If true, a brave and risky appointment. A manager who's best days appeared to be behind him, but who has so much to prove.

If it's to be Craig, I'm confident he will unite every single United supporter to a man.

Last edited by AlwaysUnited (27/2/2023 5:11 pm)

Canadian Arab wrote:

AlwaysUnited wrote:

If true, a brave and risky appointment. A manager who's best days appeared to be behind him, but who has so much to prove.

If it's to be Craig, I'm confident he will unite every single United supporter to a man.

Nonsense. It's less risky than virtually any other appointment that could be made. We know how Levein works, and we know that his approach is exactly what's required at this time.

 
That's a bullish statement to make. He was last here 13 years ago and was dismissed from his last managerial position with Hearts in freefall. Football has changed since he was last here, personnel and budgets have changed, and maybe he has changed too.

That being said - if it is to be Craig, it's the duty of every United fan to back him to the hilt, starting with a huge crowd on Saturday.

Get the gang back together, Houston in as assistant, Heggie as coach and Stevie Campbell in as head of youth. Roll it back to 09/10.

Would be much more comfortable with Levein running things than Jabba the Hut, even if we do drop into the Championship.

There’s no way Levein and Asghar’s egos can live together for very long, I suspect this is a way of phasing Asghar out. Ogren has said a lot of stupid things in the past week, but where I do have sympathy for him is in that for good or for bad, Asghar’s the only real contact he has in Scottish football,  without him he wouldn’t Ken his arse from his elbow. So I can kind of understand him being unwilling to cut those ties and take the risk of putting someone in charge that he doesn’t know or trust.

Having Levein in the club for the next few months gives him the chance to build a relationship with him and maybe put trust in him as the man to take over from Asghar running the football side of the club moving forward.

AlwaysUnited wrote:

Canadian Arab wrote:

AlwaysUnited wrote:

If true, a brave and risky appointment. A manager who's best days appeared to be behind him, but who has so much to prove.

If it's to be Craig, I'm confident he will unite every single United supporter to a man.

Nonsense. It's less risky than virtually any other appointment that could be made. We know how Levein works, and we know that his approach is exactly what's required at this time.

 
That's a bullish statement to make. He was last here 13 years ago and was dismissed from his last managerial position with Hearts in freefall. Football has changed since he was last here, personnel and budgets have changed, and maybe he has changed too.

That being said - if it is to be Craig, it's the duty of every United fan to back him to the hilt, starting with a huge crowd on Saturday.

To be fair Levein got the DoF thing all wrong rather than the manager role as he found it difficult to do both (despite pretty much doing that at United).  At least at United he'd be working with the ultra-competent Tony Asghar covering the SD role.  Won't happen anyway unless Tony goes though and they know this hence why leaking to the press (once again) stories they think will appease the fans.  Levein will 'pull-out' as will a couple of other names they'll drop and finally after lots of trawling the world and soul-searching we'll appoint Charlie Mulgrew (as long as he's signed the NDA).
Also as a United fan can I just say that I have no duty to back the charlatans that have taken over my club.

Last edited by Finn Seemann (27/2/2023 6:03 pm)

CCX2 2010 wrote:

Nobody can seriously believe this is true.

How many times are they going to pull this trick ? The no stone left unturned one.

It's going to be Adam Ashgar or Stevie Crawford.

There would be riots if it's Asghar Jr. No chance of that happening, none at all.

I still think they might re-appoint Courts in the short term. Assuming he'd even want it.


 

Tek wrote:

CCX2 2010 wrote:

Nobody can seriously believe this is true.

How many times are they going to pull this trick ? The no stone left unturned one.

It's going to be Adam Ashgar or Stevie Crawford.

There would be riots if it's Asghar Jr. No chance of that happening, none at all.

I still think they might re-appoint Courts in the short term. Assuming he'd even want it.


 

I wouldn't put it past us mate, I genuinely wouldn't  under our current leadership.

One thing I'm fairly certain on though after attending the DF podcast event the other week is that Levien would need some reassuring from current staff at the club. He didn't go into it but just said not under the current set up with certain people.

Courts in my opinion is no better than Crawford, Fox or Ashgsr jnr. All of these guys shouldn't even be setting the cones out at training.
 

Don't want to go too fat off piste but Courts last year was absolutely murder. Anyone who watched us know fine well we were marginally better than St Johnstone who finished 11th.

It papered over the cracks and look at where we are now.

I noticed that he ain't got another job since his return and I would imagine that few if anyone will fall for his bullshit jargon.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/craig-levein-set-dundee-united-29328529


Levein seems to be who we want

I am not sure about this, maybe just to end of season then dof roll or head of academy?

