Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Csaba shake up is needed to save Utd
SOMETHING fundamental has to change at Tannadice or Dundee United’s season might go from bad to worse.
The latest disappointment on Friday night saw the Tangerines beaten 2-1 away at second-placed Livingston to leave their hopes of automatic promotion completely dashed.
It’s even sparked worry of missing out on the play-off places with Morton having overtaken them and Queen of the South and Dunfermline not too far behind.
With the Doonhamers in town tonight, that five-point gap could shorten pretty quickly, especially with the way United are playing right now.
That’s something that certainly has to change if they are to get themselves up through the play-offs.
There’s no way on current form they will battle their way through to the playoff final and then beat the Premiership’s 11th side.
The only way a Championship side can bridge the gap to the top flight is to go into the games on the back of a real run of form.
You see that down south in the Championship where a side puts together a run of wins and sneaks into the play-offs right at the end and then continues that form right through.
That doesn’t look like happening at all at the minute for United.
Csaba Laszlo then has to change something in order to spark a reaction from his side.
The players’ confidence is shot so the manager might have to change his training or chuck in something new.
I’ve heard the players are in training six days-a-week at the moment, which can help at times, but the players don’t look as fit and sharp as a side that trains that much. They don’t overpower teams so that maybe needs changing.
The manager obviously has a method in training and the way he wants to play but I think he has to shake things up. He might just get a reaction. What he certainly needs is to see some better defending.
The finish at Livingston must have been soul-destroying for the manager because it was almost schoolboy defending.
First there was a header missed, then Mark Durnan missed his and Tam Scobbie just gave the striker far too much time.
That sort of stuff is happening too often and that’s up to the players to sort out along with the gaffer.
Big game tonight, they all are now.