The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Livingston can expect different United this time around
Winger believes new, improved home side will await Tannadice visitors
Livingston will face a new, improved version of Dundee United today, according to winger Billy King.
The Tangerines slumped to a dire defeat at the Tony Macaroni Arena back in October, which proved to be manager Ray Mckinnon’s penultimate match in charge.
That 2-0 loss came as a real blow to United but King feels Livi will find it’s a different story when this afternoon’s Championship clash kicks off at Tannadice.
“We are a much better team now compared to when we played Livingston the last time,” declared King.
“We have changed a lot.
“The new manager Csaba Laszlo has come in and we also have players back from injury now as well.
“I think we will be a totally different proposition.
“We have been working hard to develop a style to enable us to win more games.
“We try to dominate the ball – that’s our approach to every game – and we are passing through teams at the moment.
“So I definitely think this United team will be a completely different one to the last time we played them.
“Obviously they beat us that day and it was a low point in our season but we have our confidence back now.
“We have been on a good run under the new gaffer and we haven’t lost a league game since he arrived at the club.
“I think we are in a much better place now, the squad is stronger and the team is a lot more settled.
“We are clear in how we want to play, we know when to build it from the back and what areas we want to be playing in.
“There is clarity and a strategy now and the lads are showing we are capable of carrying out the manager’s instructions.”
That doesn’t mean, of course, that the Tangerines will be taking the three points for granted.
King added: “Even though we have improved it won’t be easy.
“Livingston are a very well-drilled team.
“They all know their jobs and they proved against us the last time what they are capable of.
“They will come to Tannadice with confidence knowing they beat us the last time so we have to make sure that was a one-off.
“We know what is there for us to achieve but the run of games we have is difficult.”
Indeed, after the Livi match United head to Paisley to play current league leaders St Mirren on Friday.
If you have your glass half-full, though, that provides a golden opportunity to go back top.
King said: “At the moment we are not really looking at the table and trying to see where we can go.
“It’s all about winning the game in front of you and if you do that then start to look at the next one.
“I don’t know if the manager is looking ahead but I don’t think he is because the focus every day is simply on the next match we are playing.”
United, of course, should be pretty rested after getting the second half against Queen of the South off after their plastic pitch froze over.
King is now hoping to take out the frustration caused by that shock abandonment on Livi.
He said: “Last weekend was a weird one because when we were travelling down there we didn’t have any feeling the game could have been called off.
“Obviously the pitch wasn’t great but it wasn’t really until the ref pulled the gaffer into his changing-room at halftime we thought it might be abandoned.
“The pitch was fine to start with but the temperature dropped and there was ice forming on the top of it again.
“It wasn’t really until we went back out to clap the fans that we saw how much it had deteriorated so you can’t really argue with the decision.
“It was frustrating because I felt we were playing really well and were dominating the game.
“When you start a game you want to get it finished, especially when you are playing the way we were.
“But it’s just one of those things. “We have other matches to focus on now and we will head back there later in the season to play it again.”