Dundee Utd 1
Aberdeen 2
League (Premiership)

Manager's Programme Notes

Welcome back to Tannadice for the first game of 2014 and obviously I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous New Year. Although we only won by the narrowest of margins against Ross County in our last home game, there were a lot of things that we handled pretty well. It was a game that was a bit frustrating at times but we remained as I had asked of the players patient and in the end we got there. Even if our play wasn't always as free-flowing as I would like I was delighted that we eventually scored the goal that was sufficient to earn the three points. Above all, it was important that we kept our good run at home going. Then on Boxing Day we travelled to St Mirren for what proved to be a very strange game not to mention very frustrating one. It was just one of those days when things went against us, especially some decisions. But even when we found ourselves 2-1 down at the interval I still felt that we were going to win the match and that was the case right up until we lost the third goal a minute after being reduced to ten men following Keith Watson's dismissal. So hopefully we will have learnt from that and as we went into the St Johnstone game I was looking to see how the players responded to that setback.

Given the heavy festive fixture schedule it was always my intention to use the squad to the full. As it transpired John Rankin turned out to be the only unenforced one of the eight changes made. Indeed Ryan Gauld and Gavin Gunning are at the time of writing doubts for today's game and Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven only passed late fitness tests to make the bench at Perth. Unfortunately, as had been the case at Paisley, a sending off changed the game, and immediately losing a goal in the aftermath of Calum Butchers dismissal so early on made it even more of an uphill battle. But to their credit the lads kept plugging away and it was just a pity we couldn't reward the tremendous support we had by taking something from the game. This afternoon Aberdeen are our first foots and with Tannadice a near sell-out it promises to be a cracking start to a new year. Earlier in the season at Pittodrie they edged a very tight game thanks to the only goal. Indeed until last Thursday it was the last league defeat we had suffered and although we did okay in the match it was one in which offensively we weren't quite at our best. Jamie Langfield did make one good save from David Goodwillie but apart from one or two half chances we didn't threaten their goal often enough. So I'll be looking for us to create more opportunities in todays clash and hopefully taking them in what is bound to be another closely contested encounter.