The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Laszlo wants Terrors to keep their concentration
Dundee United boss Csaba Laszlo is looking for a full 90-minute performance from his team when they travel north to face Elgin City tomorrow in their final Betfred group stage match.
The game is a dead rubber for the Tangerines after they failed to win their three previous matches in the competition.
The manager though insists there is still plenty to be positive about — especially if his side concentrate fully until the final whistle.
Laszlo said: “Unfortunately, a football match is always 90 minutes. If we’d played 80 minutes we are the winners. It sounds stupid but it is true.
“Against Arbroath after 82 minutes if we shoot the ball out we keep the score 1-0, but we didn’t and lost a goal.
“In the next game (Ross County) for 80 minutes we made a good game, and if we score from our penalty we win.
“We don’t score from the penalty, then they score and win, but we had played a good game. Then we controlled the game against Alloa, but lost a goal, again in the last 10 minutes.
“So, everyone says we are a bad team. We are not and not everything has been bad.”
With striker Craig Curran out injured, Laszlo has handed a trial to big Austrian target man Toni Vastic.
Trialists are not allowed to play in the Betfred so unless Curran makes a recovery, then the manager may have to go with a makeshift strike force once more.
He added: “We will mix, keep the ball down and try to kick the long ball as well, but just the long balls will not be enough.
“With Craig Curran injured we have had to use Paul Mcmullan as a No 9, up beside Nicky Clark, sometimes.
“Paul is more of a winger and we cannot give him high balls and expect him to win headers.”
Meanwhile Morton — managed by former United boss Ray Mckinnon — have cancelled Tuesday’s friendly against Premier League new boys Cardiff after seeing their squad “decimated” by injuries, with Chris Millar, Kerr Waddell, Denny Johnstone and Robert Thomson all struggling.