Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson has hailed his club for overcoming adversity to enjoy another fine season in the SPL.
The Tangerines finished fourth and will qualify for the Europa League should Celtic beat Motherwell in the Scottish Cup at Hampden on Saturday.
Exactly a year after sitting in the boardroom with the Scottish Cup after it was paraded before thousands of fans in the City Square and Tannadice, Thompson recalled how he considered then just how difficult it would be to follow a trophy-winning campaign that also saw them claim third spot in the league.
They didn’t quite match it, but they came pretty close.
When you factor in the injuries to key men and the idle weeks caused by the big freeze, the Tangerines’ supremo believes there is every reason to be cheerful.
“I think everyone at United and our supporters should be happy with what the players have achieved this season,” he said. “I remember wondering how we could follow winning the cup but the players have done really well this time around.
“We had so many injuries to key men throughout the year, while there was also a spell during the winter when we didn’t play for something like six weeks.
“So it is quite an achievement to finish fourth after the third place of last season. It is not easy for any club outwith the Old Firm to do that.
“For the last four seasons we have been in the top six and it does not seem that long ago that we always seemed to be battling to stay in the league, even taking it to the wire up at Inverness one year.
“So there should be a lot of positivity surrounding the club just now and we should maybe all take a moment to think about how far we have come over the last few years.
“OK, so players are leaving, but others will be coming in, while we are doing our best to nurture the young talent coming through the ranks and to keep them here.
“Even after losing a few players the nucleus of a good squad remains. It will be smaller than we have had in the past but that is just part and parcel of the balancing act you need to perform.
“You have to be realistic about how you do things while also trying to put a good team on the park. Our job is to keep doing that and I am confident we will manage it next season.”Feelgood factorAs well as calling for some gloss to be put on United’s achievements, Thompson feels there should be more of a feelgood factor surrounding the Scottish game in general.
He has been heavily involved in the argument over whether or not to return to a 10-team top league, with the Tangerines pitching their tent in the “No” camp that looks certain to prevail.
One thing that has riled him is the tendency by some to talk the SPL product down.
Once again, there was a Helicopter Sunday finish, with Rangers and Celtic going head to head for the championship on the final day of the campaign.
The dramatic title race, as well as relegation only being settled late on, shows the product isn’t that bad, according to the Tangerines’ chief.
“I am not saying everything is fine with Scottish football and there are issues we do need to address in the game such as pricing for fans and levels of players’ wages,” said Thompson.
“However, I honestly believe the game here is not as bad as it is made out to be at times. We need to talk it up a bit more. There was an exciting title race that went right to the final day, while relegation wasn’t sorted out until the midweek beforehand.
“So if we have to stick with things as they are in the league for a while yet before we come up with something more acceptable than a 10 then that will not be the end of the world.”
Swiss defender Mihael Kovacevic is the latest Hampden hero to have left United after his deal ran out, and, with reports naming Bristol City as the latest club to be keen on David Goodwillie, skipper Jon Daly has moved to reassure supporters they should not fret over the changing of the guard.
“The fans are obviously wondering how we will replace them and will be sad to see the lads go,” said Daly. “That is only natural. It is part and parcel of football these days.
“It could easily have happened last season after we won the Scottish Cup, so my message to them is that we can be just as strong next season as a unit.
“We wish all those leaving all the best wherever they end up but, as a club, we all just have to pull together.
“The manager is constantly on the look-out for new faces and has already shown his ability to identify quality players, while some of the young lads coming through have bright futures.
“I can understand the fans’ apprehension but we will be aiming to go one better next season by trying to finish third.
“You just have to aim higher with every season that comes, which is exactly what we will be doing next term.”