It is just one example of Dundee United's determination to do things differently.
This is a club that made headlines last year by hiring a 17-year-old analyst working from Bangalore. There is a head of football research, Dr Dan Parnell, while Tam Courts is the new head coach having been promoted from his role as head of tactical performance.
Even the presence of a sporting director is relatively new-fangled to some. "I knew there would be a lot of pushback, not only internally but externally," acknowledges Asghar. "The role of sporting director is not that well known in Scotland."
It is two-and-a-half years since Asghar was appointed by the club's new US owners, overseeing a promotion and a culture change. Long-term growth is the ambition for this proud club. The methods might be unfamiliar to some but few dispute the need for change.
"It was a club in distress financially and a league below where it should have been. The fans were all in a state of disarray - I would use the word angry - about what was happening as other teams were seen to be progressing more. We needed a vision for the long term.

0 Comments