Manager Jackie McNamara has declared that now is the time to be positive about Dundee United.
The Tangerines’ build-up to tomorrow’s Scottish Cup quarter-final against Celtic has been more rough than smooth.
On the park there was a dismal display against Partick Thistle that left many supporters wondering how their team could possibly up their game for the next three matches against the Hoops, with the last-eight fixture followed by the League Cup final at Hampden a week later and then a Premiership trip to Parkhead on the 21st.
In truth, though, it hasn’t just been about that 2-0 loss to the Jags, with the away win over Stranraer that earned this cup quarter-final and a battling draw with 10 men against Inverness Caley Thistle the only shining lights in an otherwise dark February.
United have been defeated by Kilmarnock and St Johnstone as well as Thistle and that has ensured things haven’t been rosy off the pitch either.
Those results have raised the spectre of the sale of Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven to Celtic at the end of the transfer window adversely affecting their season.
Cyber-space has hosted speculation over McNamara’s future and rumours of a rift between the manager and chairman Stephen Thompson, which were dismissed out of hand by Thompson earlier this week.
On top of all that, they had a possible two-game suspension hanging over striker Nadir Ciftci the result of a notice of complaint issued to the Turk by the SFA for alleged violent conduct against Inverness player Gary Warren.
However, the tide may just have started to turn in their favour.
Celtic, who had looked invincible, at least in domestic competition, were beaten 1-0 and deservedly so – by St Johnstone on Wednesday night.
Ciftci’s case was then found not to be proven at the Hampden hearing on Thursday, clearing him to play against the Hoops in the Scottish Cup and league, although he is still banned for the League Cup final.
Finally, McNamara yesterday moved to rubbish the speculation surrounding the club and instead replaced it with a rallying call to be positive as his players look to “make a bit of history.”
He said: “We have spoken as a group about a lot of the negativity that has been surrounding our club over the last couple of games.
“We focused on what we are doing right and how we are developing because I think sometimes that gets lost.
“We chatted about how well we have been doing overall and how hard the players have worked to get where they are now.
“Despite all the stuff that has gone on, the players have done very well.
“I think because of the two lads leaving (Mackay-Steven and Armstrong) things have escalated.
“However, we are up on last year on games won and have matched the clean sheets for all of last season.
“We had a wee spell last season when we lost a few and it’s happened again.
“So we have lost matches but St Johnstone came here and were excellent against us. We didn’t play well on the day but they were very good.
“Against Partick, it was clear that the previous game against Inverness had taken a lot out of the players after they had shown a real togetherness to fight for so long with only 10 men.
“We were poor against Partick but they were very good on the day, just like St Johnstone were.
“So we need to make sure we are together and don’t let those past games affect us.
“We now have a great opportunity to make a bit of history.”
Not one to browse the internet himself, McNamara has, however, been told some of what has been written online about himself and the club in recent weeks.
He would rather he didn’t have to bother himself with it, instead preferring to focus on playing matters.
It has clearly been a source of annoyance and frustration.
“The difference from a few years ago is that everyone can have a voice and a say on social media,” said the former Celtic and Scotland defender.
“That can go bananas, as we have seen.
“One person starts something and it becomes gospel and you then have to speak to players and reassure them that they shouldn’t believe it unless it is coming from me.
“That is the power of social media and that’s where we are.
“Everybody is reactive rather than proactive, as regards what they see on social media and forums.
“To me, it’s about us sticking together and remaining focused on football.
“Players shouldn’t believe that stuff because it is just people behind a keyboard, although it can be quite vindictive.
“I don’t read it myself and therefore I try not to let it bother me.
“I don’t see anything but I get told snippets by other people when things seem to be getting out of control.
“Then I find myself answering questions about what’s happening on the back of that.
“It is just wasted energy, to be honest.
“That’s football for you. One bad result and it’s the end of the world.
“The truth is that I am no less committed to the club now than I was when I first came in.
“Nothing will stop me from wanting to progress the club and win something here.
“It has been negative but we want to be positive.
“We have a huge game here on Sunday and then have a League Cup final to look forward to. That sounds pretty positive to me.”
McNamara was delighted with Ciftci’s not proven verdict but admitted it raised some eyebrows because of problems with previous cases involving, for example, Ciftci and Paul Paton.
The United gaffer said: “I am glad it was the right verdict and that he is OK to play.
“He has been involved in the build-up but there was uncertainty.
“So it’s good that it’s clear now and he can play on Sunday.
“He is happy because that could have been him out for the whole month of March.”
McNamara was asked if the outcome came as something of a surprise.
He replied: “Yes, but I’m not surprised because it was the right decision, it’s more a surprise because of what has happened previously.”
McNamara has sympathy for his striker but is also looking for him to steer clear of trouble on the pitch.
He added: “I think Nadir has had a hard time of it, to be honest.
“I think it stems from the Caley game (on October 29, 2013), the League Cup quarter-final up there.
“He was wrongly sent off and then there was a second charge which he was cleared of and that became a third charge which had been changed a few times. He got a two-game ban on the back of that (one held over until end of that season).
“The actual thing he got sent off wasn’t a red card and there had been a lot of fall-out from that but he has to learn to do things better as well.
“He needs to control his aggression at times.
“He does feel hard done to and the thing about Nadir is that he is a big, strong lad so if he takes a bit and gives a bit back it looks like retaliation at times.
“But that is part of his learning and he is still a young lad, having only just turned 23.
“He has to learn and use his fight and passion the right way.
“As a club we want our best players to be playing and to me Nadir, on his day, is one of the best and most talented players in Scotland. He has everything.
“There are things that are possibly lacking in his game that we are trying to get in there but maybe that is why he is in Scotland in the first place and it’s up to me as his manager to try to get those things out of his game and get him focused on what he is good at.
“The last time we played Celtic, he was influential in our winning that game.
“He scored one goal and then set Stuart (Armstrong) up for the other one so he is a big player for us.
“And, on his day, there aren’t many better than him in the whole of the country.
“He has strength, pace and can play with both feet. At times he has been frustrating and been frustrated by perhaps overdoing things.
“But when he is on it he is a real asset for United.”
McNamara was at Celtic Park to watch the Hoops lose to a wonder goal from ex-United man Danny Swanson in midweek and he was impressed.by Tommy Wright’s team.
He said: “I thought St Johnstone were excellent and deserved to win.
“They also scored a fantastic goal.
“From a team point of view, it was interesting to hear Tommy say after the game that their best performance was not that one but the one against us the other week.
“Against Celtic, to a man they were excellent and it think it will take something similar from ourselves to get to the next round on Sunday.”
As well as taking some encouragement from how the Perth men played against Ronny Deila’s side, McNamara also stressed the lessons that can be learned from when United beat the champions 2-1 at Tannadice on December 21.
“I think Celtic had been on a long unbeaten run before we played them here (it was 10 straight wins for the Hoops in domestic competition),” he said.
“They are a good side on their day and have big players who can win games.
“They are particularly dangerous from setpieces as we saw against Aberdeen last weekend.
“They had one or two attempts against St Johnstone but I thought they (Saints) handled everything well and worked hard as a team, with a lot of togetherness. That is something we would like to do on Sunday.”
United’s only injury concern for tomorrow is over central defender Callum Morris.
McNamara said: “Callum is still feeling his thigh a little bit so it may be a bit early for him.”