Originally Posted by
Steve Finan
Jim McInally was, I’d thought, a full-back early in his career. He certainly was listed as such when with Celtic and I’d assumed he played that role when on loan to Dundee, but I think Peter will know better than me. I think Dundee tried to sign him from Celtic (again Peter might know).
When Bow and Jim McInally came to Tannadice though, they were both used as box-to-box midfielders. This was the era, you’ll recall, when hard-running midfielders who could attack, defend, tackle, score, do everything (modelled on Bryan Robson, Roy Keane and Lothar Matthaus) were what every team wanted. Whatever they were, or thought they were when they were at any other club, both of these players came to play midfield dynamo roles for United.
McInally especially had the famous “good engine” and could run for ever. Again though, as in last post, it would be wrong to label United players of this era as just one thing. One of the aspects of Jim McLean’s genius was to mould his players into what he wanted from the team, rather than form a team around what his players could do, or thought they could do. Bow did, as Shedboy1971 says, play right-back on occasion. But depending on what was asked for, he could slot into any midfield position.
I have always thought that if McLean had been Andy Robertson’s manager, he’d have turned him into a midfielder. He liked players who put in hard shifts, attacked with pace and followed team orders to the letter.
The two most famous teams in United’s history, 1983 and 1987, had a lot of the same personnel, but there are a few crucial differences. The 1987 side were tactically more aware, they were designed for Europe, or at least could slide more easily into a European style. The 1983 side were all younger and had a little less tactical savvy, although (I thought, others may disagree) attacked better and had more goals in them from all over the pitch.
Can I ask, JM, do you have a project here? Are you writing something? Creating something? I’m always interested in chatting about United “projects”. If you are approaching the question of United players by position, then you might want to talk about the flexible approach to standard positions that Jim McLean had.
And there is excellent info in the ArabArchive. Fantastic website the lads have there.
I might also suggest that if you are examining former United players, then Graeme Payne is worth looking at. Again just my opinion, but I thought he was the most naturally talented of the early McLean years players. But you’ll find that some United supporters recall him as a winger, while others will say midfielder. Nailing down a Dundee United 1971 to 1993 player by position isn’t easy!