Manager Mixu Paatelainen has come out with all guns blazing to defend Dundee United’s signing strategy.
The Tangerines have come under fire notably from former captain Lee Wilkie for not doing more during the January transfer window, given the threat of relegation hanging over them.
United sold Ryan McGowan and John Souttar, to Chinese side Henan Jianye and Hearts respectively, while in came loan duo Riku Riski of Rosenburg and West Ham’s Kyle Knoyle.
They appeared to have lined up Steven Lawless of Partick Thistle just hours before the window shut but that deal didn’t get over the line, while other targets such as Anthony Stokes failed to become United men.
Therefore, all was quiet at the Tannadice entrance door on Monday night despite United being 11 points adrift of Kilmarnock at the bottom of the Premiership.
That has left many fans fearing they have accepted that the drop is inevitable and are already planning for life outside the Premiership.
Indeed, Wilkie joined the debate this week, saying that “January was not a good window for the club” and adding that the lack of arrivals “makes it look like United have accepted their fate this season.”
Paatelainen, though, launched a response that was both passionate and eloquent as he explained why he felt the perception that the Tangerines had come up short was unfair.
He claimed the club’s approach to deadline day was a considered one, that he had a long list of targets including “five or six strikers” – and insisted there could still be new arrivals in the weeks ahead.
Asked for his view on how the transfer window had gone for United, Paatelainen replied: “I thought we did really well considering the budget was fully used when we (the management team) came in.
“We brought in six players between last summer and the end of January so I don’t think there are too many other clubs in Scotland who brought in as many players during that period. I might be wrong.
“I don’t think that the media created the deadline day circus – and it is exciting – but I don’t think the rules are that you must bring in a player on deadline day.
“Obviously some people do, looking at the headlines and interviews that certain papers have produced.
“We will bring in a player when it is right for us to do so, when the timing is right and everything clicks.
“We don’t force a transfer and we don’t bring in players for the sake of it.
‘We bring in a player when we are 100% sure he will improve us.
“Whether that is deadline day, or December 1, or February 6 or 7 – it doesn’t matter.
“We can still bring players in absolutely.
“The board have always indicated to me that if there is a possibility of improving the squad then I can bring someone in, within our boundaries of course.
“We are still looking and there are plenty of players out there.
“We are not finished – who says we are finished?
“We are working hard and trying hard to do everything to help our cause.”
It was put to Paatelainen that it wasn’t just the media or pundits who thought they could have done more business and that the frustration was felt by fans more than anyone else. Surely, he had to accept that many loyal supporters feel let down?
He responded: “We brought in six players since the summer up until now. Is that falling short?
“It is an unfair perception as we work so hard to try to bring in players and try to identify the players who we think will improve us.
“Yes, we could have brought one or two players in on deadline day, no problem, but we did not feel that it would have been so beneficial to us.
“It might have freshened things up but we want to make sure that the players coming in improve us and that is the bottom line.
“If that means we did not bring in anybody on deadline day then so be it.
“It doesn’t mean that we did not try and that we did not identify five or six strikers for example – we did.
“We spoke to them and we tried.
“It doesn’t always go your way.
‘We are not Celtic, Rangers or Manchester United or Real Madrid – we are Dundee United.
“Sometimes it just doesn’t happen for you.”
Paatelainen shot down any suggestion that the club were already getting ready for life down a division.
He said: “Just because some person in some paper says that we have accepted our fate it doesn’t mean that (we have).
“We are working full pelt behind the scenes, that’s for sure.
“Do you think signings like Guy Demel and Eiji Kawashima are indications that we are preparing for life in the Championship?
“Does that mean we have accepted our fate?
“We work hard every day to improve the squad and the existing players.
“We want to bring in players and improve the squad and we will do that when the time is right not because it is a media-created deadline day circus.”
Nigerian international frontman Edward Ofere’s name was put to the United gaffer as a possible recruit.
He said: “We have various targets still out there.”
As for Lawless, who is likely to face United today when they meet Partick Thistle in their home William Hill Scottish Cup fifth round tie, Paatelainen replied: “We spoke to Stevie and we wanted to bring him to the club in January but we were unsuccessful.
“We like the player and he wanted to join us but we will leave it at that.
“We play Partick in the Scottish Cup and it would be stupid to start talking about that and to unsettle one of their good players.
“There is no pre-contract agreement in place.”