I CAN MAKE MY MARC AS UNITED NO.9
MARC McNULTY insists he relishes the scrutiny of being the go-to man for Dundee United.
The 28-year-old is back at Tannadice for a second loan spell from Reading.
This time, things are vastly different to when he joined last season.
Under Micky Mellon, McNulty was unable to shift Lawrence Shankland from the No.9 spot.
Happy to do his bit for the cause, the Scotland international often played a wide role to help United almost make the top six.
But with Shankland now playing in Belgium, McNulty is back as the main attacking weapon for new gaffer Thomas Courts.
He’s just fine being the Terrors’ No.9 and said: “It is something I relish.
“It is a bit of pressure because he is relying on me to score goals.
“Any striker will tell you that if they are asked to play wide, it is an absolute graveyard shift.
“You can do a job but I have been brought to a club to score goals and not to track back all the time.
“You might need to help the team but I know that I will help the team best as a striker.
“Every manager you work with does things differently, although there might be a couple of things that are the same.
“He has also told me that he is going to play me as the No.9 and what he expects from me.
“I have been lucky enough throughout my career to have played for some relatively big clubs with big supports.
“And when you come in as a No.9, the pressure is on you right away to try to score goals.
“It is no different here and it is nothing I haven’t faced before.
“But last season I didn’t get the return I wanted or the fans wanted either.
“I am confident this season after speaking to the manager. It will be set up perfectly for me.
“The manager wants to dominate the ball and be a lot more patient. He wants to look for openings, to play in the pocket, get crosses and to get the ball into the box.
“As a striker, these things are music to my ears.
“The more chances the better. I could have had a hat-trick against Ayr (in the League Cup last 16).
“I probably had more chances in that game than all of last season.
“I want to put a bit of pressure on myself.
“I don’t want to come here to score a couple of goals because that is no good to me or United.
“If I can get into double figures, United can make the top six and we can get a couple of good cup runs, then it would be seen as a successful season.”
McNulty was stuck training with kids at Reading before the chance to return to Tannadice and has a future to play for given his contract south of the border expires at the end of the season.
He added: “It was tough because some days I was training with 15 and 16-year-old kids.
“I knew I would get away eventually and I just tried to keep my head down. I now find myself catching up. That is why I am buzzing to be back.
“I am out of contract in the summer and I have to do as well as I can for the club and then we can see where that takes us.”