Dundee United manager Micky Mellon is letting criticism of his team’s style of play wash right over him.
The Tangerines have drawn three of their last four Premiership matches 0-0 and have hardly been setting the heather on fire in the opposition penalty box.
However, following Friday’s trip to St Mirren they are sitting fifth in the league table and, along with the clean sheets, has come a real resilience that they will not be beaten.
They return to the scene of one of those stalemates tomorrow night when they face St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park in the Tangerines’ final Group C match in the Betfred Cup.
If Mellon is annoyed by the reaction his team’s football has been getting then he is doing a good job of hiding it.
The Tangerines’ gaffer said: “I just get on with the football.
“I coach the team in the best way to get what I believe is necessary to get points and I will continue to do that with the tools we have at our disposal.
“I will keep trying to pick up points and to keep improving Dundee United all the time.
“It is a quick turnaround but we are ready for another big game.
“I always want people to understand we need more as a team but we are trying to build a defensive platform and go from there.
“We are defending well but we are hoping to add a few more goals.”
You can’t separate the two Tayside clubs after a couple of Premiership draws so far this term. United’s position in the league table is a bit healthier but their hosts lead the cup group.
Mellon added: “The two games against them have been very keenly contested and there has been nothing much in both of them.
“We need a win to get through and that is what we will go there to do.
“I wouldn’t say we specifically set out to do well in the cups because we want to try and do well in every game.
“We want to put out our strongest teams that will get us a result
“That is the type of club we want to be. That is what the fans and owners demand.”
Mellon confirmed that Paul McMullan has a good chance of starting against St Johnstone after doing well against the other Saints as a sub.
The United manager said: “He is the type of player you would want to have.
“He has come in and done well and so you give people that opportunity or chance to improve.
“Paul will come into things.”
Mellon, meanwhile, said the wage cut negotiations are ongoing.
He said: “There were no deadlines or anything like that.
“There are no dramas and we will sort things when we get the time.
“We haven’t had the time to sit down and get things sorted out.”