Dundee United manager Peter Houston believes defeat to Aberdeen can provide the spark to light up their season finale.
The Tangerines had been the SPL’s in-form side until they lost on Saturday. That 3-1 setback meant they dropped back into fifth spot in the table and now sit a point behind St Johnstone, against whom they kick off the final set of matches at McDiarmid Park on April 21.
Houston would have loved to have kept their winning run going to boost their quest for European qualification but he was still able to accentuate the positive as he assessed his team’s readiness for the challenges that lie ahead.
”I think it may not a bad thing in the long run,” said the Tannadice boss of the Aberdeen result. ”It is perhaps the kick up the backside we needed ahead of what will be a big game against St Johnstone a week on Saturday.
”I look back at the first half against Hibs when we never played well but were great in the second. Then in the first half against Dunfermline when we were not that good again but the players woke up again. So there have been warning signs there. I guess as long as the team is winning you put it to the back of your mind.
”It is a lesson but I know the character and attitude of the players is bang on so I do expect the right reaction from them against St Johnstone.
”It was a day when things didn’t come off for us but it’s very hard to criticise these players. As Jon Daly said after the game, we had seven or eight players just not at it, whereas they normally are, but you are not going to win every week.
”We are disappointed because we got ourselves back in the game at 1-1, but fair play to Aberdeen.”
While there is no game this weekend, United’s players were still in early for training at St Andrews on Monday. But they will be heading for the fairways today for a change of sport.
”We will be getting everyone together for a golf day the players and the staff,” said Houston. ”That will be enjoyable and will give us a chance to regroup and get Saturday’s result out of the system.
”We have five cup finals coming up between now and the end of the season. They are all big matches for the club.
”They are one-off games and we have to be looking at winning as many as we possibly can if we hope to get near Motherwell and stop the likes of Hearts overtaking us.
”There is plenty to play for and to be involved in something like this at this late in the season is much preferable to having not a lot to play for.”