Ryan Edwards has insisted Dundee United DO have the stomach for a relegation fight — as the Tannadice skipper was savaged by BBC pundit Neil McCann.
The Tangerines were pitiful on Saturday as Ross County romped to a 4-0 triumph in Dingwall, leaving the visitors four points adrift at the bottom of the Premiership.
Eamonn Brophy bagged a brace, adding to efforts from Yan Dhanda and Jordan White. The Staggies also struck the post twice and saw another goal disallowed as United capitulated.
Edwards came in for fierce criticism on Sportscene, with ex-Dundee boss McCann accusing him of “chucking it” to allow White to head home the third goal of the game.
McCann slammed: “Edwards was jogging in, as a centre back. He’s jogging in.
“Jordan White just shot past him and gets on the end of it. It’s an incredible header but it gets worse every time you look at it
“He doesn’t even make a move with intensity to get across the front post. Ryan Edwards has just chucked it.”
Speaking before McCann’s comments on Sportscene and prior to Liam Fox leaving the club by mutual consent, Edwards was asked whether this side have the gumption for an ugly relegation scrap; something there was scant evidence of in Dingwall.
They outfought us and I felt like they wanted it more, which is criminal. That’s unacceptable.
Ryan Edwards
“We’ve got it,” Edwards responded. “Whether people think we have it or not, everyone has got it. We just have to show it more.
“We need results, whether you win ugly or pretty it doesn’t matter when you’re where we are in the table.
“It’s massive, however you get the three points now. We’re not daft, we know how big a task we’ve got coming ahead of us in the next few weeks.”
Comedy
Given the ludicrous nature of St Johnstone’s winner against United a week prior — goalkeeper Mark Birighitti allowing Stevie May to slide-tackle the ball over the line — one suspects the Tangerines were ordered to keep things tight and not do anything daft.
However, they conceded a “comedy goal” after seven minutes against County.
Jack Newman raced from his goal-mouth to clear a long pass and, with Edwards ready to leave it for his goalkeeper, Charlie Mulgrew inexplicably dashed across from his left centre-back position and botched an attempted clearance.
Brophy could barely believe his luck as he belied a prohibitive angle to fire home.
▶️ Another goalkeeping error opened the scoring as Dundee United lost 4-0 to Ross County in the #cinchPrem!
Thoughts on the game, Dundee United and Ross County fans? ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/e4lkn7HvMA
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) February 25, 2023
And United showed no sign of recovering in the subsequent 83 minutes.
“The first goal kills us, it was a comedy goal,” rued Edwards. “They outfought us and I felt like they wanted it more, which is criminal. That’s unacceptable.
“County were a point above us before the game so it was a chance for us to overtake them.
“So we can only blame ourselves, we can’t blame anyone else.”
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