‘My one regret is I over-backed myself going to a foreign country to work with staff I didn’t know’

COURTS REFLECTS ON LESSONS LEARNED FROM A CHAOTIC SPELL IN HUNGARY AFTER UNITED EXIT

AWINTRY January night in Paisley and Tam Courts is dressed for the occasion. The big coat, hat and snood serve as barriers to the cold — and also as a disguise. Eschewing the comfort of the posh seats, the former Dundee United boss has decided to hide in plain sight among a bunch of new Buddies.

‘I’ve been going to games but I don’t ask for tickets,’ he explains. ‘I like to pay in and that night I got to St Mirren about two minutes before kick-off against Hearts.

‘I couldn’t be bothered looking for my seat so I went straight to the back and stood with the ultras to get the best view.

‘The fans were so co-ordinated with their flags. I didn’t join in — where I’m from in Fife you don’t put anything in our hands because it can quickly become a weapon!

‘I had the snood covering my face but at half-time someone came over and said: “I thought it was you!”.’

Courts didn’t mind being rumbled and will happily continue to watch his football from any angle.

A left-field appointment by United in the summer of 2021, he led the club into Europe in his debut season then promptly resigned to pursue a new adventure on the continent.

To say he misjudged the situation that awaited him at Honved Budapest would be an understatement. Structural issues within the club were already undermining his position before an incidence of racism brought matters to a head. After four months, Courts was out. More of which later.

First, we speak about United, who today entertain Celtic under the tutelage of Liam Fox, a coach who served under him at Tannadice.

The last time Ange Postecoglou’s side visited, it was Courts’ immediate successor Jack Ross who was axed after a 9-0 defeat.

Still at the wrong end of the table, United have stabilised somewhat under Fox to the point that it is not totally out of the question that they could bridge the 11-point gap to fourth-placed Livingston and emulate last season’s achievement.

Courts wishes his old club well but insists he has no regrets about his exit.

He insists: ‘I am a decisive person. We had an unbelievable season but it was the right time to leave.

‘I still want the club to do well and I have good relations with the key people there.’

Interestingly, he retains a live hotline to Tony Asghar, United’s sporting director and the man many assumed was at the root of Courts’ rush to leave.

A big if not overbearing character, Asghar (right) oversees recruitment at Tannadice and presents his head coaches with a set menu of transfer targets. Courts insists he was never forced to sign a player he didn’t want.

He says: ‘There is this misconception that Tony only likes young coaches or yes men who are grateful for the opportunity.

‘But what makes Tony tick is actually working with people who have a bit of balls.

‘He is a big character who responds well to confrontation, maybe not at the time, but he is absolutely open to challenge and feedback.

‘We had multiple disagreements but he will admit when he’s got something wrong and he expects the same in return. ‘I laugh when I hear or read that Tony was picking the team and bringing players in. ‘The only player who was brought in without my say was Charlie Mulgrew. By the time I was appointed, the deal was already done.

‘But Tony said: “We will remove the offer if you have any concerns” — and obviously there weren’t. ‘Every other signing, it was me who gave the final decision.’

As if to emphasise the point, Courts credits Asghar with helping him land a job interview with Brondby around the turn of the year.

The 41-year-old made the shortlist and held two conversations with the incoming owners of the Danish club but lost out to Jesper Sorensen.

He adds: ‘Tony sent me a text to say he had some information and that he’d been asked to give a reference for me.

‘It’s the only opportunity I’ve pursued and so I wanted to give it absolutely everything.

‘I had good conversations with the owner and sporting director.

‘If a club of that size are interested, then clearly the work I have done over the last 18 months has been noticed by some serious people.’

Brondby’s interest also provided reassurance that his reputation hadn’t been sullied in Hungary.

Enticed by Honved’s new sporting director Chris Docherty, formerly technical director at Tannadice, Courts jumped at the opportunity to work in one of Europe’s most beguiling cities.

Yet, as cosmopolitan as Budapest may be, the country is ruled by a right-wing government headed by the autocratic Viktor Orban. The regime has used football as a vehicle for reinforcing a sense of national identity, funding a stadiumbuilding programme across the country to keep clubs onside.

Although players of all creeds and colours operate in the top tier of the Nemzeti Bajnoksag, only Hungarian nationals are allowed in the leagues below.

That leads not only to an annual panic among the teams fighting relegation but sends out a message that is hardly inclusive.

Courts was party to two separate incidences of racism, the first when one of his Honved players abused an opponent and readily admitted to his offence. The second, involving monkey chants from the Honved fans during a win over Zalaegerszeg, proved a breaking point. He did not take the team again.

‘I went on the record after the game to say I hadn’t heard anything, which was the truth,’ he says. ‘But I then spoke to one of our senior players who was in close proximity and he confirmed it happened.

‘It left me with an empty feeling. We’d had two important wins, were only three points off fifth, but I actually felt an emptiness on the bus journey afterwards.

‘The next day, we had a meeting with the club. We spoke about various things and it was a mutual decision (to part), one that was right for both parties. ‘The Hungarian FA were forced to take a hardline stance. The club was found guilty and heavily penalised — both financially and with a closed-door game.’

Oddly, Docherty was not involved in the discussion that ended with Courts’ departure. His absence helped preserve their personal relationship yet exposed the fatal flaw in their working dynamic.

‘You can look at it in different ways,’ admits Courts. ‘The leadership above the head coach is put in place to ensure longevity and calmness in good and tricky moments.

‘What happened gave me an indication as to who were the real power players at the club. That was a revelation.

‘From the start, there was a real feeling of anxiety around the place, almost like the club had become a bit of a poisoned chalice.

‘The appointment of the sporting director was a really positive sign that they wanted to stabilise and do things in a structured way.

‘But it really should have been the sporting director that spoke to me at the end. If he actually has control, he handles that.

‘But you can’t carry bitterness. Chris is still a friend of mine.

‘My one regret is that I over-backed myself going to a foreign country to work with nine members of staff I didn’t know and who didn’t always speak the same language.

‘Next time, there will be minimum requirements to work with staff who know me and my ideas.’

Back living with his family in Fife, Courts is open to another foreign adventure but would not rule out a second domestic job either.

‘As much as Honved didn’t transpire the way I expected, I do feel it accelerated my development and left me in a much better place to attack the next opportunity,’ he said. ‘I need to be selective — if I go in with the right people I have no doubt I can deliver success.’

Meantime, Courts is getting on with the business of securing his Pro Licence qualification with the Wales FA and is about to embark on a visit to observe Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.

‘Davide Ancelotti is on my course,’ explains Courts. ‘He’s assistant to his father and has been kind enough to offer. Getting access to an environment like that is coaching utopia.’