Stand-in Dundee United manager Thomas Courts has defended the club’s Covid-19 protocols after a team photo of the Tannadice squad emerged.
Currently, manager Micky Mellon and the rest of United’s first-team staff, plus nine Tangerine players, are self-isolating after an outbreak of Covid-19 at Tannadice.
Courts stood in for Mellon as Livingston beat United 2-0 on Saturday. Pre-match, a squad photo of the Dundee United squad without social distancing did the rounds on social media, leading to speculation over their protocols.
But youth academy coach Courts has backed these safety measures: “I feel you are having a go at me here, because there’s 49 people and I did not get an invite! It shows how highly rated I am!
“I am not aware of that because as part of the academy staff and Under-18s we are outside the bubble. It is actually difficult to get remotely near the first-team environment.
“An indication of how well the club orchestrates their protocols is that I hardly ever see the first team players. The protocols are watertight and there’s nothing to suggest otherwise.”
Mellon delivered his pre-match routine virtually and Courts has explained how it happened: “The manager had a direct line to the bench. The alterations he wanted were hitting us pretty quickly. We were able to act on what he wanted and hopefully we carried that out.
“He is the manager of the football club. He can do as he sees fit. The only benefit we had was being here and being able to feel the game. He knows his players and he knows what he wants.
“Just before half time he got a message to us about an alteration he wanted and we delivered that, we spoke to the players and they responded well. I addressed the players fully at half-time.
“There was never a consideration for postponement. I think you can see we had an ample amount of experience players and a great opportunity for the young players. There was still so much for us to aim for us but we weren’t able to claim the three points.”