Dundee United boss Peter Houston has admitted that if financial clout was the yardstick his side would have no chance against their Europa League opponents Dinamo Moscow.
The mega-bucks Muscovites splashed the cash last season, spending 19 million euros on just one player, Hungarian winger Balazs Dzsudzsak, from Russian Premier League rivals Anzhi Makhachkala.
However, despite the yawning chasm between the respective budgets of United and Dinamo, Houston insists his players will have a real go at upsetting the odds over the two legs.
Houston said: ”We’re going up against a team with bigger and better resources that’s a fact. When you see they signed a Hungarian winger for 19 million, it shows you what we’re up against.
”But I’d rather be there than not be there. It is an adventure and we will go and do our best.
”We’ll go into the tie as underdogs. We had a good go at Slask Wroclaw last season when they came to Tannadice and I’m thinking along the same lines for this one.
”I’m looking forward to it. I don’t fear it at all and we could get a result. It’s an adventure but we’ll go and do our best and it’s 11 versus 11.”
Houston hopes to gain an insight into Dinamo with one of his backroom staff set to fly out this weekend to run the rule over them.
He said: ”There will be somebody going to watch Dinamo against Zenit St Petersburg on Sunday. It won’t be me so it will be either Paul Hegarty or someone else. That’s the plan as long as we get the visa quickly enough.
”It’s much better than just relying on DVDs and fortunately they have a league game because sometimes at this stage of the season it can be difficult. Hopefully, we will find some way in which we can upset them.”
To achieve that aim, Houston admitted that attack will be the best form of defence.
Houston said: ”If we were to sit back and try to contain them at Tannadice our fans wouldn’t have it. That’s not my style anyway. We’ll go out there and try to get something to hold on to in Russia. I don’t fear it at all and neither do the players.”
United play Alloa in another friendly tonight and Houston is also trying to fix up a game this weekend in England.
However, he admitted he already has in mind who will be in his starting XI against Dinamo next Thursday.
United are hoping to firm up details for fans hoping to travel to Moscow by the end of today.
Arbroath will host a United XI tonight in a 7.45pm kick-off. Tickets at the gate will cost £10 or £5 concessions.