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LEE WILKIE: Dundee United’s Hearts display showed team fighting for manager – and they have given themselves great chance to move off bottom

United celebrate against Hearts. Image: Shutterstock.
United celebrate against Hearts. Image: Shutterstock.

Dundee United need to cut out all the noise surrounding Saturday’s match with Hearts.

Yes, there were some very poor refereeing decisions, a late mistake that gifted Hearts an equaliser and a horrific injury to Craig Gordon.

There was a lot going on at Tannadice on Christmas Eve.

All they need to take out of it, though, is a very encouraging performance.

First game back after six weeks, there was no real way of knowing how they would perform.

I’m sure Liam Fox had some concerns ahead of the game.

No matter how much hard work you put in on the training pitch, it counts for nothing if the players don’t do it when it matters.

United did that against Hearts.

Committed

They showed that the work they’ve been putting in has made a difference.

They may be really disappointed not to come away with a big win.

However, that can give a team in United’s position a huge amount of confidence to take into some crucial matches in coming weeks.

They created chances against Hearts, one of the strongest teams in the country, and came away feeling hard done by.

Dundee United boss Liam Fox
Dundee United boss Liam Fox. Image: Ross Parker/SNS

To be fair, the match could easily have gone either way.

But to compare Saturday’s display to what the Tangerines had mostly shown before the World Cup was night and day.

The display clearly showed a team committed to their manager.

They have bought into what he wants to do.

That’s a very good sign to me.

Fletcher and Levitt

Because you wouldn’t see players like Steven Fletcher and Dylan Levitt perform like that if they weren’t playing for their manager.

Fletcher especially was excellent.

He caused Hearts so many problems.

Steven Fletcher makes it 1-0 against Hearts. Image: SNS.

His anticipation for the first goal gave him the chance, he was quicker to spot the opportunity than the defenders and he finished it very cleanly.

He was a constant threat all game – the kind of performance United pushed the boat out for in the summer.

And the same goes for Levitt.

What a classy finish from the young midfielder.

That, though, wasn’t a surprise given the quality he has shown in Tangerine.

It’s been clear this season the Welshman still has a lot to learn to become a real consistent midfielder.

Dylan Levitt finds the corner for 2-1. Image: Shutterstock.

But the flashes of quality he has shown, like Saturday’s finish, demonstrate real ability – once he’s more consistent, what a player he’ll be.

Though he didn’t play at the World Cup, just the experience of being there will have given him a confidence boost.

Hopefully, United can now reap the benefits of that.

Opportunity

What he and his team-mates showed on Saturday was when they get it right, Dundee United are a good team.

Now they’ve given themselves a great chance on Wednesday.

Win at home to Ross County and they are off bottom.

What an opportunity.

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