United have sold punters short with grand plan
The word on the street is that Dundee United told Tam Courts in midweek that the manager’s job was his.
Let’s just say that titbit came via a Taysider in the know, he kens, but almost immediately the club have been forced into a change of tack.
The appointment of an academy coach whose previous experience of being in charge of a side was at Kelty Hearts was simply too unpalatable for some punters.
A clock is now ticking after the Federation of Dundee United Supporters’ Clubs wrote to the club outlining concerns over the new direction.
A statement said: “In relation to the current vacant manager position and growing concerns amongst fans with those in charge of the day to day running of the club, please be advised that we together with the other members of Dundee United Supporters Group emailed the club yesterday – asking for a response within 72 hours.”
By Jove, who can really blame them.
There are two facts at play at Tannadice and they are just as hard to confront as the prospect of Courts being handed the reins.
The first is that owner Mark Ogren is starting to realise he has thrown a relative fortune down a black hole after being sold a vision of a transfer bonanza spreadsheet forecast which doesn’t exist.
Secondly, it’s also no secret that departed gaffer Micky Mellon wouldn’t go down the road of throwing young players into a first team which he decided would be about trying to win games.
The aim of trying to use the side as a showcase for talent which was supposed to create millions in profit has always been pie in the sky and Mellon knew that the boys in the Tannadice academy just aren’t good enough.
With the exception of 16-yearold Kerr Smith, the general acceptance from others who ken is that a couple of them may wind up playing at Championship level but that could be their whack.
The days of Stuart Armstrong, Ryan Gauld, David Goodwillie and John Souttar generating multi-millions for United are long gone.
Those players were no more than a once-in-a-generation windfall for a club which has fooled Ogren into believing that these deals are par for the course.
Even in the case of young Smith, they will probably pull in at best a few hundred grand from an English club for academy fees when he goes.
Sporting director Tony Asghar also knows well that his business model requires a compliant manager who will go with the youth approach and if that is to be Courts then he may well have a fan mutiny on his hands.
A Dundee United in disrepute simply isn’t good for our game, especially at a time when all of the big clubs from the seven major cities will be in the Premiership together for the first time in an age.
Courts may well have the tools required and show himself to be a talented coach in the long run but that’s not the point right now.
Conflict of interest accusations, delusion and an approach which puts the stability of the club at risk remain very real unless there is a change of plan.
Dundee United being run with a desperation to flog young players just isn’t a good look.
Mark Ogren has been sold a vision of transfer bonanza spreadsheet which does not exist