KEVIN GALLACHER
McLean was a better tactician than Fergie
JIM McLEAN matched Sir Alex Ferguson trophy for trophy in Scotland.
But Kevin Gallacher reckons the legendary Dundee United boss’s refusal to follow Fergie south cost him the worldwide reputation his skills deserved.
McLean and Ferguson ( pictured below) transformed United and Aberdeen from also-rans into the New Firm in the early 1980s.
They both won domestic trophies and reguarly led their teams into battle in Europe.
But while Sir Alex ditched the Dons for Manchester United in 1986, McLean stayed put at Tannadice and took his side to the UEFA Cup Final against Gothenburg the following year.
30 years on, former Tangerines star Gallacher reckons, the decision to stick rather than twist has resulted in “Wee Jim” being frequently overlooked in the greatest-ever manager stakes.
But Gallacher believes McLean is worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as old foe Fergie.
“I don’t think Jim McLean has had enough credit,” said Gallacher.
“I look at Sir Alex Ferguson and what he did. Jim had an opportunity to go to Rangers and I think he should have jumped at the chance.
“If an English club had come in, I think he should have jumped at that as well. The man was way above his platform. His talent and the way he did it.
“I know he operated with an iron rod and in today’ s society it wouldn’t have worked. But back then it did.
“If he had gone to Rangers, he would certainly have made themm a lot stronger.
“It might not have worked overnight but for sure he wouldld haveh made them a lot stronger and got them playing a lot more football.
“I’m sure his experience in Europe would have helped too.
“I thought Jim’s tactics were superior to Aberdeen’s but look at the success the Dons had under Fergie. Obviously he had something there.”
Gallacher came through the ranks at Tannadice at a time of unprecedented success for Dundee United.
As a teenager, he recalls standing in the players’ tunnel as Roma prepared to take the field in the 1984 European Cup semifinal and longing for his own shot at glory.
It came in 1987 during United’s run to the UEFA Cup Final.
Gallacher was a standout for the Tangerines throughout the campaign and notched a stunning lob to help secure a crucial quarter -final victory over Barcelona at Tannadice.
“To think it’s 30 years makes me feel old – and I’m one of the younger boys,” he said.
“I don’t think I appreciated it at the time. To me, it was part of growing up at Dundee United.”
But it all could have turned out differently had a meeting at age 13 with Billy McNeil turned out differently.
He explained: “I was in the boardroom with Billy McNeill and the Celtic board and they were selling the club to me.
“My life was planned at Celtic. I went to the meeting and he was brilliant.
“Anyway, right at the end of meeting – I was so chuffed, inside I was signing for
Celtic – Billy turned round and said: ‘The only thing I’m concerned about is you’re a wee bit small, a bit frail – I need to get you on the Guinness’. “That’s why I didn’t sign for Celtic. “But I was brought up in a pub. I’d seen a lot of alcoholics, seen a lot of misdemeanours in pubs in Glasgow.
“OK, I don’t think Billy knew what I had experienced by 13, seeing alcoholics on a daily basis, turning me off drink, even though it was my dad’s job.
“So I got a bit disillusioned. We came out – my dad, me, my uncle Tommy – and they thought it had been a good meeting. They had everyone there who needed to be there, they sold the club, and I just said no.”
Celtic’s loss was certainly to the benefit of the United side that came so close to lifting the UEFA Cup in 1987.
KEVIN GALLACHER was speaking to promote purpleTV’s new film, Tannadice 87.
It will air on Saturday May 20 at 9pm on BBC ALBA, marking the 30th anniversary of Dundee United’s run to the UEFA Cup Final.