Dundee United League Cup warning

Jackie McNamara and John Rankin have both called on Dundee United to raise their game, or face a League Cup exit at Easter Road on Wednesday night.

A place in the last four awaits the winners in Edinburgh in midweek, but United won’t be going into the clash with Hibs in good form.

The Tangerines were well beaten at Inverness on Saturday, with Tannadice manager McNamara bemoaning the breakdown of their trademark passing football.

He pointed out: “It’s a cup tie and a chance to get to a semi-final, but if we play like that we’ll be out the cup.”

Midfielder Rankin believes now is the time for he and his team-mates to show their mettle.

“At this stage we need characters,” he insisted.

“I don’t care if you’re 19, 20, or in my case, 31, we need to stand up and be counted. Every one of us.

“We have to look at ourselves in the mirror over the next 24 hours, put it to bed, and then come in on Monday and prepare for a cup quarter-final.

“We want to be playing in another semi-final and if we do we need to get back to the standards that we were way, way off today.

“Hibs have been doing well of late, but we have to concentrate on ourselves.”