Dundee United: Promotion is only goal for new manager Csaba Laszlo

Chairman Stephen Thompson welcomes new manager Csaba Laszlo (left)

New manager Csaba Laszlo is focused solely on taking Dundee United back to the Scottish Premiership.

The 53-year-old Hungarian has signed a contract until May 2019, taking over from Ray McKinnon.

"We won't be asked how nicely we played, we will be asked how many points we collected," he told the club website.

"I don't like to compare which style of football I want to play. I want success, nothing else."

McKinnon was sacked after back-to-back league defeats last month, but two wins since have taken United level on points with Championship leaders St Mirren.

Laurie Ellis stays on as assistant manager, along with the rest of the Tannadice backroom team.

"To win promotion - that's why I'm here," said former Hearts boss Laszlo. "I don't want to step left or right, I only want to go forward.

"I am not a typical manager from the Scottish or English football. I manage everything, but I delegate also. I want to be very close to my players. I make the job, I try to be a coach, and a man-to-man coach, be close to my players, explain the tactic, work with them every day. This is more the style from Europe."

Laszlo, who was the Scottish Football Writers' manager of the year in 2009, said at his media conference: "Dundee United have a very, very clear target, which I accepted.

"We can talk very long about how nice it is to be in Scotland again and the grass is green and the birds are singing, but this is simple: our target is the Scottish Premiership and that's all.

"Before I came to the interview, I watched seven or eight games and looked at what's possible to do with the team. The quality is there, the players are good enough, and you saw in the last two games they were going in the right direction. So I have to continue on this road."

'The Scottish Championship is completely different'

Laszlo steered Hearts to a third-place finish in the top flight in his one full season in charge, before leaving Tynecastle in 2010.

"Scotland is so passionate about football and the atmosphere in every stadium was really fantastic," he added.

"The football is different from other parts of Europe. You have to go and fight. If we are all together, we can move forward."

Laszlo, who also has management experience in his homeland, Uganda, Belgium, Lithuania and Slovakia, takes charge for Saturday's Irn-Bru Cup tie against Crusaders.

"I am a little bit wiser, I wear glasses to read, I have more grey hair and less hair, so I've changed. In football, I had the opportunity to learn more and be wiser, to manager other styles of football. It makes me, I hope, a better manager."

Chairman Stephen Thompson said: "After meeting Csaba, seeing his enthusiasm for the job and his understanding of what is required by Dundee United, he emerged as the outstanding candidate.

"Csaba's CV is very impressive and his enthusiasm very infectious but after we met, the board spoke to many people who had worked with him and I believe we have secured a fantastic coach, man-manager and a highly experienced tactician."

Analysis - Ex-United boss Peter Houston on BBC Sportsound

"Overall, it is an interesting appointment. It is certainly left-field, but it is something different.

"I think United fans will be excited about it. They will look on it as an opportunity for something new, but at the same time, he has to win. He has to get them up into the Premiership this year.

"He is very lucky. He has got a really good squad of players to work with and they are more than capable of doing that.

"He also has a good assistant manager in Laurie Ellis and it's important he listens to Laurie, who will tell him everything about the players he has on board."