AYR RAISING Neilson lifting Arabs to bust Somerset jinx
You see what happens if we’re not at it 100 per cent – we get turned over
ROBBIE NEILSON
ROBBIE NEILSON wants Dundee United to smash their Somerset Park hoodoo tonight. The league leaders will be looking to get back on track after they lost to Dunfermline at the weekend. Neilson’s side travel to Ayr knowing that is the only Championship venue where they haven’t picked up a point this season. The United boss said: “I do still enjoy going down there as a manager. “It’s proper football, up and at it, and it’s a good stadium with a good pitch. Recently it hasn’t worked out but hopefully this time we will enjoy a change of fortune.” United headed there in September for the first time since signing Lawrence Shankland and Liam Smith from Ayr.
Ian McCall was still in charge of the Honest Men and led his side to a 2-0 win.
United took their revenge at Tannadice in December, with new Ayr player-boss Mark Kerr sent off in a 4-0 defeat.
And Neilson said: “I played against Mark a few times.
“Stepping up to manager from player is difficult. You might have been the life and soul of a dressing room but now it’s you making the decisions.
“When you walk into the dressing room it all goes quiet, that’s hard at times.
“I know his assistant Michael McArdle, who I worked with at Falkirk and was here for a bit.”
Neilson’s men have won just once in their last five league games but he’s adamant nobody in his squad is switching off or thinking the title is won. He said: “There is still a long way to go. We are sitting in a good position but need to keep winning games.
“You see what happens when we’re not at it 100 per cent – we get turned over.
“No matter the score on Saturday, we’d have made some changes anyway. I will be utilising the squad.
“They won’t be wholesale though, because the players have done well for us all season and it’s important we don’t jump the gun. We’ve managed to bounce back before.”
Kerr is warning his Ayr team to beware a backlash. The player-boss said: “Playing United was always going to be a challenge but after their defeat at Dunfermline it will be even more of a challenge.”
Ayr won 2-0 at Alloa at the weekend and Kerr added: “We sent out an attack-minded team. However, with seven games to play in 21 days I may have to make some changes.”