Dundee United sporting director Tony Asghar says owner Mark Ogren remains “fully committed” to the club.
United’s annual accounts, which cover the 2019/20 season, were published this week on Companies House and revealed a £3m loss and a wage to turnover ratio of 120%.
Although down from £3.76m and 133% the previous year, it represents another testing result for the club.
With figures for the Covid-blighted year up to June 2021 still to come, it looks set to get worse before it gets better in a tough financial situation for those in charge at Tannadice.
However, Asghar maintains American chief Ogren is invested in the project, not just financially.
He is heartened by the backing the Terrors have received from their supporters during the pandemic and is pleased with this week’s appointment of new head coach Thomas Courts.
Ogren ‘integrated and believes in’ project
“He is fully committed,” Asghar said.
“Everybody has hit a problem with business in the last year but he saw the fans coming back.
“They backed the club and Mark.
“He is trying hard to get across for the start of the season, depending on the amber and green light system from the States.
“He loves the appointment of Tam and was very enamoured by him in the interview process.
“Sometimes an overseas owner who doesn’t really want to be hands-on is difficult but he is integrated and believes in it.
“He comes back and speaks to fans, he doesn’t hide. It might not be the answers they like but he will certainly come out and front them up.”
Courts not the cheap option insists Asghar
The promotion of Courts from head of tactical performance and U/18s academy coach to first-team manager has had its critics.
Asghar asserts, though, that anyone who thinks the 39-year-old former Kelty Hearts boss is the cheap option is wide of the mark.
Courts, who has signed an initial two-year deal, is seen as part of a three-year project at Tannadice to move the club forward.
And Asghar is hopeful for success, not just for the club, but for his new boss, personally, too.
When asked if Courts is the cheap option, the United chief added: “If you see his contract you wouldn’t say that!
“We’ve been very lucky he has been in the building.
“That cheap option tag is unfair on him. He certainly isn’t that. I hope he is eventually somebody we are trying to hold on to.
“My job is to make sure that, in the next three years, we are a club that is sustainable and successful.
“We’ve done not too bad in the last two years. We were promoted last year under difficult financial circumstances, then we still managed to get almost top six and reached a Scottish Cup semi-final.”
Tam is going to have to win games like every manager”
Dundee United sporting director Tony Asghar.
Asghar continued: “Tam is going to have to win games like every manager.
“If he doesn’t win games, we are going to sit, collaborate and see how we can do that. If that means more recruitment, better staff or better players, then that’s what we will do.
“There are always knee-jerk reactions in football – whether it’s from fans or boards making instant decisions.
“That’s something the sporting director really should negate.
“I hope we will have a good two or three years with Tam which will be so successful that somebody will come and take him – like they did with (former United boss) Robbie Neilson.”