Tangerines boss voices frustration over break

DUNDEE UNITED: Weekend off ‘not ideal’ as Neilson looks to maintain league momentum

Dundee United boss Robbie Neilson admits it isn’t ideal having more than a fortnight between fixtures.

The Tangerines had last weekend off after failing to get out of the Betfred Cup group stages. That has left a 15-day gap between their 2-1 win over Partick Thistle at Firhill and this Saturday’s trip to Dunfermline.

While the Tannadice men were resting, the Pars were boosting their morale by taking Celtic to extra-time at Parkhead in the cup.

That is not the best-case scenario for a United team looking to maintain momentum in the Championship after starting with a perfect six points from their opening games against Inverness Caley Thistle and the Jags.

Neilson isn’t over-egging it but conceded: “Ideally we would have liked to have played right through but it is what it is.

“You go so many games right at the start of the season with the Betfred, then the league and then you great a break.”

Blade Thomson has been given a chance to impress as he makes his debut at No 8 in a Scotland rugby side showing 14 changes for Saturday’s return game with France at Murrayfield. See page 46.

“We trained quite hard last week and then gave them two days off and got back at it again,” added the manager.

“The break wasn’t ideal but it was a chance for us to get some of the boys fit, get them back and ready to go.

“I would have liked to have kept going because we’ve had a decent start to the season and have two big games coming up (the Pars away then a home Dundee derby).”

Neilson made good use of his time, travelling to the east end of Glasgow to watch this weekend’s opponents scare Celtic.

He added: “I went down to Parkhead to watch Dunfermline.

“I thought they did very well and they were very unlucky not to get through.

“It was a good chance to see them but I think they will be a wee bit different, the way they play against us.

“They were very defensive, sat in and did really well but I would expect them at home to be a bit more open.”