Tekel Towers » Tony Asghar Q+A

Tek · 04/3/2019 10:28 am

Gents,

In the coming days there will be a Q+A on here with Utd's Sporting Director Tony Asghar.

This Q+A will be slightly different to others however in that the questions won't be as 'live', instead what i ask is that you put your questions on this thread and then they will be relayed back to Tony (via Pat Reilly) and then in the next few days Tony will reply to them. So it's more like an interview than a Q+A on this occasion.

He has stipulated that he can't answer any 'contractual' questions btw.

So asking something like 'does anyone at the club take a percentage off of player sales?' or similiar isn't worth asking as he will just hit it back with an open bat, i'd imagine.

Anyway, ask whatever you want apart from that and myself and Pat will take to him what we consider to be the most pertinent questions.

lifesanocean · 04/3/2019 10:34 am

Why do we keep bottling it when we are live on tv? Has anyone asked the manager? Serious question btw.

Macho Man · 04/3/2019 11:40 am

What are your thoughts on how things have progressed since you started working for the club and in your opinion what are the most important/beneficial changes that have been made (outwith the January transfer activity) since you, Mal Brannigan and the Ogrens have arrived at Tannadice?

Do you think the players that we have brought in, in January, are good enough to compete and survive in the Premiership should we able to secure promotion, or are we likely to have a summer with a lot of comings and goings?

It has been stated that we are to step things up with regards to the football academy side of things, as this is deemed to be the way forward for United. How are you/the club hoping to go about this and reverse the damage caused to our youth set up by Jackie McNamara and Stephen Thomson?

On the back of a brief mention in a newspaper article about you, there was very brief comment about a link up with a South American club. Do you have plans to set up a feeder club arrangement with another team or teams? If so, would United be used as the feeder club, would we be the team with a feeder club or would there be a plan in place where are both a feeder club and a club with a feeder club?

Lancashire-Arab · 04/3/2019 11:49 am

In our recent history we seem to have a track record of signing players with long term medical issues that either never achieve the heights expected or are out injured for long periods of their contract costing the club money. Are there plans to improve the medical testing pre signing players and the treatment of players so they are able to return on schedule.

Our whole club has been built on bringing through youth players to the First team yet with our drop down to the Championship there has been few players who have been able to make the step up to the first team. What are the short, medium and long term plans to bring our youth structure back up to the levels we have been used to?

shed_boy_21 · 04/3/2019 1:52 pm

Tony, can you please, please, please have a word in Robbies shell regarding this awful 4-2-3-1 shite?!

It is absolutely soul destroying to watch and the players are being held back big time by it! I’ve no doubt that we have the best squad of players in this league but this negative 1 up front garbage is going to kill any chance we have of winning the league.

Safranko is a fantastic player but is being hung out to dry by constantly being made to play up top on his own.

Please sort it out!!

04/3/2019 4:10 pm

Did you steal Macbonzo's dinner money?

04/3/2019 4:11 pm

sorry, couldn't resist

LarsErikKjell · 04/3/2019 4:52 pm

As we are now on our 5th permanent manager in the last 3.5 years, is it your opinion that Robbie deserves time to get things right no matter what happens this season?

We are 1 month into 'his team' and some fans seem to be putting big question marks over tactics/subs etc.

I am of the opinion that he is a much more talented manager than JMac, Mixu, Ray and Csaba and his style suits our club far more, but I do agree some of his decisions have been suspect. His eye for a player, however, appears to be a step above the others with Connolly, Reynolds, Butcher, Seaman being massive upgrades on what we had previously in these positions.

I would be comfortable with Robbie being here next season no matter what happens for the rest of this season as I dont feel like chopping and changing manager is the answer here. We are constantly revamping the playing squad so a new manager can have 'their team' and I feel like right now we are in a place where there are only 1 or 2 areas of the team we can realistically improve at this level.

There are deep scars within the club that are slowly being repaired and a manager who has been working near the top of the Scottish Premiership in the last couple of years is our best chance for success at this point.

Zarab82 · 04/3/2019 4:57 pm

Any plans to adopt a Porto policy at United ie sign good players from The UK and abroad cheap and sell on at profit ?

In relation to the youth does Tony or one of the staff have an interest in visiting other clubs successful in their own league at bringing through homegrown talent and competing with the bigger clubs (of their country) to see how they run the club, recruit and organise their academy?

According to the media Athletic Bilbao would be very welcoming to visitors and a decent club to pay a visit to if so.

In terms of growth of the club any plans to market United in the US it’s self? selling merchandise and setting up on demand streaming services for new fans abroad to broaden the clubs appeal?

Last edited by Zarab82 (05/3/2019 3:10 pm)

Macbonzo · 04/3/2019 7:32 pm

Hi Tony,

I think you may have figured out my identity! I take it you didn't mean Disco Dude (who was, of course, a Rangers supporter who fancied the strip)? Did you ever get the kangaroo skin football boots?

Anyway, let me say, welcome to the club and well done on the signings so far.

My question is: Would you agree with me, that a club's greatest intangible asset is it's fan base? On that basis, what have you learned from the mistakes of club's previous owners in taking the fans goodwill for granted?

Last edited by Macbonzo (04/3/2019 7:34 pm)

japanarab · 05/3/2019 1:21 am

When(not if) is the media side of the club gonna get sorted? Streaming, interviews etc are amateur hour and have been for the best part of 15 years.

