Tony Watt ensured Dundee United are ruling the roost in the Championship.
But the Tannadice marksman is still getting the cold shoulder from his CHICKENS.
Watt has constructed a coop and run in his back garden, with his new feathered friends already providing eggs for his pre-match omelettes.
However, their fowl attitude has left Watt “deflated”
“They haven’t taken to me yet,” he laughed. “They are not feeling it, which is a bit deflating.
“I have been giving them the chicken feed, but they are still running away from me!
“But they are starting to lay three or four eggs a day and I am making omelettes. The boys are asking to make cakes and, by the time I’m done, I don’t have any left.
“I’ll video them and give people a wee laugh.”
He added: “I am loving them, and it is giving me a bit of discipline. You need a bit of routine. In football, you don’t always have your day filled and I need a bit more discipline, the older I am getting.”
Lighting up a long journey
Watt was speaking in the aftermath of United’s 1-0 triumph against Inverness, in which he prodded home an 87th-minute winner.
It was ugly, scrappy and attritional.
But given several key absences, Watt knew victory was all that mattered. That was accentuated less than 24 hours later when Raith Rovers lost to Queen’s Park, ensuring the Tangerines stay top.
⏱ Snatching all three #cinchChamp points in the dying embers @32Watto | #ICTUTD | #DUFC pic.twitter.com/6AKYwQttrK
— Dundee United FC (@dundeeunitedfc) January 13, 2024
He added: “The manager’s message was simple: win the game, any way we can.
“We have a rough time with injuries and suspensions, but we need to keep going and that is what we are trying to do. We want to keep churning out wins and see where it takes us.
“You do start to get impatient (for the goal) as the game goes on. I just thought, if we can get a win then we can get a good laugh on the bus on the way down. It made our Friday night.
“If not, then we wouldn’t have been speaking to each other!”
Apology
Watt celebrated his strike by going face to face with Inverness defender Morgan Boyes, before wheeling away to lap up the adulation of travelling Arabs.
“We had a wee bit (of back and forth) during the game,” said Watt. “We spoke about that after the game and had a laugh.
“It was just two men on the park. We both have a winning mentality and getting wound up by opponents is normal. If you are not an idiot about it and you put your hand up and apologise, then that is it.”
Meanwhile, Watt believes United now boast fearsome firepower after being reunited with Alex Greive.
The duo were teammates at St Mirren last season and Watt was quick to text the New Zealand international and urge him to make the loan switch to Tannadice.
Greive enjoyed a bright – if somewhat thankless, given the lack of quality in the match – debut against Inverness before being replaced on 67 minutes.
“I was pestering him to come in straight away,” smiled Watt. “He will bring a lot. Alex is full of energy and is a good player. (Louis) Moult, Grieve and I are – without sounding arrogant – three good strikers to run with.
“We all have something different, in terms of our individual qualities.”
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