Inspiration is usually in short supply when facing Celtic and Rangers.
The fixtures weigh heavily in favour of the Glasgow sides.
St Johnstone, though can draw some hope from running Rangers close in their 1-0 defeat in their Scottish cup tie.
The move to a back four and a gritty showing lifted some pressure off Callum Davidson’s shoulders and his squad can take some heart for their Ibrox league visit.
Cammy MacPherson and Dan Phillips were energetic and lively in midfield in the cup game, providing the zest which Saints have badly missed.
A six-game unbeaten run is hardly confidence-inducing but the cup showing might provide the stimulus to halt it.
Saints are mending fences with their supporters after the ticketing fiasco which saw fans boycott the cup game and a good result in Govan would help speed up that healing process.
Rangers (Home)
21/01/2023 pic.twitter.com/cv3Ur185LV— FAIR CITY UNITY (@faircityunity) January 23, 2023
United last beat Celtic in December, 2014 and they’ve lost 13 goals and scored just two in their last two meetings with them.
The 9-0 Tannadice capitulation last August also still really rankles with Arabs.
I watched a TV repeat last week of Hearts blowing Celtic’s 69-game unbeaten run apart in 2017, blitzing them 4-0 at Tynecastle.
The current Tannadice squad are nowhere near the quality of that Jambos side and Liam Fox would admit he’s nowhere near the experience or nous of then Tynecastle boss Craig Levein.
But hope springs eternal.
Hearts’ 16-year-old Harry Cochrane scored a beauty that day and that’s the kind of example which should inspire United kids like 16-year-old Rory MacLeod who is said to be on the radar of several English Premier League clubs.
If he or any other youngster gets a sniff at the jersey on Sunday they must grab the opportunity to prove that their tenderness of years is irrelevant.
United have created a tiny breathing space for themselves in the league, a big performance against Celtic could provide further oxygen.
Dundee were boosted with their cup performances at St Mirren and in beating Dunfermline in the SPFL Trust Trophy.
Losing out on penalties against an established Premiership side and booking a semi-final place in the other cup is a decent fillip for the visit of Championship leaders Queen’s Park.
An impressive performance saw the Dee book their place in the semi-finals of the @SPFLTrust Trophy last night! 🏆
Are you backing @DundeeFC to go all the way? 👀 pic.twitter.com/EGsyI4Ylci
— SPFL (@spfl) January 25, 2023
They need to rein in the Lesser Hampden outfit who have a five-point lead over them, albeit having played a game more.
The Spiders pose a serious threat, with former Dundee striker Simon Murray netting freely this season.
Injury and illness have left Gary Bowyer’s squad threadbare but those fit for selection must rise to the occasion.
Defeat would leave the Dee eight points adrift of Owen Coyle’s team and while not fatal to their title hopes it would leave an uphill struggle to catch them.
Dundee have added two fresh faces but seen five players leave, and the fans and manager are rightly concerned for the depth and quality available to sustain their promotion challenge.
The transfer window closes on Tuesday and Dundee must speculate to accumulate and add a couple of quality signings to bolster their title push.
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