He has a successful career as a pundit and looks to be enjoying his roll helping Brechin. Also had a few health scares? And what if we were to get relegated would he want to me the man who done that. 

At the Gardyne he spoke of his warmth for ET. They had a close relationship. Would he work for a guy that can't spend two weeks or more in the country when we are really struggling. Does he need the stress? Do he need the money?

No secret that I've wanted Levein back more than once when we've been rudderless in the past few years. I'd be delighted if we got him back now, even if just until the end of the season. I have no doubt at all that he will be able to get more out of this squad than others have done. I also have no doubt that he will put 11 on the park who know their jobs and are the best in the squad to do those jobs. And I have no doubt that on match days, we would have someone in the dugout who can read a game and make changes when necessary.

No guarantees he would keep us up, but I think he has a better chance of doing so than anyone else we could get right now.

I wouldn't be averse to Jim McInally. In a way, he's not unlike Levein. Demanding, high fitness levels, work for the shirt or you're out. Lots of experience as a manager - just not at our level. He may do well with us, given the chance, but Levein has done well with us, given the chance. I don't give a crap if "football has changed" since 2009. You don't just lose your ability to read a game, to motivate, and to identify the players you can trust. I'd be delighted to see Levein change football right back to what we had in 2009.

I'd still be surprised if this happens, but I'm hoping to God it does.

An off-topic comment on Edwards, and just repeating something that came up in a discussion with Tek and others on twitter. I don't think Edwards has a bad attitude and is just not trying. I think the captaincy is too heavy a burden for him. I think he can see the mess we are in and I think he feels powerless to fix things. Doesn't matter how the team plays - he knows we're going to concede thanks to a keeper blunder, he knows we won't score more than one, he knows we don't have a midfield enforcer to give cover to the central defence, he knows he's going to be caught out for pace, he knows the guy outside him is of limited ability and is having his worst-ever season. Basically, he can see the same shit-show we can all see, he's frustrated beyond belief, and he knows the current coaching/management structure isn't going to make things better. I'd liken it to a psychological condition called "learned helplessness", which is not unlike what causes some types of depression. If we can get Levein in, and Levein has been keeping tabs on us, I'd expect him to relieve Edwards of the captaincy (not as a punishment but for Edwards' own good) and put him in a line-up that will cover for his shortcomings. Basically, I'm saying I think we should give the guy a break.

I'd also hope Levein will come in, punch the lights out of any disruptive players who have, or might, undermine coaching staff, and send them packing.

 

Danzaa wrote:

A huge U-turn from me in that Ogren is the main problem not Asghar. Asghar has wanted Levein for a while now, first discussed when Neilson left then again shortly before Courts got the job.
Ogren has a structure that he now accepts is broken.
This was brought home in the last few days, irony is that the 'Smile' play currently showing at the Rep has resulted in Ogren finally getting what this club is about. A message from our legend in heaven indeed.
Levein would want a lot of control of the football side and  would work with Tony. He also rates Mulgrew to mentor the young ones and develop fully into a proper coach. However without going into why Mulgrew may not be at the club at the end of this season.
Levein would want Tony to take on Scott Ogren's role, a big stumbling block as this man has more say than any of us know. It could still happen with Tony gone but that would mean Levein getting full control, I doubt Ogren would agree but you never know.
The deal is a goer but needs assurances and a step back from the Ogren's.
Depending on that decision, we'll either be on the quick road to big failure and Ogren sells and bolts, or the slow but steady ship to recovery. This could mean a drop to championship but followed by solid foundations being laid once and for all, albeit a few years of pain but worth it in my opinion as we will be a proud successful club again.

 
Great post mate, good to hear there is a possibility of this happening. If it means a slow rebuild then so be it, but this club needs to get its pride back again and we are all United in wanting this. The current bunch of lethargic fuckers could do with being made to run the gauntlet of club legends all kicking fuck out of them on the way through until they get what this club means to all of us!

A lot of tangerine tinted spec wearing above.  I'd also welcome Levein as he'd be far better than the dross management we've suffered for the last 3 years and if it was a sign of TAs role being diminished (even if not gone completely) with the Ogren's at last listening to someone who knows what they are doing then its a massive step forward. However, I genuinely don't see this being sorted until Asghar has gone.  On paper Jack Ross was a good hire, but the first sign of trouble and Asghar etc. threw him under the bus. I was always fearful that Ross hadn't actually properly set out his stall in terms of the control he required and it became evident that he hadn't and didn't have the squad on side or results to challenge Tony. I'd hope Levein is a bit smarter, but he has to do his deal with Ogren not Asghar.