Dundee United boss determined to prove to fans revival is real deal

Neilson is looking to build on momentum and put a marker down in Dingwall

The Robbie Revival goes on, but there are still Dundee United fans who need to be convinced that this is the real deal.

That is the opinion of boss Robbie Neilson, the man who looks capable of saving their season and turning the Tangerines into serious contenders for the Championship title.

The dark days under predecessor Csaba Laszlo have ensured there is still a considerable amount of work to do in the two-thirds of the campaign that remain.

Twelve games in, United sit seven points adrift of leaders Ayr United and four behind second-placed Ross County.

They can get to within a point of the Staggies with a victory in Dingwall on Saturday, and you wouldn’t bet against that considering the momentum they are carrying under Neilson.

So it is all moving in the right direction and there was a decent attendance of 5,171 to see them beat Queen of the South 2-0 at Tannadice on Saturday.

The pre-match talk had been of would-be American investors being at the game.

But as soon as it kicked off it was all about the players, who looked like they were enjoying themselves as they pinged the ball around the park.

They scored early – three minutes to be precise – and it was another excellent headed goal from Slovakian striker Pavol Safranko, who converted a cross from the right delivered by Fraser Aird.

The second, clinching counter didn’t arrive until the 80th minute and it was a strange one. United full-back Stewart Murdoch played the ball forward and Queens player Michael Doyle got into a panic when hassled by Paul McMullan and passed back into his own net.

McMullan joked that he was claiming it, saying: “I’m going to go on the record and say it was mine and hope that it circles around the media! Nah, I didn’t touch it. It was an own goal.”

That made it three wins and a draw for Neilson but the United manager believes there are some supporters, perhaps worn down by too many false dawns, who remain to be convinced.

Neilson said: “I am pleased because it was another good result.

“It was very important for us to get our first win at home (under his management).

“We got really good support from the fans, which I thought was great.

“There was the flag display and they came out in their numbers to back us,” he said.

“It is important that we continue to build on that and get people coming back to the ground.

“There are still a lot of people who are unsure if this is the turning point for us or not.

“The people who were here will be telling them that we got a good result but also a good performance, so hopefully we will get more people coming.

“We need the fans to keep backing us the way they are doing.

“The players are coming out and seeing the support they are getting and it is making a massive difference.

“Also, we went 1-0 up but there was a wee period in the second half when we were under some pressure and the supporters backed us then.

“That helps you get through and then you can go on and get the second goal and everyone starts relaxing.”

Now the attention turns to the visit to the Highlands this coming weekend.

The manager revealed he has been backed by chairman Mike Martin and the board, who have granted his request for an overnight stay on Friday so that the players are well rested before facing County.

Neilson added: “It is a big game in this league.

“We can put a stamp and marker down.

“Obviously, County beat us 5-1 not that long ago but things have changed since then.

“There is now an opportunity for us to go up there and show that we mean business.

“It will be another hard game because County are one of the teams that have been on fire at the start of the season, along with Ayr.

“They have had a wee blip with two draws but that happens in this league.

“They will take confidence from the performance they had here against us and think they can turn us over.

“So we need to go up there and play well. We will prepare right and stay over on the Friday night. The chairman has been great in funding that because I think it is very important to approach this game in as professional a manner as possible.”

Neilson expects both Frederic Frans, who pulled up during the warm-up with a calf injury, and Callum Booth (tight hamstring) to be fit for Saturday.

Queens boss Gary Naysmith wasn’t happy with his side’s defending at both goals.

He said: “We made such a poor start. “We spoke to the players about the first 20 minutes being important because United had built up momentum over the last couple of weeks, but we lost a really poor goal.

“It was just a floaty cross into the six-yard box and the guy has got a free header. So I was really disappointed with that, and then you worry a wee bit.

“You have to see how your players are going to react in front of a decent crowd against a team playing with confidence.

“They pinned us back but they didn’t really create a lot of chances after that in the first half.

“We dug in, got to half-time then changed it a wee bit.

“I actually thought in the second half that it was us who had more of the halfchances.

“However, just as we really tried to go attacking by putting Gary (sub Harkins) up there with Dykes and Dobbie behind him, we shot ourselves in the foot with a nonsense goal, really.

“The game was finished then.”

“It is important that we continue to build on that and get people coming back to the ground. ROBBIE NEILSON