Perspective gets lost in football more often than goals, games and jobs put together.
When two Dundee United fans’ groups put out an inflammatory joint statement about their concerns with the stewardship of their club, it had disappeared again.
That the ArabTRUST and the Federation of Dundee United Supporters’ Clubs care passionately about the fiscal prosperity and football success of United is beyond doubt.
That they have the right to confront chairman Stephen Thompson with their questions and worries is equally so.
But the timing, method and long-term strategy of the public airing of their grievances left a lot to be desired.
Timing first.
It may feel like all four wheels have come off after the recent run-ins with Celtic and the double departure of two stars player that preceded it. But, despite the weekend defeat to Ross County, there are only punctures. European football next season is still a realistic goal and would represent a satisfactory season for some observers, and a successful one for even more.
Splitting the United support down the middle, as well as antagonising your chairman, manager and a good few others isn’t getting the repair kit out for the punctured tyres. It’s taking a knife to them.
An international break may feel like a time to take stock, but if this stand had to be made, it should have been at the end of the season.
The method?
The phrase “washing your dirty linen in public” comes to mind.
If United sources are to be believed and confidences were broken when the internet statement was released, not only would that be morally dubious and potentially have lawyers pouring all over it, it will also ensure that channels of communication between directors and supporter groups will be less open in future.
And, if you are going to light a fire as the two groups did on Wednesday night, there should be a long-term vision of how you plan to control it.
This could turn out to be a bush-fire rather than a bonfire.
Mention was made of Thompson reducing his personal shareholding in United to below 51%. Why on earth would he want to do that?
I would imagine if he sells shares it will be when he has decided to move on, and not before.
Thompson’s departure is the only realistic end-game that could result in substantive change in the way United is being run.
As long as one man is the majority shareholder, he calls the shots. If he’s wise, he’ll listen to supporters’ representatives and take on their opinions, but the buck ultimately stops with him.
And, for all that fan ownership seems to be in vogue in the Scottish Parliament, the above remains the best working model for a Scottish Premier League football club that I’ve seen.
Thompson doesn’t get everything right, but go through the top flight and which clubs would you say are better run than United? There aren’t many, if any.
Even the ones at the top of that particular table, like Celtic and St Johnstone, are susceptible to owner-supporter tensions breaking out. But there’s an underlying appreciation in the stands and the supporters’ clubs of the stability they have assured. And there’s certainly an appreciation that it could be much, much worse.
I don’t claim to know Thompson’s mind. But if this statement is just the opening shot in hostilities between him and the ArabTrust and the Federation, rather than a one-off volley brought on by understandable fan frustration at the Armstrong and Mackay-Steven departures and the Celtic defeats that are inter-linked in the minds of many, there may well come a point when he asks himself is it all worth the hassle?
United’s financial health is improving year on year, they’ve got a promising young manager who will grow into an even better one (if he hasn’t been sickened by last week’s experience and quits in the summer), the first team are not far off where you would expect them to be in the league, and the flow of talent from the academy shows no sign of drying up.
This is not a club that should be turning in on itself.
Be careful what you wish for.