Garry Kenneth insists Dundee United will head into the second part of their Old Firm double-header in good heart.
The central defender believes there is plenty room for optimism for Saturday’s league match against Rangers despite crashing out of the Scottish Cup to Celtic at Tannadice on Sunday.
United had been hoping to become the first side to beat both Glasgow sides in the same cup campaign since Aberdeen in season 1982-83 after ousting the Light Blues in the last round at Ibrox. Instead, they found themselves on the wrong end of a 4-0 defeat.
Notably, though, the match completely turned on the red card dished out to Tangerines full-back Robbie Neilson for using an arm in a challenge with Hoops striker Georgios Samaras. Until that intervention from Neilson, the home side were the better team and had created all the decent chances in the quarter-final tie.
Kenneth, who came off the bench to replace wide man Gary Mackay-Steven in a tactical change immediately after the ordering-off, said: ”It was a sore one to take because I felt we played really well to start with. After they got the goal we had to chase the game and with a man less that made lots of space for them.
”I think there are positives to take out of the match for us. With being on the bench and seeing how much their manager Neil Lennon was jumping about I knew how uncomfortable we made it for Celtic,” the United star added.
”Their keeper Fraser Forster made an unbelievable save from Johnny Russell when it was still 0-0 and if that had gone in it was a different game. But it wasn’t to be and we have to pick ourselves up now and focus on Rangers, which I am sure we will do.
”Even though they have their problems they are still a very good side with lots of international players. So we know we are going to have to produce the kind of performance we showed in the first half-hour against Celtic.
”We want to consolidate in the top six and still believe we can catch Motherwell for third spot. That is our aim so we have to get back to what we have been doing in the last few months.”
United are waiting to see the extent of central defender Gavin Gunning’s back injury, which he sustained by twisting his studs on the turf. While Kenneth wishes his colleague well, he hopes to work his way back into the team especially as he does not want his time at Tannadice to end by sitting on the bench.
”The defence have been brilliant lately,” he said. ”They have had a lot of clean sheets so I could have no complaints about missing out. It is not as if I could have chapped the manager’s door to ask why I haven’t been playing.
”Hopefully, I can give the gaffer something to think about now. It is all about taking your chance when you get it. I will have to work hard in training this week and then see if that’s enough for me to get a place against Rangers.
”It wouldn’t be nice to leave at the end of the season having sat on the bench for the last few months. So hopefully I can force my way back in now and help the team end the season on a high.”