The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Dundee United confident in spite of upheaval
Playmaker feels caretaker boss and backroom team deserve credit
Scott Fraser has praised caretaker coach Laurie Ellis and his backroom team for guiding the players through the club’s managerial upheaval.
Ellis, who was in the dugout for last weekend’s win at Dumbarton, will take the team again today when the Tangerines welcome Championship leaders St Mirren to Tannadice.
Some fans may be concerned that being without a permanent boss for so long – it’s just under a fortnight since news of Ray McKinnon’s departure broke – would be damaging to the players going into such a crucial league clash.
However, midfielder Fraser insisted they are ready and that’s down to Ellis and fellow coaches Dave Bowman and Stuart Garden.
The playmaker, who was in superb form against the Sons, said: “We have had meetings with Laurie and the other coaches and they have been great throughout.
“Laurie, Bow and Stuart are familiar faces around the place so that has helped with continuity.
“They haven’t changed much, although Laurie has been putting his ideas across and you saw examples of that last Saturday against Dumbarton.
“So I think they have done a good job in helping the boys just forget about everything.
“It has been as normal as it can be under the circumstances.
“Obviously, it hasn’t been a nice situation with the manager leaving.
“But Laurie, Bow and Stuart have kept the spirits up.
“The training sessions have been lively and of a good standard.
“I think they should take a lot of credit for that. They have made us feel at ease.
“So we go into what is a massive match full of confidence that we can win the game.
“There will be no excuses for us because we have had a good build-up thanks to Laurie and the others.
“You saw on Saturday how well we were set up and how we moved the ball.
“So with a full week’s training behind us we will go into the game believing we can win it.”
Despite all that, Fraser admitted that the players have been keen to get the matter resolved.
“It is only human nature to wonder what is happening,” he added.
“However, we only see what everybody else sees as far as the speculation is concerned.
“I think we have had three or four different favourites over the last week so we don’t really know what is going on.
“Laurie will be taking the team for the game, which is fine by us because we
have had a full week with him preparing for St Mirren.
“The build-up has been about how he wants to play so we will be ready.
“United is a massive club when you consider things like the training facilities, the stadium and the fanbase.
“Everything is there in place for the new manager coming in.
“I also think Ray McKinnon put together a very good squad, although we players let him down.
“Whoever comes in next has a good group to work with.”
Perhaps lost in all the managerial stuff is the fact that United will draw level with the league-leading Buddies if they can beat them this afternoon.
Fraser said: “I think a lot of the boys were surprised when the gaffer did go because we were only five points behind St Mirren at the time.
“Now that gap is down to three so we can catch them by beating them.
“In football, one result can change the mood and we got a good one last Saturday. “So it has been upbeat.” Fraser revealed that he came out unscathed and brimming with confidence from the 2-0 victory at Dumbarton.
He said: “That was the first time since March that I have gone into a game feeling no pain in my foot.
“I had been taking painkillers before in games and probably shouldn’t have been playing.
“This was much better and the rest that I had – touch wood – seems to have done me the world of good.”