Tekel Towers » Andy McLaren Q+A - Wednesday 13th June (8-9pm)

McLaren73 · 14/6/2018 9:33 pm

Tek wrote:
I'd quite like to know what your working relationship with Ivan Golac was like mate.

There still seems a bit of mystique about Ivan i feel as he came to United and no-one had heard of him. He was only around for 18 months but in that time won us the Scottish Cup for the first time and also produced some fantastic results along the way (winning 3-0 at Ibrox..beating Motherwell 6-1..Hearts 5-2 etc).

Did you get along with him? and what was he like on the training ground?

Did you feel he was harshly sacked?

I got on well with Golac but i did find him a bit eccentric shall we say.He was good for me on the training ground because he liked to get involved and we worked a lot on shooting practice and drills on attacking etc.I'm not sure if he was sacked too early,maybe but i guess we will never know.I think his main problem is he wasn't wee Jim.Training was just never as organised or high tempo.To give you an example we played Tatran Presov in the uefa cup and we lost 2 goals at home from headers.2 poor goals to lose that in the end cost us massively in the tie.If wee Jim was still gaffer he would have done his homework and had us well drilled about what they were like at set-pieces and who should be picking who up.

Last edited by McLaren73 (14/6/2018 9:34 pm)

McLaren73 · 14/6/2018 9:38 pm

Tek wrote:
Actually sorry i do have one last last question

When we had the Telewest/PONY strip with the collar you used to wear your collar up.

Was that a wee nod to Cantona or what?

haha i don't really know to be honest i never really thought about it much.Big Elvis was alaways one for putting his collar up but i always looked scruffy let's be honest with my shirt hanging out etc so if my collar was up it's probably just cos i forgot to put it down.

McLaren73 · 14/6/2018 9:43 pm

smedDUm wrote:
Is it too late for this question?
Andy, if you had your time over again would you do anything different & a related question, what advice would you give to a 17-y-o Andy McLaren today?

Stay out the pub.Life my life better.I don't think my 17 year old self would have listened to that for one minute though.My dad died when i was 16 and it had a profound effect on my life.I never knew it at the time really but that's when the drinking really started becoming a regular way of life.I think i was drinking to cope with the grief.But yes with hindsight i would have liked to have told myself to live the right way.That said i am happy with the career i was able to have.Not everyone can say they played for the clubs i did,won the cup,played in europe and for their country.

McLaren73 · 14/6/2018 9:48 pm

lifesanocean wrote:
Andy, in your book (great read btw) you mention that the youth team you played in at Utd was the best Scotland has produced (including the lauded Hibs youth team in the early 00's). Do you think that group at Utd underachieved collectively? You guys won a shedload of u21 caps and lots of you got full caps but I always thought you guys could have really gone on together and won a lot of trophies with Utd.

Sorry for the long-winded question, but guys like yourself, Dailly, Ferguson, Badger, Connolly, John O'Neil, Cleland, Johnson, Welsh, McKinnon, Main etc. were deffo MY Utd team as a kid.

Maybe we did underachieve but the thing is that group of players never got the chance to stay together for years like the 80's sides wee Jim built when he had players playing together for years. We all came through together but were all still young for the most part when we left Tannadice.I have no doubts that if players like me,Big dunc,John O'neill,wee Paddy,Badger,Cleland,Ray McKinnon etc had been able to stay together for a few more seasons we would have won a couple of more cups as we had some talent in that youth team that came through.

PatReilly · 14/6/2018 9:55 pm

Andy, have you hired a typist for tonight's session?

McLaren73 · 14/6/2018 10:07 pm

Tek wrote:
That's now 9pm so can i ask that we ask no mre questions chaps and we'll try and let Andy answer as many of the remaining unanswered questions as he can (he's been swamped haha).

My last question Andy.

Do you remember a player at Utd called Paul Walker mate? He played a blinder in Dave Bowman's testimonial match against Dundee. Golac described him as 'the new Jimmy Johnstone'.

How good was the boy and why do you think he never made it?

I played with wee Peaso at Ayr United as well.I don't know why he never made it at Tannadice to be honest.He was a good young player but maybe to much pressure was put on him.Ivan had a habit of making outrageous statements i'm sure he said Jerren Nixon was worth 15 million at the time.To be honest we had a really good squad at the time full of seasoned pro's like Owen Coyle,Gary McSwegan,Craig Brewster etc etc so breaking into our team if you were a young attacking player you had to be really good and also be able to handle the pressure mentally.

McLaren73 · 14/6/2018 10:09 pm

PatReilly wrote:
Andy, have you hired a typist for tonight's session?

😂😂 is it that obvious?

McLaren73 · 14/6/2018 10:14 pm

Thanks for all your questions everybody it is really nice to know i was so appreciated.👍

If anyone is interested in Q+a's for their supporters clubs doo's or after dinner events you can contact the number via my twitter page.I'm better in person as you probably seen i'm not very good with technology 😂😂

thanks everone.

Arabnophobia · 14/6/2018 10:22 pm

McLaren73 wrote:
Thanks for all your questions everybody it is really nice to know i was so appreciated.👍

If anyone is interested in Q+a's for their supporters clubs doo's or after dinner events you can contact the number via my twitter page.I'm better in person as you probably seen i'm not very good with technology 😂😂

thanks everone.

Thankyou Andy!

Says a lot that you came back on for a 2nd session.

Best Q&A so far.

Weejimwuzagod · 14/6/2018 10:23 pm

Andy, thanks for doing this 2 nights in a row. I’ve 2 questions if you’re still about.

What is your favourite Utd memory? Not necessarily playing, just something that reminds you of the good times...

& secondly, slightly long windedly, how much do fans affect a game & what advice would you give to the Arabs this season? It’s been a tough place to be recently but I’d like to hear a player tell us what it’s like on the park when we are either giving someone pelters....

Cheers again!

McLaren73 · 14/6/2018 10:33 pm

abruce94 wrote:
Hi Andy, thanks for giving up your time to do this!

Is there any players that have been at United since you left that you would have particularly liked to play alongside?

sorry i missed this one.

Andy Robertson springs to mind. Him on one side of the pitch me on the other 👌 strikers would get plenty of chances 👍

McLaren73 · 14/6/2018 11:32 pm

Weejimwuzagod wrote:
Andy, thanks for doing this 2 nights in a row. I’ve 2 questions if you’re still about.

What is your favourite Utd memory? Not necessarily playing, just something that reminds you of the good times...

& secondly, slightly long windedly, how much do fans affect a game & what advice would you give to the Arabs this season? It’s been a tough place to be recently but I’d like to hear a player tell us what it’s like on the park when we are either giving someone pelters....

Cheers again!

Be patient and get behind the team it can have a massive impact on players. I loved it when Tannadice was bouncing it gave me and the other players such a lift.

Tek · 18/7/2018 1:05 am

If you have an hour watch this. A brilliant interview.

arabchanter · 19/8/2018 9:44 am

Tek wrote:
If you have an hour watch this. A brilliant interview.

Thanks for putting this up Tek, a great watch.