First Team
All The Info | Rangers (A)
22nd November 2024
Speaking on Saturday evening following the 3-0 Scottish Cup defeat of Forres Mechanics, United Manager Alex Smith looked forward to the Fourth Round home tie against either Hamilton Academical or Raith Rovers.
"It's an opportunity for us to advance, I must admit, and I'm happy with the draw. I know more about Raith Rovers than Hamilton. I still know a few of the players at Kirkcaldy who were there when I was there and I know an awful lot about the manager (Jocky Scott). So that will be an exciting game if it comes about. I also know the manager at Hamilton Accies (Ally Dawson) well too. He's a young, ambitious man and I'm sure if his team get through it will also be a difficult game for us here."
Alex Smith was pleasantly surprised to be told that the three goal margin represented United's equal-biggest home win of the season but typically he preferred to compliment the play of Forres Mechanics. "The three goals were tremendous goals and it sounds a convincing win but it wasn't really. I though Forres did superbly well and were not only a credit to themselves but to the Highland League."
The Manager also gave credit to Hasney Aljofree for his two wonderful strikes in the Forres match. "I've been waiting for about a year and half for him to crack one in from thirty yards!", he joked, "He's taken a few free kicks and they've usually soared just over the top of the bar but this one was a tremendous hit. His second one was maybe, from a footballing point of view, even better. There was good build up play culminating in his tremendous low shot into the corner of the net and that may have bettered his free kick for me."
Alex Smith, in response to a direct question concerning the forthcoming Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club on Tuesday 8 January, also briefly commented on his future at Tannadice. "I think the future's just the same as it's been for me. I'll just have to wait and see what develops regarding the changeover. It's very sad about the people who are going out. They've been very supportive to me and I must thank them for that. I'm sure, once the new Board comes in, then I'll work OK. I've never been unable to work with a Board of Directors and I don't see it being any different now. I don't see why I won't be here when the next round of the Scottish Cup is played. I'm contracted, as I've said often enough, for another eighteen months at least, and I enjoy it here. I'm sure the players and the supporters do as well so I don't see why there is any need for any greater change at all."
"It's an opportunity for us to advance, I must admit, and I'm happy with the draw. I know more about Raith Rovers than Hamilton. I still know a few of the players at Kirkcaldy who were there when I was there and I know an awful lot about the manager (Jocky Scott). So that will be an exciting game if it comes about. I also know the manager at Hamilton Accies (Ally Dawson) well too. He's a young, ambitious man and I'm sure if his team get through it will also be a difficult game for us here."
Alex Smith was pleasantly surprised to be told that the three goal margin represented United's equal-biggest home win of the season but typically he preferred to compliment the play of Forres Mechanics. "The three goals were tremendous goals and it sounds a convincing win but it wasn't really. I though Forres did superbly well and were not only a credit to themselves but to the Highland League."
The Manager also gave credit to Hasney Aljofree for his two wonderful strikes in the Forres match. "I've been waiting for about a year and half for him to crack one in from thirty yards!", he joked, "He's taken a few free kicks and they've usually soared just over the top of the bar but this one was a tremendous hit. His second one was maybe, from a footballing point of view, even better. There was good build up play culminating in his tremendous low shot into the corner of the net and that may have bettered his free kick for me."
Alex Smith, in response to a direct question concerning the forthcoming Extraordinary General Meeting of the Club on Tuesday 8 January, also briefly commented on his future at Tannadice. "I think the future's just the same as it's been for me. I'll just have to wait and see what develops regarding the changeover. It's very sad about the people who are going out. They've been very supportive to me and I must thank them for that. I'm sure, once the new Board comes in, then I'll work OK. I've never been unable to work with a Board of Directors and I don't see it being any different now. I don't see why I won't be here when the next round of the Scottish Cup is played. I'm contracted, as I've said often enough, for another eighteen months at least, and I enjoy it here. I'm sure the players and the supporters do as well so I don't see why there is any need for any greater change at all."
