Utd boss pleased with strong start

DUNDEE United manager Robbie Neilson insists he is happy with the start they have made despite Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Ayr United.

The Honest Men inflicted United’s first league loss of the season at Somerset Park with an impressive display.

The three points pulled Ayr level with United at the top of the table, with both sides winning four of their opening five matches.

And boss Robbie believes that is good form, however you dress it up, as the Terrors attempt to get back to winning ways against Arbroath at Tannadice this weekend.

“We know it’s going to be a hard league but, let’s be honest, we’re sitting top of the league and you’ve got to be happy with that,” he said.

“If we’d lost the first game of the season and were sitting here after four wins, I think it would be a different atmosphere and the questioning would be different as well.

“We have to make sure we win against Arbroath on Saturday.”

A lot of the spotlight before the Ayr clash was on Tangerines star striker Lawrence Shankland.

Returning to his former club, the 24-year-old endured a tough afternoon.

And his manager puts that down to a lack of quality service into the marksman.

“His service wasn’t good enough,” Robbie added.

“At the end of the day, Lawrence is a central player and you have to supply him by putting passes and crosses into him.

“We didn’t do that on Saturday and it wasn’t until we came in at half-time and had a chat that we got things moving second half.

“We started the second period like the team we are.

“I thought, in the second half, we were far better and if we want to try to win a league we have to perform like we did in the second half for 90 minutes.”

New signing Troy Brown made his United debut at centre-half in the encounter.

Lacking match sharpness due to not being able to turn out for troubled Bury at the start of the term, Robbie expects more to come from Brown.

“He’s not played for eight weeks so we just felt we need to get him game time.

“We weren’t sure if we’d start him but he got 60 minutes and we’re hoping this will be good for him with a view to Arbroath.”

Dundee United boss Robbie Neilson (right) was pleased to get new signing Troy Brown some game time.