‘Bigger club’ Utd need to expect sharper focus on results says Robbie

MANAGER Robbie Neilson says his players need to learn to deal with the criticism that comes with playing for a club the size of Dundee United.

The Tangerines have received some flak after recent away defeats to Ayr United, Alloa Athletic and Queen of the South and Robbie feels the size of the club only makes the focus sharper.

“It accentuates it more when you’re at a bigger club,” he said.

“When other teams go a couple of games getting beat everyone just moves on. But when you’re at a team that expects to win every week you expect some sort of criticism to come.

“We just have to deal with it.

“Every club is the same, nobody is putting together a consistent run because they’re all decent teams with good players.

“When you go to these away venues it can be tough to go and play.

“You’re playing in difficult environments but also difficult surfaces at times as well.

“You just have to try to get something out of the game and we didn’t manage that the last two games but we need to move on from that.”

As they take on Dunfermline at Tannadice on Saturday, Robbie responded to questions over whether his team has a soft centre, adding: “I don’t think there is, no.

“I think the game on Saturday, at that time and having watched it again, the ball’s j ust getting banged all over the place.

“Nobody could place anything on the surface and the pitch was one where it was difficult to put any passing together.

“I think we’ve got a good, strong team with good physicality to it.

“We’ve got boys coming back now which you’d say are key players coming into the team. It just gives us a chance to move on.”