Tangerines must ‘show more’, says McKinnon

DUNDEE UNITED: Boss admits his team were looking for leaders as gap grows to six points

Dundee United manager Ray McKinnon has backed the players who looked “lost” when they went behind to Queen of the South to find the route back to winning ways.

Two league defeats in a row would have become three had it not been for Simon Murray’s late equaliser in the 3-3 draw.

And, with Hibs now stretching six points in front at the top of the Championship and United out of form, McKinnon admitted that his team are facing a test of character. “I think it is actually,” he said. “With the last couple of games, the guys have got to show a wee bit more.

“For 25 minutes they looked a wee bit lost. They were looking for a leader. They were looking for someone else to take up the mantle and lead the way.

“When you have five, six or seven players waiting on somebody else to do it, that makes things difficult.

“It’s a wee test of character and they’ll come through this sticky patch.”

McKinnon added: “I didn’t think we were mentally at the races in the second half until Charlie Telfer, Blair Spittal and Tope came on and gave us a spark.

“It’s disappointing to eventually be happy to take a point at home.

“I could have taken seven players off and I’ve told the players that. I don’t think they could have had a complaint.

“I don’t know if they’re feeling sorry for themselves on the back of a defeat.

“They’re a good bunch and they’ll come back from this.

“We’re going through a wee sticky patch and it’s about how we bounce back.

“We’ve hit a blip. We have to handle that and keep going forward as a club.”

Getty. Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates netting Manchester United’s equaliser in the 1-1 Premier League draw with Liverpool at Old Trafford yesterday. See page 50.

Picture: SNS Group. United’s Scott Fraser battles with former Tangerines team-mate John Rankin.