Celtic’s Bad Run Won’t Last Warns Dundee United Star
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Dundee United captain Ross Graham has warned that Celtic’s slow start under new boss Wilfried Nancy will not last forever, stressing that his side must stay alert to avoid being caught out by the Hoops.
Jim Goodwin’s men are set to face Celtic tonight at Tannadice Park, taking on a side still trying to recapture the form they showed under interim manager Martin O’Neill, who lost just one of his eight games in charge.
Having enjoyed a strong run of results under O’Neill prior to Nancy’s arrival, Celtic are currently second in the Scottish Premiership, six points behind leaders Hearts, with two games in hand.
Nancy took over as Celtic’s boss in the first week of December and is yet to register a victory, having lost all three matches since his appointment, despite declaring he knew the expectations.
The Hoops’ most recent and significant disappointment came when they failed to pick up a trophy, falling 3-1 to St Mirren in the Scottish League Cup final at Hampden Park.
Celtic may fancy their chances against a Dundee United side against whom they are unbeaten in their last 23 meetings in all competitions.
Graham acknowledged the challenge his side face against Celtic, stressing the need to remain focused against a team of high-quality players.
He noted that while the Hoops are currently struggling for form, it is unlikely to last, and Dundee United will need to work hard to prevent a turnaround.
The centre-back added that his team will approach the game as underdogs but will look to use their experience of performing well against bigger sides to try and secure a positive result.
He was quoted as saying by Dundee United’s official site: “Celtic are always a top side, no matter what form you get them in – I’m not sure there’s ever a good time to get them.
“They’ve got really high quality players, so we need to be switched on in that aspect.
“They’re not going to be on this run of form forever, so we can try and make sure that it doesn’t change for them tomorrow night.
“There’s pressure in any game that you go into, but we’ll probably still go into the game tomorrow night as underdogs.
“We’ve been better at that this season against the bigger teams, so we’ll use that to our advantage as well and try and go and get the three points.”
Nancy will be aiming for his first win at Tannadice, facing a Dundee United side still searching for their first victory in seven matches.
Another defeat could spell big trouble for the former MLS boss, with a host of Celtic fans now feeling he was not the right appointment, something added to by O’Neill admitting he would have stayed on.
The Frenchman will also be looking to build momentum ahead of the January transfer window, aiming to strengthen the squad with players suited to his system.
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