Dundee United will have 66 points to play for once they return from the World Cup hiatus.
They will not be relegated by the time the first ball is kicked in Qatar, regardless of what happens in their next two Premiership fixtures.
However, Tangerines star Kieran Freeman is in no mood to play down the importance of Wednesday’s showdown against Kilmarnock; to call for a sense of perspective.
United are three points adrift at the foot of the table following a galling last-gasp defeat at Celtic at the weekend, with Ross County claiming a timely victory over St Mirren in Dingwall.
But a win over Killie would see the Terrors draw level on points with Derek McInnes men. A three-goal margin of triumph would see them leapfrog the Ayrshire outfit.
“We’ve got to win (against Kilmarnock), no matter what,” Freeman told Courier Sport. “That was never in doubt, regardless of the results at the weekend.
“County’s result probably makes the motivation a bit stronger.”
United then travel to Aberdeen on Saturday for the final match before top-flight football in Scotland breaks for five weeks.
And Freeman insists it is pivotal the Tannadice men do not endure the mental blow of propping up the Premiership as the eyes of the globe turn to the Middle-East.
“No-one wants to be bottom of the Premiership at that break,” he continued.
“That is a LONG time to be looking at the league table and thinking about the situation, knowing that you are going down if you’re there at the end of the season.
“The quicker we get off bottom and start climbing the table, the better. But we need to get wins on the board to do that.
“We’ve got two more games and we’ll be aiming for six points. If we can do that, it might put us in a better position than we are in now.”
United must pick themselves up after a gut-wrenching defeat in Glasgow.
Liam Fox’s side ran champions Celtic closer than the vast majority of SPFL sides will at Parkhead this term, levelling at 2-2 through Dylan Levitt after 87 minutes.
However, United shipped an unforgivably sloppy goal to Kyogo as the clock hit 90, before Liel Abada added gloss to the score-line in injury time.
While there were undoubted positives following a competently executed game-plan — until the final four minutes — devastation and anger shone through in the words of Fox and goalkeeper Mark Birighitti.
‘Criminal’
And Freeman knows there is plenty to work on when a Killie side who are adept from set-piece situations arrive on Tayside.
“It was sickening to lose a goal the way we did, from a set-piece,” rued Freeman. “It’s basic stuff. You can’t go to Celtic Park and lose a goal from a set-piece.
“We have been working on that in training.
“There were three or four set-pieces in a row, and it ends with a flick-on at the front post, which shouldn’t happen, and he (Kyogo) is spare in the six yard box. That is criminal.
“If they cut through you — playing the sort of passes they can play — or if they score from 25 yards with a screamer, you hold your hands up. It’d still hurt, but you hold your hands up.
“But you can’t concede from a set-piece with a few minutes left. You have to put your body on the line.
“There is plenty to look at — we’ve conceded four goals, albeit the fourth goal probably comes when we are chasing the game — and we’ll regroup for Wednesday night.”
Conversation