Leaders can be caught but Utd must get wins

been sought by another club, Dundee having made a bid to get him before Neil McCann decided to make his stay at Dens Park permanent. Much to the relief of everyone at St Mirren, on both occasions he decided staying put was the better option.

Even so, that other clubs will come calling in the months ahead looks certain and United will be hoping that’s playing on the minds of those in his first-team dressing-room.

If it is, that can help their cause, but the biggest lift they can get right now has to come from within and in the shape of embarking on a winning run.

As others examine the permutations of what’s to come, the best way for United to do that will be by following that old football adage of taking things a game at a time.

Not that one was needed having lost there back in mid-October but the weekend was a reminder Livi are not a team to be taken lightly.

They’ve made the most of United’s postponements to leapfrog them into second spot, three points ahead.

With finishing second meaning one less play-off tie, the first priority this week has to be getting back on course for finishing there, making a win this Friday a must.

With that done, the focus would then have to be on Tuesday and a Queen of the South side who are themselves chasing a play-off spot.

The Doonhamers did go down at Tannadice early this season but two draws there last term were major blows for Ray McKinnon and his team.

The Tangerines must respond from the Morton loss in the league.