Dundee Utd 3
Celtic 0
League (Premier Division)

Manager's Programme Notes

A warm welcome back to Tannadice for an occasion which should make it worth your while, whether your colours be Tangerine or Green and White. Because for both sides this is yet another vital occasion — at opposite ends of the Premier 'League table. As far as our visitors Celtic are concerned it was only a few weeks, in fact a few days ago that long odds would have been offered to anyone betting against their retaining the Premier League title. Now, after that reverse at the hands of Aberdeen at Parkhead last Saturday, the (Dons have reduced what appeared at one time to be an unasailable lead at the head of the table for Billy McNeill's men. Therefore, as far as our own bid to add to our recent points tally in the bid to escape from the relegation zone, we know only full well the task that confronts us tonight.

Mind you, there is no way at all that any of our players should suffer from any son of inferiority complex. I have said for a long, long time that we are as good a side as the best in this tight Premier Division on our day. Thankfully our troubles have been eased somewhat during the past week when three out of four possible points have been collected away from home — with just as importantly four goals having been netted in the two games to get us back on the scoring standard again. This of course has given a much-needed and timely boost to the confidence of the side and thankfully eased the mounting pressures clearly affecting some of them in recent games, especially at home. Still, although we have fallen short of the kind of performance we can muster, I certainly cannot complain about the tremendous amount of eflfort being shown by the side. At Firhill last Saturday we had a couple of players who drifted far below their normal individual level and yet there was no way that I could have criticised their battling qualities in the game. To be honest we should have captured both points against Thistle but two extremely slack defensive moments cost us the ultimate in penalties when Thistle exacted their two equalisers. I realised that most of the talk amongst our own fans recently has centred around our failures to find the net in home games. My dearest wish tonight is that we can provide you United fans with a different talking point after the 90 minutes — something you will be proud of.