DUNDEE UTD v ST JOHNSTONE

BY SCOTT BURNS

MICKY MELLON has joked it will be like Noah’s Ark when he moves all his extended family back up to Scotland next week.

Before that, however, he wants his newly-inherited Dundee United side to show they are very much at home when they finally dock in the Premiership and take on St Johnstone at Tannadice this afternoon.

The United boss has spent his entire senior career south of the border with a family that includes a number of animals, from horses and dogs to various other pets.

He admits it will be a major operation to get them home but his biggest challenge is making sure that United can be a major top-flight animal again by making a giant splash back where they belong.

Mellon said: “My family haven’t been up yet. They’ll all move up next week.

“It will be like Noah’s Ark with all the animals that we have! So they’ll all be up.

“We’ve got pretty much everything. We’ve got horses and dogs and all sorts. It’ll be good fun trying to get the Ark up the River Tay!

“We’re looking forward to mooring that and getting them all acquainted with their new surroundings.

“My missus is into all that – horses, etc. It’ll be great to have them up. That’s what makes it a family and a home, so we’re looking forward to it.

“We’ll be moving into our new house so we’re also looking forward to that.

“In terms of myself being in and around the city, it’s been terrific. I’ve really enjoyed it and I’ve been able to speak to a lot of the fans, socially distanced of course.

“You can see the appetite that they have to have a really strong team in the city.

“It’s important I’m out meeting them and they can get to know me as a person as well.”

The experienced Scot knows all eyes will be on his team but he is confident his players will do him and their club proud.

Although it will be different because they won’t be going into every game as favourites.

Mellon added: “I’m not thinking about what people are thinking about us.

“I believe we’ll get the best out of ourselves that we possibly can. We’ll have a great appetite to keep getting better and the games will be the answers to that.

“What people think, in terms of surprise and the rest of it,

“We’ll go into every game trying to find a way of getting a result. Being favourites and all the rest of it is for other people to decide.

“We may obviously have to adjust and adapt to certain things at times. But being