Things to know about Dundee United
Last season: 4th in the Scotish Premier League
Qualified through: League position
Coach: Peter Houston
Star: David Goodwillie
Links to Örebro: Sometimes this is not so hard. I covered the friendly between the game in the summer of 1997, when ex-Örebro player Lars Zetterlund had convinced the Tangerines to come to Örebro for pre-season training. Unfortunately for Örebro, the game resulted in Dundee signing another two Örebro star players, Mikael Steen and Siggi Jonson. Magnus Sköldmark, formerly Örebro and also currently responsible for player transfers at the club, also joined Dundee in the late 90s to create an Örebro colony in the Northeast of Scotland.
Comment: The glorious period of Dundee Utd (during the years of super star David Narey) coincides with IFK Gothenburg’s, back in the 80s where two teams of that calibre could appear in the UEFA cup final (IFK beat Utd in the 1987 final) or come very close to a European Cup final (both Dundee and IFK made it to the semis (1984 and 1986, respectively), won convincingly at home but lost badly away). I have not managed to find out if there is any relationship between new Dundee United signing Willo Flood and last year’s unsuccessful Örebro striker Anthony Flood, but since there is only three and a half months between them I gather they are not brothers (to short a time frame even for an Irish mother)
This is how we beat them: A team that produced some big results away from home last season, including a win at Glasgow Rangers and a draw at Celtic. It was also close to qualifying for the group stage of Europa League, losing 1-2 on aggregate to AEK in the play-off round. Already capped young striker David Goodwillie scored 18 goals last season but has also been charged with rape and involved in a number of assault cases. He is half of a lethal, young attacking pair together with starlet Johnny Russell, and the club has a weighting in attack with club captain Jon Daly also being a striker. Clearly with Hearts the team on the level below Celtic and Rangers in Scotland. What does that mean? Scottish teams have not been terrifying in Europa League the past few years, but I feel the Scottish style of playing is not ideal for us.
Chance of Örebro winning: 40%, which must be considered a bad draw as unless Fulham or Elfsborg lose in the first round beating Dundee Utd will not give us a seeding in the 3rd round
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