The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Striker stays relaxed over push for title
DUNDEE UNITED: Shankland points to healthy gap at top
Star striker Lawrence Shankland has assured Dundee
United fans there is no need to worry.
A form dip has seen the Championship leaders win just one of their last eight matches in league and cup, but the Tangerines still hold a 16-point lead over second-placed Inverness.
Shankland, who will be in his usual place for the home game against Partick Thistle today, said: “If anyone had, at the start of the season, offered us this gap with nine games left we would have snapped their hand off.
“We are where we are on merit and it’s just about getting back to winning games now.
“The last few weeks have been a bit frustrating but it’s not as though we have been losing loads of matches.
“There is no need to be too worried and get down about it.”
Lawrence Shankland is keeping calm and carrying on as Dundee United aim to get out of their recent form slump.
The prolific goalscorer, never one to look worried about anything, has two massive targets he wants to hit before the end of the season – clinching promotion and qualifying for the Euros.
Shankland’s immediate priority is his club, and he will be in his usual place in the Tannadice attack when Partick Thistle visit the Championship leaders this afternoon.
However, he would not be human if he didn’t, just for a second or two, look ahead to Scotland’s bid to reach their first major finals in 22 years.
Happily, he can combine his domestic and international hopes and dreams.
With the announcement of the national squad for the forthcoming playoff semi-final against Israel at Hampden looming, Shankland knows that scoring for United is the best way of staying in Scots boss Steve Clarke’s thoughts.
He failed to find the target in the Tangerines’ last two away games against Dunfermline and Ayr United – the former a 2-0 loss and the latter a goalless draw – but did grab the headlines with a superb winning strike when United last played at home, against Inverness 15 days ago.
Robbie Neilson’s men could certainly do with the help of their star man to climb out of a form dip that has seen them win just one of their last eight matches in league and cup.
The sole victory was, of course, the one they really wanted – against ICT.
However, since then the Highlanders have won two league fixtures to reduce United’s advantage at the top to 16 points.
There is no sign that supercool Shankland, who is relaxed about most things, is beginning to look over his shoulder at Inverness or any of the other club below them.
The United striker said: “If anyone had, at the start of the season, offered us this gap with nine games left we would have snapped their hand off.
“We are where we are on merit and it’s just about getting back to winning games now.
“The last few weeks have been a bit frustrating but it’s not as though we have been losing loads of matches.
“We have had a few draws and, while that hasn’t been ideal, we are still getting points on the board.
“It also means there are fewer games the teams below have in order to catch us.
“There is no need to be too worried and get down about it.
“When you have been out in front for as long as we have it gets magnified, and when you had a winning run like we were on people look at it.
“But if you space out the draws we have had over the season, it is still a good record.
“We have a healthy gap at the top of the league and we have earned it.
“Overall, we are in a good position with nine games to go.”
Today’s visitors Partick, of course, would give their eye teeth to be anywhere near where United find themselves.
Instead, the Jags sit rock bottom of the Championship in serious threat of automatic relegation to League One.
The expected improvement under manager Ian McCall, who moved to Firhill from Ayr, hasn’t materialised.
McCall is a man Shankland knows extremely well, having worked with him at Somerset Park.
The Tangerines frontman said: “Partick were in a tough position when he went there, but maybe he thought he had taken Ayr as far as he could.
“He obviously felt it was the right thing to do, and now his players have to start producing for him.
“I don’t know what their players are like and you can’t judge when you are not in the dressing-room.
“Sometimes managers get a bounce and sometimes they don’t.
“But they are not a million miles away from the safety zone, and everyone from fifth spot down can get sucked into the battle down there.
“He’s a good manager and he loves coming to places like Tannadice.
“They gave us a very good game here earlier in the season. It was tough, and it will be tough again.
“But we can’t let ourselves think about other teams. We have to focus on ourselves and getting back to winning ways.
“We have nine games left and, if we keep picking up points, I’m sure we will get over the line.”
McCall has told his Thistle squad they cannot afford to be intimidated by the runaway leaders today.
The former United boss – who welcomes Zak Rudden back for the trip – told the Thistle website: “We have to go into it with a positive mindset because we need to pick up points.
“We don’t blame anybody else for that. It’s the position we’ve put ourselves in.
“We won’t get as many chances up there as we did on Tuesday during our goalless draw with Queen of the South, so we have to make sure we take them when they come.”