While the players and manager at Dundee United are rightly enjoying praise for the transformation in Tannadice fortunes, some should also be reserved for a quiet bloke in the background.
Luigi Capuano’s name might not immediately register with most Arabs, but the chief executive, who stepped into the breach after the way-going of sporting director Tony Asghar, has brought a sense of calm and direction.
Clubs don’t transcend or temper their troubles by offering up three Hail Marys and crossing their fingers.
It requires conviction, experience and vision.
The potential for serious terracing unrest at United has been quelled since Capuano’s appointment of Jim Goodwin, which, given the manager’s grief at Aberdeen, was a courageous move.
🗞 We are pleased to confirm the appointment of Luigi Capuano as our Chief Executive
With over 15 years experience at senior project management and operations level in elite football, he will be responsible for leading the Executive Team and all non-football parts of the Club
— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) August 2, 2022
That bravery has been rewarded with an immediate positive impact on United’s prospects of remaining in the Premiership.
In an increasingly complex football world littered with extensive licensing and staffing requirements and legalities, Capuano’s years of experience at the SFA, SPFL and UEFA should stand the club in good stead, whatever the future holds.
That future might be new owners, or new investment partners alongside current custodian Mark Ogren, or the American continuing as a solo guardian, but whatever it brings, quality and depth of experience at the helm is synonymous with success on the pitch.
My guess is that the future will involve tighter budgets, with a return to a more frugal wage system, which will impact on the type of player targeted for recruitment, alongside protection of the club academy model, which is important for future player development and sales.
I also suspect that if Goodwin is appointed permanently – and he’s making a massive case for that – it’ll mark a return to a more traditional manager role, as opposed to a head coach.
There are five massive games looming for United, which will impact hugely on the club’s future, but they’re approaching them from a position of relative stability.
While kudos for their newly-achieved solidity must go to the manager and players for their terrific response, a vote of thanks from Arabs also wouldn’t be misplaced for the quietly effective work of their chief executive in laying the groundwork.
It takes two teams to make a game – and it takes two sets of supporters too.
Dundee were right to push for an increase in the paltry 400 tickets Queen’s Park were going to provide for the potential Championship decider next weekend.
The new allocation of 1000 briefs is still probably around a half or a third of what the Dark Blues could probably have expected to take to Ochilview, but it at least offers important extra vocal backing as they attempt to claim the title and automatic promotion.
I can understand the Glasgow club’s gamesmanship in attempting to reduce numbers of travelling fans, though I’d have more sympathy if they were a club with a support which didn’t number in the hundreds.
I’m not sure the roar of the crowd has ever won a match, but teams deserve the backing of as a many of their fans as possible where the opportunity occurs.
Conversation