Butcher turns up title heat
DUNDEE UNITED midfielder Calum Butcher has challenged his team-mates to turn the heat up on Ross County and see if they wilt.
A victory for the Highland side at Tannadice on Tuesday night would have left them 14 points clear at the top of the Championship with eight games remaining.
But Butcher’s early header saw United cut the gap to eight to ensure the team co-managed by Stuart Kettlewell and Steven Ferguson don’t have one foot in the Premiership just yet.
While County are in action in the Challenge Cup final against Connah’s Quay Nomads on Saturday, United will be hosting Alloa in the league before visiting Dunfermline for a rearranged match three days later.
That means by the time the Dingwall side resume league action away to Alloa a week on Saturday, the gap could be down to two points.
Should that happen, Butcher would love to be a fly on the wall in the Staggies’ changing room.
‘Tuesday night against Ross County was a massive win for us,’ he said. ‘We needed those three points and now we have two more games before they play again in the league.
‘We can put massive pressure on them. If we can get it down to two points, I wouldn’t like to be in their dressing room.
‘They would have games in hand but that doesn’t mean anything. You still have to go and win them.
‘Right now, the pressure is on us. We have to win these two games to put the pressure on them.’
Butcher found himself in a similar position to County when he played for Burton Albion in 2015-16.
Pursued by a chasing pack in English League One, Burton ultimately won promotion by a point.
They may have succeeded in their quest but Butcher recalls the teams below them getting into their heads during the run-in.
‘We were clutching on in the end and the pressure was always there. We had games in hand and Walsall were chasing us. It was hard,’ he said.
‘You are looking for the opposition’s results and constantly thinking about it. People are also texting you results and everyone is talking about it.
‘It builds the pressure on a team when someone is coming after you.
‘Tuesday was a big blow for Ross County because they would have been wanting to wrap up (the title) but we stopped it happening.
‘It was a must-win game but we won it. Now every match is must-win.’
After beating the league leaders, Butcher warned against any complacency ahead of hosting the league’s bottom side on Saturday.
He said: ‘Alloa will be a totally different challenge. In some ways, the two games coming up are even tougher than the County one.
‘Teams might come here and sit in against us, so we will have to find a way to deal with that.’
County goalkeeper Scott Fox knows his side remain in pole position to reach the top flight. But he urged his team-mates to get over their Tannadice disappointment by winning the Challenge Cup then wrapping up promotion early.
‘It’s a bit raw but we will regroup and be ready for the final,’ he said.
‘This is the end you want to be at in the league. But you don’t want it going to the wire. We won’t be taking our foot off the pedal.’
Meanwhile, Dundee United boss Robbie Neilson is facing a dugout ban after being charged with misconduct by the SFA.
The Notice of Complaint is in relation to the defeat at Partick Thistle on March 9 when Neilson was sent to the stand by referee Alan Newlands during the half-time interval.
Neilson has until tomorrow to respond to the SFA and his hearing date has been set for April 11.