I loved it at United but big games are only enjoyable if you are winning

Every cup final is something special but you only enjoy big games when you are winning. You don’t enjoy them when you are losing.”

Losing was not s omething Krivokapic experienced too often during his five years at Red Star when they won two Yugoslav titles. He grew up in an authoritarian state where a long period of service was expected from every footballer. Some might say that made him perfect for United, where McLean’s long-term contracts were notorious.

“We weren’t allowed to leave the countryuntilwewere 28,” Krivokapic says. “But I never wanted to change anything. I love sport and got to play football for a living. I chose United because it was a good club. I was very lucky.”

Krivokapic’s move to Lanarkshire in the summer of 1993 to play for McLean’s brother Tommy meant he was no longer around when United lifted the Scottish Cup the following year. Golac was furious when Krivokapic was released, claiming: “I would have built my team around Miodrag.”

Golac once observed that what Dundee United needed in order to move on was a fresh input from beyond Tannadice, citing the fact that his successors were Billy Kirkwood, Tommy McLean and Paul Sturrock – two former United players and the ex- manager’s brother - – and they certainly have that in McNamara.

“I was not really surprised United chose Jackie,” Krivokapic said. “He was doing well with Partick Thistle, this season especially. He’s young and it’s a good job for him. He is a good lad and so far he’s doing fine at Tannadice.”

Being stalked by past glories is, of course, not unique to Tannadice. KrivokapicwentbacktoBelgradeand discovered the same problem. Even the legendary Robert Prosinecki, who won the European Cup for Red Star as a player, was not immune from criticism when results did not go his way after his return as manager.

“I was back at Red Star Belgrade five, six years ago working as a coach,” Krivokapic says. “I thought I would stay there, but I got the opportunity to coach at Celtic and returned here in 2008. Prosinecki was my old team-mate. He had two years as manager, but moved to Turkey and is doing very well over there at Kayserispor. Unfortunately, Red Star have one or two problems. They are a huge club, like Celtic, but have issues with money.

“Sackings are part and parcel of the job. It does not matter if you’re coaching at the highest level or the fifth level. You need to have desire but also luck to get results.”

Krivokapic had a brief spell as a caretaker manager at Motherwell in 2001 after Billy Davies was sacked. He and John Philliben oversaw two league victories and a narrow defeat to Celtic before the Fir Park board appointed Eric Black and Terry Butcher as the management team. Krivokapic insists he has no yearning to be a manager on a permanent basis.

“I never think about that,” he said. “I am at Celtic and love my job. Maybe one day I will go back to Montenegro. That is my country. Most of my life, I worked in Serbia but I was born and brought up in Montenegro. In Yugoslavia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Slovenia made up one country of 25 million people. Now Montenegro is recognised. It’s a small nation and we have only 600,000 people, so it was great to draw with England and go top of the World Cup group. Maybe we can get to Brazil.”