Dundee United midfielder Calum Butcher has targeted another long unbeaten run as the best way to respond to their Arbroath defeat.
One of the stories of the season is the way the Tangerines reacted so positively to the hammering they suffered against Queen of the South back in October.
After that 4-0 thumping at Palmerston, Robbie Neilson’s players held an impromptu meeting in the away dressing room and promised themselves that they would react in the right way.
United certainly responded in style, going unbeaten in the league for 13 Championship matches – winning 11 of them – until the 1-0 loss at home to the Lichties.
Saturday’s setback, which was decided by Craig Wighton’s goal on 26 minutes, also signalled the end of their unbeaten league record at Tannadice this season.
Now Butcher wants bounce-back number two.
The Englishman said: “There is no point panicking about our situation.
“We are where we are because we are the best team in the league. We have earned that.
“We are the only team in the division to have put a real stretch of wins together and we have to kick on again now.
“The last time we lost (in the Championship) was against Queen of the South and from then we went on our run.
“We spoke about that in the dressing room just then, about how we need to dust ourselves down and go again.
“We have to put this game to bed and look ahead.
“You don’t become a bad side overnight.
“The last thing we need to do is go against each other. We must stay together as a group and move on.”
Boasting an 18-point lead at the top of the table before the game, which only shrunk by one by Saturday teatime, there may be some people who think United believe the job is already done.
However, Butcher said: “I have been asked about complacency but there is none of that in our dressing room.
“We have lost a game and now we have to be better.
“You are going to have blips during a season and lose games. We have had a blip and now it is about how we react.
“Our next game is against Alloa and we had a disappointing result down there last time. We know, going back there, we have to be much better.”
