Bouhenna ready for game of the season

Rachid Bouhenna has admitted that Dundee United’s clash with Ross County this weekend is their biggest game of the season so far, writes Eric Nicolson.

The Tangerines can get to within one point of their title rivals with a victory in Dingwall.

Ayr United are currently top of the Championship and aren’t showing any sign of falling away but Saturday’s Highland headto-head is a game between the two favourites to secure automatic promotion.

Bouhenna said: “The County game is very important – the most important since the start of the season because we have to win this game to get nearer to them and make up some points.”

“This is the best form we’ve been in since the start of the season and it’s very important for the confidence of the players,” added the defender.

“Everybody wants to keep this going and to keep winning. That is very important if we want to go up to the Premiership next year.”

An injury to Freddie Frans in the warm-up before Saturday’s game against Queen of the South resulted in an all-French central defensive partnership of Bouhenna and William Edjenguele.

The two had never played together, but you wouldn’t have known it from their dominant display.

Bouhenna said: “It was easy to play with William because he’s French like me. Sometimes we speak English, sometimes French.

“I thought we played well together.

“The clean sheet was very important. Against Dunfermline we did the same.

“The feeling is very good among the whole squad and you could see that on Saturday.

“William showed that every player is concentrated and that we have one objective.”

It is a sign of United’s progress that the only dropped points since Robbie Neilson took over – a draw at home to Inverness Caley Thistle – are looked upon with frustration.

Bouhenna said: “We came back strong after our previous result at home which was, I think, a bad result against Inverness.

“On Saturday it was important to take the three points and play well. We did that and now we need to keep going because it will be a hard game on Saturday.

“I can’t think of a shot on target that Queen of the South had, which shows we kept our concentration.

“Working hard to keep the ball isn’t easy either.”

Rachid Bouhenna: “We have to win this game”.