Dundee United manager Jackie McNamara defended his team selection after watching the Tangerines slump to a second successive defeat in Sunday’s Tayside derby.
United made eight changes from the side that lost at St Mirren on Thursday but failed to bounce back as they went down 3-0 to St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.
A red card for Calum Butcher after just 20 minutes did not help the Tannadice team’s cause, although Saints’ hat-trick hero Stevie May suggested afterwards that the number of changes United made had served as inspiration to the home side.
However, McNamara stressed that most of the changes had been forced after their bruising Boxing Day encounter.
“The thinking behind it was the injuries and the fact there were a few carrying knocks, so we decided to put a few on the bench,” he said.
“Mackay-Steven and Armstrong had a fitness test, Gauld is out with his groin, Gavin Gunning is out with his knee and Keith Watson was sent off in the last game, so a lot of it was forced.
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“I think the only change that wasn’t was John Rankin for Morgaro Gomis, like-for-like, because Rankin has played a lot of games.
“With Mackay-Steven and Armstrong, it was a gamble to put them on the bench but hopefully they will be OK for Wednesday.
“It was a chance for other guys to shine but after 15 minutes it’s an uphill task if you are down to 10 men, no matter who you are playing.”
McNamara added: “It’s a hard one to judge because they might not have been playing for a good few weeks and they have to chase the game with 10 men and 1-0 down.
“I thought the effort was there but it was a frustrating game for us.I think the sending off kills us.It makes it really difficult and obviously they get the goal from the penalty, so obviously it was the turning point in the game.
“I said to the players before the game that the main threat would be balls on the corners or over the top from St Johnstone and they would have to be concentrated and switched on.
“I think the way the game was and the pitch, I didn’t think it was going to be free-flowing.
“We knew the way St Johnstone set up, the 4-5-1 if you like, there would be balls in to the area, so it’s frustrating for me that one ball over the top and we’re down to 10 men.
“It’s little things there that cost us, but it’s down to concentration.”
McNamara will have another look at the penalty incident but felt a few refereeing decisions went the way of Saints.
“Whether or not it was a sending off and the ball was going through to Rado (Cierzniak), we’ll need to have a look at that, but I was disappointed with the outcome of it,” he continued.
“Some of the decisions I thought were quite baffling, especially some of the yellow cards we received.”
On-loan striker David Goodwillie was substituted in the first half as United changed tactics following the red card, although the boss refused to be drawn on whether he will play for the Tangerines again.
Asked if it was Goodwillie’s last game, McNamara said: “It depends.“I think he’s here until the 13th, so we’ll wait and see.”
United will now have to pick themselves up for Wednesday’s visit of Aberdeen and is looking forward to playing in front of a sell-out Tannadice crowd.
“I think the crowd will get behind us and we had a good travelling support again today, as we did at the St Mirren game,” he said.
“The fans have been fantastic for us and I feel the frustrations today, especially after 15 minutes, because it’s a bit of anti-climax.”