Hamish Macalpine on his playing career...
We were the fittest team in the Premier Division and we could play a bit, too.
'Ach, man, they were the happiest days of my life and they'll remain so unless I win the lottery.'
(Daily Mail 11-2-97)
Golden oldies...
"Love is in the Air", the old John Paul Young hit, is Dundee United's theme tune these days. As their team enter the arena,
the United fans lustily belt out the chorus. Perhaps it is a song for Tommy McLean, the manager who's leading
them down the path towards untold glory.
Dundee United looked like a side who know they are going to triumph every time they take the field.
Sweeping upfield, with pace, power and penetration, they are currently without doubt Scotland's
best football team.
(Scotland on Sunday 23-3-97)
Fun and laughter at Tannadice...
Dundee United and their followers are in a wholesome state of mind. The sweeping miracle that Tommy McLean
has brought with him to Tayside showed no sign of flagging during this Scottish Cup quarter-final dismantling of Motherwell.
United are truly back on the trail of solid silver, filling Tannadice with the sort of anticipation it hasn't known for years.
From a dugout, and even from seats, not historically known for humour, the levity was showing.
"Tommy, Tommy, give us a wave!" the United fans sang, and wouldn't you know, their gifted little boss stuck out a
pudgy paw and obliged. On a spring day, mild and gushing with sunshine, the old place had a vintage hue to it again.
(Scotland on Sunday 9-3-97)
Erik Pedersen after the victory over Celtic...
'It was a difficult job to mark Di Canio,' Pedersen confessed. 'I have to say I enjoyed it, though, and not just
because of the gaffer. I like the challenge of playing against top players.
'I had never seen Di Canio before I came to Scotland. He is more two-footed than Laudrup who I have studied
on television. But Celtic and Rangers don't mean anything to me.
'They are not unbeatable and, if Dundee United had not had such a bad start to the season, people might have
been comparing us with them.'
'You can feel the excitement before a game. Everybody wants to win.
'We had the radio going today. The gaffer was on doing an interview and it was too boring so Andy (McLaren)
switched it over to the loud music which helped get everybody psyched up.'
(Daily Mail 3-2-97)
Jim McLean on the UEFA Cup Final v Gothenburg...
Like many people I shed tears that night. When the fans refused to leave the Shed at the end the police
insisted I go back out and talk to them but all I could do was stand there with tears
streaming down my face - I was so proud to be associated with them.
(Courier 30-7-97)
Tommy McLean on Graeme Souness...
I never liked Souness' style. He labelled me as negative without knowing the full facts. If I strung
defenders across the park, Graeme's job was to beat me, not moan about my team.
You can only go with what you've got at a provincial club. Now that he's at Southampton, he'll need to
actually manage, he'll need to appreciate the restrictions some bosses work under. I hope I've never stuck
the knife in any manager like that.
(Scotland on Sunday 26-1-97)
Tommy McLean on himself...
I don't go out with my wife on a Saturday night. I have still not recovered from the rigours of the game.
Everything is still tossing around my head. I even hate shaking hands with opposition managers
at the end of matches, if I've been beaten. I can't stand it. A bit later, yes, but not right there and then.
I do it, but I do it grudgingly. It is the competitive instinct inside me. I'm maybe a wee bit twisted that way...
(Scotland on Sunday 26-1-97)
Tommy McLean on management...
Management is all about bullying, coaxing and cajoling. I work on the theory that there are three ways to try and get the
best out of a player when he's not doing the business. If he's slacking, you tell him privately. If that
doesn't work, you tell him in front of his team-mates to embarrass him. And if that doesn't work, you tell
the press and the public, so that they can all turn up and see for themselves.
(Scotland on Sunday 26-1-97)
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