The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Midfielder’s work rate hailed by McKinnon
Boss says Scott Fraser moving in right direction
Dundee United boss Ray McKinnon has praised Scott Fraser for a renewed work ethic that is bringing rich rewards for the player and his team.
There have never been any doubts over the talented midfielder’s ability, but his desire to carry out the more mundane tasks has been called into question.
However, McKinnon – an accomplished midfielder in his playing days – has made sure Fraser understands what it takes to become a complete player.
That chat seems to have had the desired effect, with the 21-year-old – who scored one of United’s two goals in Saturday’s win over St Mirren – being a star performer recently.
McKinnon said: “Scott’s been excellent in the last few games, and it was a great finish to a very good move.
“He put in a lot of good work and I thought he was outstanding.
“He had to take a wee spell out of the team to understand what’s needed to be a midfield player at this club, like work-rate.
“We had a good chat, just about where his career could go or not go. It’s about learning the game. That’s what we spoke about, and that’s the biggest thing for him: to continue learning.”
McKinnon added: “He’s got to learn positional sense, but I’m happy to say his work rate has improved.
“On the ball he’s unbelievable at carrying it, but there obviously has to be an end product as well. There are wee things he has to iron out.
“If he can do that, he has the potential to become a right good player.
“We just need to make sure we keep moving him in the right direction.
“To be fair to him, he’s really nailed it and the challenge for him now is to keep it all going.”