Cammy Bell does not give a hoot how Dundee United get promotion, just so long as they go up.
And the goalkeeper, who’s been a star man for the Tangerines this term, suspects you’d have to search far and wide for a player, coach or fan who does not share that view.
While he refuses to concede the Championship title race and the automatic promotion that comes with it, in the wake of leaders Hibs opening a 10-point gap on United via victory at Tannadice on Friday, the 31-year-old admits they are now in the box seat.
But he’s even more insistent that the view he’s had since day one of this difficult campaign has not changed. Not one single bit.
“It’s never done until it’s done but it’s going to be difficult. It’s in Hibs’ hands to lose it now I would say,” is how he sums up that race to finish top.
“At the end of the day, though, our aim is to go up and it doesn’t matter how.
“If we are in the Premiership next year, we will have achieved what we were aiming for when the season started.
“Nobody will ever remember how you got up, whether it’s automatic or through the play-offs. It’s all about getting up.”
History is on his side when he makes that claim.
The only other time United were relegated since league reconstruction in the mid-1970s, it took them just one season to get back to the top division.
Despite a team packed with international stars like Maurice Malpas, Dave Bowman, Jim McInally, Christian Dailly and Steven Pressley, the route back then was via a two-leg showdown against the Premier League’s second-bottom team, Partick Thistle.
And as dramatic as the events of that play-off were, United won it after a Brian Welsh equaliser seconds from the end of 90 minutes in the second leg forced extra-time — it’s a game that barely gets a mention when great Tannadice nights are recalled.
So for Bell, as frustrating as Friday’s events were after United were forced to play with 10 men for an hour following a red card for Lewis Toshney, nothing has changed.
He remains focused on that end-of-season prize and, when he looks at the situation, sees no reason to complicate matters.
“Friday was a disappointing night for us. The sending off always makes it difficult and, if you go down to 10 men against a top team, which Hibs are, it is going to be a long game.
“Something like that completely changes your game plan and it did for us. You have to hang on and stay in the game.
“You can’t go all out looking for a goal against a side as good as them.
“If you do and they score on the break it’s 2-0 and when you only have 10 men that’s game over.
“I thought we did well defensively. We nullified them and that meant we stayed in the game but we didn’t have that cutting edge and couldn’t get the goal.
“As I say Hibs are top team but it would have been the same if it was the other way round.
“If it had been Hibs who went down to 10 men, they’d be hanging on. I’m sure it would have taken a toll on them.
“It was disappointing but we pick ourselves up and we keep going.
“We need to just go and win games. Our aim for the rest of the season is to win as many as we can.
“Can we go on a run? I think so. Then automatic promotion might still be there, you never know.
“If not, you want momentum for the play-offs. So there is a lot still to play for.
“That’s what we will be trying to do. We have 10 games now and we will be trying to build momentum.”
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