Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Ray says trust to Tangerines’
THAT Dundee United’s resurgence under Ray McKinnon this season has had a lot to do with the astute signings the new gaffer made is not in doubt.
Despite a tight budget, over the summer he signed well.
Refusing to panic into making quick signings from what was a large pool of available bodies, Ray took his time, did his homework and made sure he got talent.
Some of his business was done swiftly but only because he knew players like Willo Flood, a long-term veteran of the Premiership, and one of his most-reliable performers at Raith Rovers last season Lewis Toshney well.
Goalkeeper Cammy Bell was another the manager was acquainted with and, but for matters relating to his severance package from Rangers, the 30-year-old would probably have been signed up even sooner than late June.
Others such at William Edjenguele and Frank van der Struijk, Ray did not know so well.
He, therefore, took time to do his homework on them and, although that meant their arrival was delayed until the end of August, performances since have shown it was worth the wait and effort to get them.
Influential as the new men have been, a less-highlighted ingredient of the success so far has been the rebirth of a string of young players, whose United future was in doubt by the end of last year’s disastrous campaign.
Had Mark Durnan, Coll Donaldson, Charlie Telfer and Luis Zwick all moved on in the close season, the truth is few Arabs would have been surprised.
And had the manager attempted to ship them out, it would have been with the blessing of his board.
However, instead of giving them up as lost causes, he gave them their chance to be part of the squad and has been rewarded by all making telling contributions to the success to date.
Catching the eye in particular have been Durnan and Telfer.
Centre-half Durnan, with three goals in the last five games and a run of excellent displays, has gone from zero to hero in the eyes of United fans.
And from appearing to be on his way out when he was loaned to Livingston in January, Telfer has made the most of an opportunity handed to him by injury to fellow-midfielder Stewart Murdoch, to chalk up his most-consecutive appearances in the first team and play an important part in his new deeper role.
While Donaldson and Zwick have not made as many appearances as