Dillon: We are United behind the new boss
FOR much of 2015, Dundee United have done anything but l i ve up to t heir name.
With discord between fans and the club hierarchy, a sacked manager, and a team toiling at the foot of the Premiership, unity has been in scant supply around Tannadice.
However, as chairman Stephen Thompson put it earlier this week, the hope is that there can now be a ‘fresh start’.
Mixu Paatelainen will be in the technical area for the visit of Hearts tomorrow, having been confirmed as Jackie McNamara’s successor. A winning debut would obviously be the best possible way to point towards a brighter and more harmonious future.
McNamara’s reign could not survive the turbulence. Off the field, supporter anger over the exits of Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay- Steven to Celtic was exacerbated when it emerged McNamara was due a share of player sales as part of his contract.
On the field, results continued to nosedive. The final months of last season were mostly a trial. The new campaign has seen United take just five points from their opening 10 league matches.
Paatel a i nen has al r e a dy demanded a tougher approach from the squad to haul themselves clear of a potential relegation battle. And captain Sean Dillon (below) knows they must deliver.
‘ I have taken a break off Twitter,’ admitted the Irish defender, r eflecting on t he rancour of recent months.
‘You bump into people who have an opinion of what has gone on but, as a player, you just have to get on with it. It would be good if everybody agreed, but that is never going to be the case.
‘Regardless of any decision the chairman makes, he will not keep everybody happy. We want the fans to back us. It is hard to criticise them because they have still come out in their numbers.
‘I hope we can get a good crowd for Mixu and (assistant) Gordon (Young) and that we can give the fans a win to go home with.
‘We have only had one win this season and we are desperate to win — like any game, regardless of whether or not we have a new manager.
‘We don’t want to be where we are at the moment and the manager will feel the same. We want to start climbing and, hopefully, that will start on Sunday.’
Paatelainen’s success at Kilmarnock was underpinned by a very attractive, fluent style of football. Yet, the Finn knows t hat his new side’s position at present will need a different starting point.
The Tannadi ce squad is hardly short of technical talents. Whether they have the durability required to turn around their fortunes is the question.
Dillon admits that all United’s players must now work tirelessly to prove their worth to Paatelainen.
‘You are always going to get a mix of emotions,’ he added. ‘If you are playing under a manager and he gets the sack, you are going to be uncertain whether the next guy is going to want you in his team. We just have to buy into what the new manager wants and then we have to work our backsides off for him. You have to give him everything.
‘His message is that we need to be more solid. He has seen some of the goals we have conceded and that is an issue — but it has been an issue for a while.
‘He will be looking to put that right so we can stop conceding the sort of goals we have been.
‘We have done some work on the training field. It was good and he made it clear what he wanted. He spoke very well. He definitely had the respect of the lads.’
Paatelainen’s opposite number, Robbie Neilson, may have his Hearts side riding high in third spot in the Premiership, but he is still keen to get out of a rut which has seen the Jambos fail to win a league fixture since August 22.
And he is acutely aware of the danger posed by a United side buoyed by the arrival of the former Hibs player and manager.
‘I am expecting a reaction with Mixu coming in,’ said Neilson. ‘ He’s got a good record in Scotland with Kilmarnock and he’s talking about making sure he avoids relegation, so I expect United to defend well and be hard to break down. You always get a lift when a new manager comes in because it wipes the slate clean.
‘People who haven’t been in the picture for three months think they’ve got a chance, so they all start working hard in training.
‘I’m hopeful Mixu hasn’t had enough time to really work his squad that well and we can still take advantage of it. I expect them to pick up i n the long-term, though.’ Neilson was short and to the point over the surprise departure this week of Under-20s coach Jack Ross, whose role was seen as a potential pathway to head coach. Hearts are on the hunt for his successor after the ex- Dumbarton assistant manager left the club. Asked whether Ross’ exit was a decision based on football, Neilson simply replied: ‘It was a club decision. The club have made a statement and I don’t want to add to that.’