It’s Groundhog Day and Utd must end it

THERE’S no team that does disappointment quite like Dundee United and they excelled themselves in that department once more this week against Livignston.

To battle back from the loss of such an early goal and be leading, just about deservedly I’d say, with 15 minutes left to go and then leave themselves 3-2 down is extraordinary.

Then you remember it’s the current United squad you’re talking about and you realise it’s just not extraordinary – because they do it all the time.

I feel like I’ve already written this column and it is getting like Groundhog Day because just when you think they’ve sorted themselves out and are looking something like a decent team, a spanner gets chucked right in there and it all goes to pot again.

They were cruising at 2-1 and could have been further in front only for the wheels to come off with 13 minutes to go, ending in a messy fireball by the end.

Skipper Willo Flood has been lambasted for losing his rag and getting himself sent off but, to me, that looked like a season’s worth, maybe more, of anger that had been simmering away.

To have a go at your manager on the way off the pitch didn’t look good from the club’s point of view but Flood obviously just couldn’t hold it in any longer. And you could see why. Boss Csaba Laszlo made a sub, Emil Lyng for Billy King, and within 10 seconds, Livingston had rampaged down his side and scored the equaliser.

I’m not throwing the blame at poor Lyng’s feet, he’s tried his best since arriving at the club, but he’s been a poor signing by Csaba.

Apart from the cup game at Alloa where he scored, the other nine games the Dane has been involved in United have failed to win – the best they’ve had is two nil-nils against Dunfermline.

Paul McMullan’s not been great after his lightning start to life at Tannadice but he’s pretty much like-for-like with King. Why didn’t he come on?

The third goal was a shambles, too, and Csaba has a big job on to get his side ready for Friday.

It was a cracking game on Tuesday so, hopefully, we’ll get more of the same and if United get the first goal then it’s game on again.

Let’s have a repeat on Friday – without the final quarter of an hour – or else we’ll be talking Bill Murray and disappointment once again.

Csaba Laszlo looked on in dismay as his Dundee United side blew a 2-1 lead against Livingston at Tannadice.