By Graeme Dey

FRENCH MIDFIELDER Morgaro Gomis claims he is ready to feature regularly for Dundee United between now and the end of the season.

When United boss Craig Levein snapped up the 21-year-old from Cowdenbeath at the turn of the year, he revealed Gomis had been signed with a view to the long term.

However, Paris-born Gomis has since mustered one start and three substitute appearances and insists he feels up to becoming a fixture in the side.

“Dundee United is a big step up from Cowdenbeath but I am improving every day,” he said.

“I want a regular place in the team and although the manager said I am for the future, I am happy to play now and feel I am ready.”

As a teenager, Gomis had a two-month trial with Chelsea, under Claudio Ranieri. He failed to win a deal there but the Blues, or at least one of their star players, continue to exert influence over him.

“I am like Michael Essien in that I like to have the ball and press it,” he said.

“I have watched Essien on tapes and tried to model myself on him.”

After his Stamford Bridge stint was over, Gomis joined non-league side Windsor where he spent two years before joining Cowdenbeath last summer.

“The move to Central Park came about because I asked my agent to try and find me something in Scotland and he called Miksu Paatelainen who invited me up,” he said.

“After two weeks on trial, Cowdenbeath signed me.

“Playing in the lower leagues was hard but the style of play suited me.”

Gomis is hoping for the chance to face a former Cowden team-mate—Paataleinen’s brother Markus—when United tackle Inverness in the Highland capital this afternoon.

“I was up there for the cup game but didn’t play,” he said. “Hopefully this time though I will be involved, especially as I might be playing against my friend Markus.”

There is mixed news for the Tangerines on the selection front.

Craig Conway is definitely sidelined, while Stuart Duff and Greg Cameron are likely to miss out. Steven Robb and Jon Daly, though, should be available.

Looking ahead to the long trip north, assistant boss Peter Houston argued that there is still plenty at stake for the Tannadice team.

“We want to make up for losing in the Scottish Cup, when Caley beat us with a great goal, and our players know there is a lot to play for,” he said.

“We have been keeping a wee eye on Dunfermline even though we are 16 points ahead of them and are also looking up the table too.

“So there are plenty of points in the melting pot and we will be looking for our lads to work really hard up there.”

Meanwhile, Inverness midfielder Ian Black has vowed to prove he is not just a “lunatic who argues with referees.”

Black has been booked 10 times in his 21 appearances this season, and red-carded for two acts of petulance at Falkirk.

After being booked for kicking the ball away in disgust against the Bairns, he immediately struck another ball into his side’s dugout, earning the 21-year-old a second yellow card.

Following that misdemeanour at the end of December, Black had to wait nearly two months for another start, which came in Sunday’s last-gasp 2-1 Tennent’s Scottish Cup defeat to Celtic.

Now, the former United transfer target hopes his disciplinary problems are in the past and he is set to keep his place today.

He is confident he can help Caley Thistle bounce back from the dramatic loss to Celtic, where the Bhoys scored two goals in the final four minutes.

“I think I have served my time and I hope I have learned my lesson,” he said.

“I am obviously going to say I have though and we will soon find out. I’d like everyone to forget about it, but you don’t get many people who do. I just have to go out and prove them wrong—that I am not just some lunatic out on the park who argues with referees.

“However, I am glad to be playing again and I have been out for a long time, which obviously my suspension had a lot to do with.

“That is me back in the team though and I hope I can stay there in order to help lift us from the disappointment of losing to Celtic on Sunday.”

Black is adamant that Inverness have been able to get over that devastating defeat, thanks in part to a midweek snooker tournament.

“The snooker was a good laugh and it was nice of the manager to put on something unexpected like that,” he said.

“The players enjoyed it and all of the staff were involved, although some of the players were a bit sick that the manager won.”