Scotland boss Craig Levein has criticised Dundee United for not giving Peter Houston a vote of confidence sooner than they did.
On Sunday, the Tangerines issued a statement in which they expressed their ”unanimous and unequivocal” support of Houston.
It followed a week during which reports suggested that the Tannadice boss’s job was on the line.
He held talks with United chairman Stephen Thompson and the board in the wake of Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Dunfermline and finally received their backing. But Levein, who was of course Houston’s predecessor at United and has recruited him to assist him with the national team, reckons they should have acted sooner.
”I am angry because Dundee United should have come out long before now and dismissed all of this nonsense,” said Levein. ”I don’t know where this has come from but if someone behind the scenes has been briefing the press then that’s disgraceful.
”Housty has had a really difficult job this season. We built a team there but a lot of them left in the summer. He has had to start again almost. He has had his wage bill cut. He has lost his best players.
”The club should have come out a while ago to say ‘Look, we are going through a transitional period, we are working with younger players and it’s going to take time.’
”For anyone to question the job he has done there is just ridiculous. It is hard enough being a football manager but particularly (so) when people question you even when you have lost your best players.
”I feel very strongly about it and am glad to see this statement has been made, but it should have been made far, far earlier.”
In the statement, the Tangerines declared that ”everyone is united in the aim of moving the club forward” in a clear attempt to put the matter firmly behind them.
Players and supporters were certainly fulsome in their backing of the United boss on Saturday, with the team producing a tremendous performance to beat the Pars at East End Park and the 1,200 or so travelling fans chanting Houston’s name before, during and after the game.
The hope is he can now get on with the job of trying to taking United up the SPL table. They travel to Ibrox this weekend to play runaway leaders Rangers and the build-up to that extremely difficult match should at least be speculation-free following the club’s words of support.
The statement read: ”The chairman and board of directors of Dundee United Football Club would like to confirm its unanimous and unequivocal support of Peter Houston as manager.
”After the recent media attention regarding the manager’s position at the club, it was felt a statement needed to be issued to put an end to the rumour and speculation.
”The team is going through a transition this season and as such performances will be inconsistent but everyone is united in the aim of moving the club forward and our wish is to now focus on doing so and we would hope this confirmation will end all media speculation on this subject.”
Houston is confident United can still have a good season, saying after the Pars game: ”We have a squad, if everybody’s fit, that is capable of beating any team in this league apart from the Old Firm. I still think it is the same.
”The three points (at Dunfermline) were magnificent and were big for us. It’s not about Peter Houston, though it is about getting points on the board that matters.”