Shedtastic · 05/3/2019 1:45 am

Kinda been asked before but does the managers future depend on promotion?
I hope not because we then start the merry go round again with a new man building a team etc.

Tek · 05/3/2019 3:47 am

Is the 'tie-up' with Boca Juniors just sensationalised paper talk from The Scotsman interview?

Or is there any substance to it?

If so, is it a case of (hypothetically) taking their best youngsters to Scotland...or what?

Tek · 05/3/2019 4:04 am

You said previously (Scotsman interview with Alan Pattulo) that you had sat as a fan in the Eddie Thompson Stand last season and had felt the supporters frustration, even when we were winning.

So question.

Does performance, come into your assessment of how Utd are playing, and not just results (I hope so) ?

Because, quite honestly, I feel we are very poor to watch. Slow, ponderous, over-passing the ball when on the offensive and surrendering possession easily at other times when the play is narrow.

TheShed · 05/3/2019 7:55 am

How long do you see the new owners owning the club? Is there some sort of plan in place for this or is it just going to be when the time seems right to maximise profit?

Longer term, are things like safe standing, redeveloping the Shed in some way on the agenda?

How do you intend to fix the clearly broken scouting system at the club, in particular getting the best youngsters into our academy again?

Lastly, Is David Southern actually real and if so what does he do?

Macbonzo · 05/3/2019 5:43 pm

Tony,

Can you give me any assurances that the current owners will not leverage or use any of the Club's assets as security to borrow against?

PatReilly · 05/3/2019 7:36 pm

Mr Asghar, you were at games last season watching United. From that I'm thinking you have had an involvement in the club for longer than the point when you took up of your position as sporting director.

Given there has been a change in team manager during this season, did you have any input to that transaction?

Another question: does Derek Bond have a blind butler, or does he dress in the dark?

blackandtangerine · 05/3/2019 8:29 pm

japanarab wrote:
When(not if) is the media side of the club gonna get sorted? Streaming, interviews etc are amateur hour and have been for the best part of 15 years.

That would be a question for Mal would it not. Tony is the sporting director.

Maybe Tek could get TA on here too.

I agree with your point tho. Joe rice TV is dire.

lifesanocean · 05/3/2019 9:45 pm

Tony, how does a club like Utd keep hold of good young players in an age where Scottish clubs often lose younger players at age 16-17 to lower-medium sized English Premiership clubs.?

redford_must_score · 05/3/2019 11:04 pm

Tony welcome to Tannadice.

Can you explain how it is that a football club that claims to be a new club when it comes to tax liabilities can claim at the same time to be an old club when it comes to history and trophies won?

Ok possibly a bit complicated and controversial so here's a sensible one

When the club signed Ian Harkes it seemed likely that he wasn't a player on Robbies radar previously. If you know of a player that you think would be a good fit for the club how much input does Robbie get into that process?

Arabnophobia · 05/3/2019 11:43 pm

In your opinion, were Glasgow Rangers demoted, relegated, put down or liquidated & reformed as a new club?

I'm not just having a pop and I'm willing to accept former Oldco minded folk being involved in my club.

We've had plenty who did well for us in the past and the other way but I feel you have to say more than you've tactifully angled through a better respected press so far.

Self interest and your loyalties are a big factor in trust, belief and getting behind an initial suspicious start boyed by an impressive influx of Jan window signings that you likely deserve credit for regardless of current feelings after a sair ain and a craving for better performances.

What do you hope to gain from all of your efforts?

I suspect It's confirmation that your advice is backed up to be good in consultancy terms beyond the previous escapades you've had in the fitba world?

What are your ambitions beyond DUFC?

TheShed · 06/3/2019 12:19 am

Bringing up Rangers in any q&a with any of the new guys is pretty pathetic tbh.

What do you exactly want him to say?

There’s enough problems at Utd for these guys to fix without wasting time discussing things from 7 years ago involving other clubs.

Tek · 06/3/2019 12:40 am

TheShed wrote:
Bringing up Rangers in any q&a with any of the new guys is pretty pathetic tbh.

What do you exactly want him to say?

There’s enough problems at Utd for these guys to fix without wasting time discussing things from 7 years ago involving other clubs.

That question won't be put forward.

No offence Mr P.

But it's unfair to ask him that. Let's stick to Utd based questions please chaps.

redford_must_score · 06/3/2019 1:13 am

Tek wrote:
TheShed wrote:
Bringing up Rangers in any q&a with any of the new guys is pretty pathetic tbh.

What do you exactly want him to say?

There’s enough problems at Utd for these guys to fix without wasting time discussing things from 7 years ago involving other clubs.
That question won't be put forward.

No offence Mr P.

But it's unfair to ask him that. Let's stick to Utd based questions please chaps.

Yeah, apologies as I kinda started that off, should have deleted it.
Still fired up after Sunday, need to get over this

Tek · 06/3/2019 1:17 am

redford_must_score wrote:
Tek wrote:
TheShed wrote:
Bringing up Rangers in any q&a with any of the new guys is pretty pathetic tbh.

What do you exactly want him to say?

There’s enough problems at Utd for these guys to fix without wasting time discussing things from 7 years ago involving other clubs.
That question won't be put forward.

No offence Mr P.

But it's unfair to ask him that. Let's stick to Utd based questions please chaps.

Yeah, apologies as I kinda started that off, should have deleted it.
Still fired up after Sunday, need to get over this

No apologies necessary.