Dundee United are happy being entertainers but only if they can be winners at the same time.
That was the message from midfielder Stuart Armstrong as the Premiership leaders prepare to travel to Rugby Park tonight.
Victory on Kilmarnock’s plastic pitch will move them five points clear at the top of the league, something United fans could only have dreamed of at the start of the season.
Jackie McNamara’s side have reached that lofty position without, in the main, producing the all-out attacking football they produced during their purple patch last year.
Armstrong would like the team to be easier on the eye but only if they can keep their new-found defensive doggedness to go with the silky stuff further up the park.
“You always want to play well and excite the fans but there will be times when everything doesn’t go to plan,” said Armstrong, who is in line to start tonight’s clash in Ayrshire after coming on as a sub in Saturday’s 2-0 home win over St Johnstone.
“Some of the games this season have not been the best to watch but we have won those matches.
“That is maybe something we were lacking last season and I have not heard any fans complaining while we are winning.
“If you win everyone goes home happy. To have nice, exciting football to watch is a bonus after that.
“We have brought in a few new faces and have shown in some games that we are still capable of fast, attacking moves.
“So I’m sure as the season goes on we will put more and more of that in the games.”
United will have to keep a close eye on Killie playmaker Alexei Eremenko this evening, given the form the Russian-born Finn has been in of late.
However, Armstrong stressed that the emphasis among the United players will be on themselves rather than the opposition.
“Eremenko is a very good player and we’ll have to look out for him because he can punish you,” said Armstrong. “But we tend to focus more on ourselves and what we can do.
“It will be a good contest. Kilmarnock have been doing well this season.
“We saw them as a team we should beat last season but this time round we know we have to be cautious. They have a lot of quality in their side.”
As well as the home players, the Tangerines will also have Kilmarnock’s new synthetic surface to cope with.
They have been training on artificial pitches this week in preparation and Armstrong added: “I have not been on their pitch yet so I don’t know too much about it.
“They are not ideal, although everyone has played on them enough over the years.
“On the TV highlights I saw the ball doesn’t seem to be moving too much but you would always prefer to play on grass.”
United will be without Mario Bilate tonight after the striker failed to recover from the hamstring problem that forced his departure from the Saints game.
Manager Jackie McNamara confirmed: “Mario is out. He came off last week with a hamstring problem and will miss the game.
“I don’t think it is too bad but it is just not right for this game.”
McNamara, who had some good news on the injury from with Gary Mackay-Steven now fully fit, wants to go into the looming international break on a real high note.
“That is what we are hoping for as playing on the Friday gives us a chance to look at the other teams over the weekend,” he said.
“We want to be winning our game going into the break.
“It is a couple of weeks before we play again so it is important we try to get the three points.
“Kilmarnock had a great result last week against Partick and they will be confident so it should make it a good match.
“It would be good for confidence to go into the international break on top but I would like to go into the break in March time top and not the start of October.”