Dundee United manager Csaba Laszlo has told his players they must show more aggression.
The Tangerines, who host Queen of the South at Tannadice in their latest Championship clash tonight, simply must toughen up.
Laszlo wants the aggression to come with discipline, of course.
However, it seems he will no longer accept his players just letting the opposition run by them without a challenge, as happened too often during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Inverness Caley Thistle.
Laszlo said: “I have really a very nice team and for this reason I want more aggression.
“I want winners.
“It is not that my team don’t know this but (new recruits) Anthony Ralston and Bilel Mohsni are players who will be aggressive.
“This is what I want.
“In our midfield on Saturday, I did not see aggression and I didn’t see us getting the ball back quickly.
“In the second half it was different but I asked the question: ‘Why do you give one half to the opposition?’
“You have to play for the 90 minutes and not just 45.
“What I mean about being aggressive is that you stay close to the opponent, you attack back directly after losing the ball. You also have to be tight as a team and not open.
“These are very simple things in football.
“In the first half, we lost the ball and everybody was staying in his own place and there was no aggression to go and press back. This was a catastrophe.”
As well as being cheesed off with his players for being too soft, Laszlo has been left frustrated with the red tape holding up Mohsni’s debut.
The former Rangers player could still make an appearance tonight if the bureaucratic blockage at Tunisian club Etoile Sportive du Sahel is cleared.
Laszlo said: “I am sad about Mohsni because even today we got a ‘yes’ about the international clearance but still nothing (official) from Fifa.
“We have checked and everything is OK.
“We have phoned everyone, including Fifa and the SFA, and been told it’s clear.
“But the thing seems to be stuck in Tunisia and we are waiting for paperwork from there.
“I want to close this chapter.
“I hope we can still get positive news even in time for the game tomorrow night.”
Meanwhile, United have announced energy company Utilita as their new shirt sponsors for the next two seasons.
Paul Reid, head of commercial Sales at Tannadice, said: “As a club we have been delighted with the impact, effort and commitment that Utilita have shown Dundee United.
“When it became clear that they were interested in becoming our main partner, I was excited that a national company held the same vision as ourselves of how the partnership would evolve.”
Jem Maidment, director of marketing and communications at Utilita, said: “This is a club steeped in history and one that has a proud reputation in Scottish football – to be able to support the club as the main partner is something that we hold with enormous pride.
“We’re delighted to be working with Dundee United for a third season and, as the front of shirt sponsor, we are looking forward to seeing the Utilita logo featuring on the iconic tangerine strip.”
