New Dundee United boss Csaba Laszlo says he is a far better manager now than when he was last in charge of a club in Scotland with Hearts.
The 53-year-old was officially unveiled yesterday lunchtime as the successor to Ray McKinnon in the Tannadice hot-seat on a contract until May, 2019.
Laszlo has been tasked with turning United’s Premiership promotion dream into a reality with Laurie Ellis set to stay at the club as his assistant.
The Hungarian was previously Jambos boss during the turbulent era under former Tynecastle owner Vladimir Romanov.
Laszlo lasted 18 months with Hearts and picked up the Scottish manager of the year accolades after his first season in charge.
Following his sacking by Romanov, he plied his trade in Europe and he insists that cumulative experience means United are getting a more qualified manager for the challenge at Tannadice.
Laszlo said: “It wasn’t easy at Hearts. I think I was the longest-serving manager under Mr Romanov.
“At the time I wanted to look forward for the club, not myself and this was my mistake.
“But I don’t change my mind. The club is the most important thing not me personally.
“You can save your job if you are selfish but in football and especially if you are a manager, you can’t be selfish.
“You have a huge community and the club is the most important thing.
“I haven’t changed my mind about that and I will do the same in the future.
“After Scotland, I travelled around the continent. I managed the Lithuania national team, I managed two other clubs and know I am different now.
“I will tell you why. I have the same character and charisma, I think the same but I need glasses for reading, I have less hair and I am greyer.
“I also have a lot more experience and I can tell you I am a better manager.
“I know more about football and I learned a lot from other people.”
Laszlo admits he is ready to immerse himself totally in the United job – and he had some bad news for assistant Ellis’s wife.
He said: “We are keeping them (backroom staff) because I want to learn from them.
“I am not the wise man. I think we can learn from each other. This is the most important thing.
“Laurie is my right hand and I told him you can forget about your wife for the next two or three months because he will always be with me.
“We have to do everything to show everyone that we are the best couple, the best marriage!
“This is what I think about my staff.”
Even after he left Hearts, Laszlo kept his family based in Edinburgh and he admitted it was good to be back working in this country.
Laszlo said: “Yes, it is my home. I can turn everything right and left but Scotland is my place.
“My kids have gone to school here and it is my permanent address.
“I feel at home here. Every human has in their heart the feeling of the place where they feel good. So yes Scotland for me is perfect.
“It doesn’t matter about the rain or the cold, it is about the mentality of the people.
“Football is the No.1 sport here and it is my life.
“I wouldn’t like to move from here, even when I am older.”
Laszlo may have been working in Europe in recent years but he insists he has not lost touch with the game in this country.
He said: “Even if you asked me about Albanian football, I know a lot about it.
“African football as well. I follow the game every day.
“So for me, Scottish football has always been very important to me and I know everything about the Championship and Premiership.
“I know about the clubs but I mostly watched Championship games.
“Livingston is near to Edinburgh and I watched games there. I was never far away from it.”
Laszlo admitted it was unusual to take over at a club that have just won their last two games and are sitting at the top of the table.
And he insists it will be business as usual for the moment.
He said: “At this stage you don’t have to change anything – you just tell the guys to go out and do what you have done the last two weeks.
“Everything which I think is good, we will keep. But we might have to change some things I think we need to change.
“We will do that but it will not be anything as drastic as throwing everything out of the window.
“Look, I accept everything apart from somebody not showing the will to move forward.
“Nothing comes easy but everything can go easy.
“However, you have to show you are willing. The luck does not come along, you have to do something for it.
“If you don’t play in the lottery, you never win anything but you have to work for your luck.”
