Managers post Dundee United

31/07/16: AJ "We are probably missing about six players today so we will be a lot stronger and we will look forward to the season ahead."

"Maybe we started to tire towards the end because we are relying on the same players week in week out. Injuries and illness over the last couple of weeks has taken its toll.

"We are more of an attacking threat, we know that we are better than that. We pass the ball better than that and I don`t think today that we did that enough but we will learn. Once we get everybody back fit again then I`m sure we will be a lot stronger.

"A lot of times we gave the ball away, we were sloppy. We have good players who can pass the ball and create chances. We probably never worked their keeper enough. Having said that I do not think there is a massive gap between the two sides and the first goal was always going to be vital."

Reflecting on having players like Andy Geggan out through suspension and Sean Murdoch, Ryan Williamson, David Hopkirk, Michael Paton and Callum Fordyce unavailable through illness and injury the manager said:-

"Obviously Dundee United are missing a few players but we have to look at ourselves and do a lot better. We are probably missing about six players today so we will be a lot stronger and so we will look forward to the season ahead."

The United bench had the greater options and the Pars manager compared that with his substitutes which contained three outfield players who had not experienced any first team football this season.

"We put Michael Paton and Callum Fordyce on the bench and that is what we are reduced to. They have not played any games yet, Callum has played a couple of under 20 games but Michael has not had any. It would be a big step to put them on and it would only have been as a last resort that we are going to use them."

Rhys McCabe, Nat Wedderburn and James Thomas all had to come off with injuries and AJ summarised the injuries picked up at Tannadice:-

"We will just have to wait and see. Rhys is not feeling anything in his arm, I don`t know what has happened there - maybe a nerve. James Thomas is maybe going to go for an X Ray and Nat has rolled his ankle. We will have to wait until tomorrow and see how they all are."

So has the Betfred Cup been a good competition for the manager?

"I think I said before that is is always going to be a danger playing that many games so early in the season in a short period of time. I think we have paid the cost of that.

"Because of the injuries we have got we are relying on the same boys and you can see that they are getting more and more tired as the game is going on. We have had four games in ten days, it is a lot to ask at this stage of the season."

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