squad.
The acquisition of Anthony Ralston on an emergency loan from Celtic was the first deal done by the director of football and, on Wednesday, a deal for former Rangers centre-back Bilel Mohsni was announced.
Sturrock previously managed Mohsni at Scunthorpe and described him as a ‘walking foul’, a comment that chimes with the memories of his volatile season at Ibrox.
Needs must, however, and Mohsni started his first game in 17 months.
Although the first half was bookended by fine saves from goalkeeper Lee Robinson, it was the Fifers who threatened most often.
Declan McManus hit the post, sent another dipping half-volley narrowly over and Ralston was forced to head clear from under his own crossbar.
Had they taken an early lead when Robinson leapt low to his left to deny Jamie Robson, United might have settled but the fact the keeper was making an even better save to keep out Scott Fraser’s free-kick at the end of the first 45 was a sign that the points remained very much up for grabs.
A substitution was required at half-time as Tam Scobbie failed to re-emerge and United’s reshuffled back three had yet to settle when Dunfermline took the lead.
Mohsni, moved to the left of the trio to accommodate Mark Durnan, ended up in a heap as Kallum Higginbotham rolled in Ryan Williamson on the overlap.
The full-back’s low cross presented Nicky Clark with a tap-in from four yards.
The lead lasted barely three minutes as United capitalised on a rare break to equalise.
Described by Scobbie as the biggest moaner in the squad, McDonald was channelling his energy productively into making himself a nuisance to the Pars defence. When James Craigen turned to clear he had no idea McDonald had pressed him hard and the ball deflected off the former Celtic man and into the net.
‘Mohsni has to go and buy a nice bottle of wine for Scott,’ remarked Laszlo drily afterwards, although perhaps the defender could instead pass on the sponsors’ bottle of bubbly after inexplicably being named man of the match. Sam Stanton flashed a drive wide, Durnan headed wide and substitute Paul McMullan found the side net as United finished stronger. Laszlo looked relieved afterwards and not on account of the ominous vote of confidence issued by his chairman. However, his tone sharpened when asked how big a role Sturrock (left) had played on the day: ‘Look, I am the United boss,’ he said. ‘At the moment, Paul Sturrock is a scout for the club, a friend for me and also someone who understands football.
‘We work together, but the person who has responsibility to put the team together and to train the team is Csaba Laszlo.
‘If you accept that or not, that is your problem.’
Aware of how harsh those words might seem, Laszlo sought to clarify: ‘Paul was a manager for a long time and he has an illness that makes his life not so easy, but we accept his help.
‘I can talk to Paul, I can use Paul. He is not here to make training, he is here to give advice.
‘He offered me Mohsni, he helped me to bring in Anthony Ralston. In two weeks, that is two players — that is fantastic.
‘It is clear and honest, there is nothing to hide. I am not scared about somebody coming in. I am pleased to bring people in.’
Morton may have leapfrogged United into third place but the Tannadice side retain the advantage of three games in hand over the Greenock side, whom they play next weekend.
Just a couple of points behind United, Dunfermline retain promotion play-off aspirations of their own.
‘We had some good performances today,’ said manager Allan Johnston. ‘I thought James Vincent bossed the game in midfield. We have just got to make sure we turn that sort of performance into victories.
‘You see the confidence the boys have at the moment. They are playing like a team in form.’
The same can’t be said for United, but maybe, just maybe, Sturrock can help them turn a corner.
DUNDEE UNITED (3-5-2): Lewis; Mohsni, Murdoch, Scobbie (Durnan 46); Ralston, Flood, Fraser (Slater 56), Stanton, Robson; Smith (McMullan 78), McDonald. Subs not used: Mehmet, McMullan, Mikkelsen, King, Gillespie. Booked: Scobbie.
DUNFERMLINE (4-4-2) Robinson; Williamson, Morris, Ashcroft, Martin; Higginbotham, Craigen (Wedderburn 73), Vincent, Beadling; Clark, McManus. Subs not used: Gill, Mvoto, Armstrong, Talbot, Ryan, Aird. Booked: Morris, Beadling, Martin.
Referee: Euan Anderson. Attendance: 5,830.