Paul Hegarty is urging the United players to avoid the Hampden heartache that blighted his own otherwise highly successful career.
Tannadice legend Hegarty reached four Scottish Cup finals with the club and lost the lot.
And despite being capped by Scotland, winning two League Cups, a top-flight title and reaching the UEFA Cup final, the Tangerines coach admitted that still irks him.
“It’s a great day when you come away from a final with the trophy,” he said. “I experienced that a couple of times and it was a special feeling.
“But I can assure you it’s not nice leaving Hampden a loser.
“In my time as a United player we played Celtic twice, Rangers once and, of course, St Mirren and failed to win the cup.
“I really want these lads to experience on Saturday what I never did.
“It still eats away at me that I never won the Scottish Cup.Contest”When you contest it four times you’d think you’d get at least one victory but it wasn’t to be.
“I won League Cups and a championship and was on the backroom staff here under Ivan Golac in 1994 when the club at last lifted the trophy.
“But I’d have loved to win a cup at Hampden Park. Although I was involved in 94 as a coach that’s not the same as winning it as a player.
“But the boys don’t need me telling them what it feels like to lose a final.
“Some of them have their own experience of missing out. That’ll make them hungry enough to sample the other side.”
Hegarty added, “My biggest piece of advice to the lads would be to recognise the chance they’ve got and not let it slip through their fingers.
“With having so young a squad here they’ll think this sort of thing can happen every year.
“But it doesn’t and when an opportunity to win the cup comes along you have to grasp it with both hands.”OptimismLooking back at United’s season as a whole, Hegarty sees plenty of grounds for optimism.
“This side has great strength of character, some skilful players and a great work ethic all the attributes you would want in your team.
“And that’s a credit to the foundations laid by Craig Levein here and built upon by Peter Houston and Gary Kirk who had, of course, also helped Craig in the first place.”
Hall-of-famer Hegarty admitted to being taken aback by the size of the support planning to follow United to Glasgow.
“Not even in the club’s glory days would we have taken 27,000 fans to Hampden,” he said.
“But the turnout for this final is testimony to the attractive football we’ve played and results like coming back from 3-1 down earlier in the tournament at Ibrox to force a replay and then beat Rangers here.
“Now hopefully we can win the cup for the fans and the city of Dundee.”