Mckinnon poised for Tannadice exit door UNITED:

Board decide to act as Tangerines slip five points behind leaders after ICT loss

Dundee United have started the search for a new manager after the decision was taken to part company with Ray Mckinnon.

While there has been no official confirmation from the Tannadice club as yet, Courier Sport understands that the 2-0 home loss to Inverness Caley Thistle on Saturday was Mckinnon’s last in charge.

The result saw fourth-placed United slip five points behind Championship leaders St Mirren after suffering consecutive defeats to Livingston and the Highlanders.

Following the ICT game, directors gathered to discuss the situation and came to the conclusion that change was necessary. That message has now been passed on to Mckinnon.

Time to go through a lengthy recruitment process is not a luxury United can afford given their desperate need to stay in touch in the title race.

The board will try to act quickly and, ideally, someone will be in position ahead of Saturday’s visit to Dumbarton and be able to hit the ground running.

The leading contender would appear to be former United striker Jim Mcintyre, who was sacked by Ross County along with assistant Billy Dodds a month ago.

Scottish Cup-winning manager Peter Houston is also available after leaving Falkirk but may not fancy the challenge of a second stint at Tannadice.

Dundee United captain Willo Flood felt Ray Mckinnon was still the right man to guide the club back to the Premiership.

The 2-0 reverse at home on Saturday to Inverness appears to have been Mckinnon’s last game in charge but, despite United being woeful against John Robertson’s side, Flood would have liked him to have been given the chance to turn things around.

Speaking before it became apparent that Mckinnon’s departure was imminent, Flood said: “The manager is Dundee United through and through.

“He gives everything. The players want him to stay because he’s a top fella as well.

“Results aren’t going our way at the moment but I’ve been in this game long enough to know how quickly things can change. We need to stick together and become a group again.”

Flood admitted that, with so much at stake for United this season, every defeat takes on added significance.

He said: “I think some of the boys maybe thought Dundee United were going to dominate games this season and it was going to be easy but it’s not going to be like that.

“When you lose one or two games in this division, it’s magnified because a club this size is in the Championship.

“I’ve been on many a bad run with United in the Premiership when we’ve lost to Rangers, Celtic and Hearts.

“And because you’re losing to big teams people don’t really go on about it.

“This season is magnified, though, because we’re losing against teams in the Championship which isn’t good enough for this club. The Dumbarton game coming up is now massive. We need to get this club back to having a heart.

“That was the biggest thing for me which we lacked against Inverness. We need to get that going when we go to Dumbarton.”

Saturday’s display in defeat really was a painful watch for everyone of a tangerine persuasion.

Inverness had a gilt-edged opportunity in just the fifth minute. The excellent Liam Polworth swung in a free-kick from the right and Carl Tremarco found space and time in the home box but he directed his header straight at Tangerines keeper Harry Lewis.

The United defence was posted missing in action again shortly after when Polworth flighted in a corner from the right and John Baird sent a free header over the bar.

Mckinnon’s men had their first chance of the match in the 17th minute when James Keatings hit a 20-yard free-kick which Inverness keeper Mark Ridgers acrobatically palmed away for a corner.

However, it was Caley who took the lead in the 28th minute. Polworth again sent in a corner from the right and Flood attempted to clear the ball. He only found Iain Vigurs, however, and the Caley player hit a rising shot from just inside the box past Lewis with the help of a deflection off a home defender.

The Tangerines almost replied instantly when Scott Mcdonald hit a snap shot inside the Inverness penalty area but Ridgers produced a superb save to deny the striker.

Things then went from bad to worse for the Tangerines in the 37th minute when Caley doubled their advantage.

Polworth sent Jake Mulraney scampering down the right with a great pass and he hit the byline before cutting the ball across goal to Connor Bell at the back post for a simple tap-in.

Caley had another great chance to extend their lead even further in the 56th minute when Tremarco again found space in the Tangerines box but Lewis made a vital block to keep out his shot.

On the hour mark Mckinnon withdrew Paul Mcmullan for Stewart Murdoch with defender Mark Durnan being pressed into service as a centreforward.

However, Caley continued to look comfortable in defence and dangerous on the break and successfully saw out the game to take all three points, with the final whistle being greeted with a deafening barrage of boos from the home support.

Flood admitted that after the Livingston loss, everyone had expected United to bounce back strongly against ICT but that never materialised.

He added: “The reaction from the Livingston game just didn’t happen.

“For the first 20 minutes we were on top but we didn’t score, and then we give away a poor goal which involved myself although it took a deflection as well and it ends up in the net.

“Then they score again which leaves us with a mountain to climb. It just gets worse when things aren’t going your way.”

nrobertson@thecourier.co.uk

SNS. Ray Mckinnon at Tannadice on Saturday as United slumped to another defeat.