Chairman's Interview On ArabZONE

After yesterday’s statement announcing that the tenure of Jackie McNamara and his coaching staff had come to an end, Chairman Stephen Thompson today spoke to the media regarding the process of finding a new Dundee United Manager. The Chairman made it clear that all the tools for success were available and the position much sought after. “This is a big Club which will appeal to any prospective manager. The infrastructure is in place. We have a great squad, a fantastic youth set-up, a great facility in St Andrews, a lovely stadium, all the background staff with fitness, well being and diet all looked after plus we have a passionate and faithful support. “Our strategy is to run the Club in a financially stable manner whilst achieving success on the park. The Board has shown we back a Manager here and we have spent just under £500,000 on new players in recent times. This is a great place for someone to be Manager.” Although the Chairman would not be drawn on potential individuals, he did stress that he felt it would not be a ‘rookie’ Manager who would be appointed. “This job is too big for someone new to Management and it would be a risk from our point of view. There is an expectation here. We expect to be in the top six, challenging for Europe and having a real go at winning cups. We will take as much time as we need to get the right person in. We have started the process but the number of applications is irrelevant: it is about the quality and my number one priority is to ensure the right person is appointed.” The Chairman also felt that it was important that his relationship with a new Manager was strong as they would have to work closely together. “My relationship with Jackie was fine, there was no breakdown there. He did a great job in many respects but ultimately it is about results. It is a results based industry. “I will need to have a good relationship with the new Manager and that is part of the process. We have 51 players here and that is too many but we will work together with any new Manager to ensure he has the best possible chance to succeed here.” He agreed that making decisions on the Manager’s future was difficult but again stressed that he was making decisions based solely on ensuring United achieve all they can. “There has been some pain for us all because we want to see a winning team. That is the ultimate aim and it will be the Board of Directors’ job to bring in the correct man. ” Asked about reports suggesting that the job had been offered and refused by potential candidates, the Chairman was very strong in his words. “We have not offered anyone the job. We are going through the process of collating candidates and we will do this properly and it will take how long it takes. It is not about getting someone in quickly; it is about getting the right Manager in. Whilst the process of securing a new Manager is in place, Dave Bowman and Sean Dillon will take charge of first team matters. Today's interview with the Chairman can be seen in full on ArabZONE.