Tam Courts took a public stand against an alleged ‘racist slur’ towards Dundee United star Jeando Fuchs from the Ross County end on Saturday.
Courts brandished a ‘Show Racism The Red Card’ t-shirt towards County fans as he walked off the pitch in the aftermath of United’s 1-0 win.
United have launched a probe into the alleged incident moments after Ilmari Niskanen’s winning goal.
We really should be talking about United’s stunning start to the season.
Their fourth 1-0 win of the season ensures the Tannadice side will be above Celtic going into the international break.
But we cannot ignore the Fuchs flashpoint as Courier Sport outlines 3 talking points from Saturday.
Tam Courts: A leader of men
With every passing week, Tam Courts silences his Dundee United doubters.
Brave team selections, terrific results and impressive man-management skills.
They have helped Courts to get his United managerial career off to a flier in his first 100 days in charge.
But on Saturday, Courts levelled up as he waved a ‘Show Racism The Red Card’ t-shirt at the end of the County win.
True leadership from Tam Courts as another footballer in Scotland is racially abused today.
We are all with you, @JeandoFuchs.
This cannot go on. We need more from our authorities. @ScotGov @ScottishFA pic.twitter.com/FklcAaJG75
— Show Racism the Red Card đ´ó §ó ˘ó łó Łó ´ó ż (@SRtRCScotland) October 2, 2021
Courts took a stance against racist allegations towards Fuchs in the most public of fashions.
At the time of writing the alleged ‘slurs’ against Fuchs have not yet been proven.
But the Cameroon star appeared visibly shaken and isolated from his United team-mates as they celebrated Niskanen’s goal.
Fuchs reached out for support from Courts and United assistant Liam Fox.
And they backed him to the hilt.
The how and when Courts got the t-shirt to his bench is entirely irrelevant.
The fact he needed to take a stance – in a week where 10,000 Czech schoolkids booed former Dundee star Glen Kamara – is appalling.
But in doing so Courts underlined that he will fight the corner of his players. A real leader of men.
Ian Harkes – The American Dream can become a reality
Ian Harkes is in the form of his life for Dundee United right now.
Small wonder he is dreaming of following in the footsteps of his famous dad John in earning a full cap for USA.
Former Sheffield Wednesday star John made 90 appearances for his country but Harkes junior hasn’t been near a USA squad since 2018.
That could change if he continues to impress.
Goals in the derby win over Dundee and the outstanding draw with Celtic will help.
But so too will performances like Saturday where he notched up a staggering 95% passing completion rate.
‘Boring, boring Dundee United?’ Not at all
In the 1990s, Arsenal coined the phrase ‘boring, boring Arsenal’ as they consistently churned out 1-0 wins.
Saturday’s success was United’s fourth 1-0 win in eight Scottish Premiership games.
But while they look defensively-sound, there is nothing dull about this United team.
They play open, expansive football, and simply know how to get the job done.