The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
COURTS IN PUSH FOR PLAYERS TO STEP IT UP
Dundee United manager Tam Courts has asked his squad for a big push ahead of the winter break while recognising he has already made big demands on them.
United have only won once in seven matches ahead of today’s visit of Livingston but still sit in fourth place in the cinch Premiership table.
United were without the likes of Scott McMann, Dylan Levitt, Liam Smith and Marc McNulty for last weekend’s 3-0 defeat by Celtic and subsequently lost Calum Butcher to a three-match suspension.
Levitt is back in full training, but today may come too soon and Courts has taken the chance to remind his players of the progress they made in the early part of the season as they look to rediscover their form.
Courts told DUTV: “It’s been great this week, it’s been a real chance to reflect, have some conversations with the players, set some targets for the next couple of weeks, because it’s a really important period for us.
“We are sitting fourth, we want to stay up the top end of the league, we want to keep chasing, keep pushing. There is an acceptance that we are relying on a small group of players just now, but that’s exciting.
“We have players close to returning from injury and there’s a collective feeling that we want to get back to winning ways and perform to a higher standard than we have done recently.”
Courts acknowledged a dip in form may happen given the absence of experienced players and sought to reassure his squad.
“It’s probably refocusing, letting the players know that we really value what they have done to this point,” he said.
“They have served the club really, really well both in terms of style of play and results, and they have had a lot of interest as a result of that, and rightly so.”
United are hoping to be backed by 4,000 fans for the New Year derby at Dens Park on January 2.
The club will put the briefs, priced at up to £30, on sale to season ticket holders on Thursday and Friday. Any remaining tickets will then be put to a public sale on Saturday December 18.