Squad improvement is key for United boss

McKinnon planning talks with chairman as he bids to win title next season

Manager Ray McKinnon will take his time, regroup and try to get Dundee United up next season.

The Tannadice boss felt his players just ran out of energy as they lost the Premiership play-off final to Hamilton Accies on a devastating day for the club.

Somehow, McKinnon has to find the appetite and enthusiasm for another campaign down in the second tier of Scottish football. He said: “We go again in the summer. “I’ll sit down with the chairman Stephen Thompson and we’ll take it from there. We want to improve the squad – that is a must.

“I’ve used the same team for the last eight games and it was a game too far.

“We will take stock and not make any rash decisions. We need to use this as a motivation and learn so we are in a position to win the title next season.

“It’s an absolute must that we invest in the squad because we were light today and that cost us.

“Celtic were so fresh against Aberdeen and it was a bit similar today, not that Hamilton were much better than us. We will put this experience to good use.

“We now know we can rely on some players to come through this experience and get out of this league next season.”

McKinnon painted a picture of exhausted and distraught players sitting in the dressing room. He said: “We are all feeling very flat. I don’t know the right word but it’s a deflated feeling.

“I couldn’t have asked for any more from my players. They have given everything. I can never fault their effort or their desire.

“I just felt at half time they were starting to flag a bit. The six games caught up with them effectively.

“We didn’t have that spark or drive and looked like a team which was hanging in there with the energy levels being down.

“I thought the start was good but I saw them getting fatigued and it was hard to watch as they can do so much better.

“I knew then that one goal would win it and unfortunately it went to Hamilton and we are absolutely devastated.”

Meanwhile, it was a totally different story for the Hamilton players.

Dougie Imrie, who got through the game while suffering from a rib injury, said: “We are absolutely delighted. I thought we were the better team over the two games so deserve to stay in the league.

“Credit to United and especially their keeper Cammy Bell, who pulled off some great saves over the two legs, but the better team went through.

“People keep saying we’re going to get relegated but we prove them wrong, although I’m sure people will still tip us again next year. “You can see the spirit we have here. “I played through the injury but the adrenalin gets you through.

“I’ve been in a lot of pain and popped a lot of pills, but it’s worth it to be playing in the Premiership next season.

“I got done by the young boy (Blair) Spittal fairly early on and at that time I couldn’t breathe and thought I was done, but adrenalin got me through it.”

Accies boss Martin Canning said: “It was a strange game because you wonder if you should celebrate doing what you set out to do. “But then the emotions come into it. “We always get written off and you can sort of understand it when you look at the budget and the size of the club.

“This is the first time ever Hamilton has been in the top league for four years in a row, so we’ve made a bit of history.

“I thought we deserved it and deserved to win the other night as well.

“People talked about United’s penalty but I felt we had a lot of chances last week as well.

“There was a lot riding on this game and thankfully for us we managed to win and stay up.”

I’ve used the same team for the last eight games and it was a game too far. We will take stock and not make any rash decisions... it’s an absolute must that we invest in the squad. RAY MCKINNON