Dundee United’s players may be counting down the days to the Europa League draw but there is a downside to entering continental competition in mid-July.
For the Tangerines face a packed pre-season schedule, with the action coming thick and fast after the squad reports back for work on Monday the day they will also discover their Euro opponents.
They will be thrown headlong into intense training by boss Peter Houston before flying out to the Republic of Ireland, where they will play games against Drogheda United on June 26 and Bohemians of Dublin two days later.
When they get back to Scotland, the full squad will be utilised for friendly matches against Forfar, Falkirk (closed-door), Montrose, Cowdenbeath and Whitehill Welfare, not to mention the Oban tournament they attend every summer.
The Euro action kicks off with the first leg of their second qualifying tie on Thursday, July 14, with the second game a week later. Room then has to be found for the SPL season starting on July 23, so there is plenty to keep United busy.
“This is the earliest I have ever been back for pre-season,” said assistant boss Gary Kirk. “The players are back on Monday and it will be a case of going right back into the training. There will be four double sessions on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and then we head off to Ireland.
“We are going back to the Citywest complex, which is great, and the people there are very helpful. Ireland is the right choice for us because we are playing teams who are in the middle of their seasons. You are testing yourself right away.
“We have Drogheda on the Sunday then Bohemians two days later so that’s fine. We are then back in Scotland on the Thursday. So it’s all go. We don’t have any spare time this summer, really.
“I was looking at the schedule and by the time we have played three or four pre-season games we are facing our European tie. The tight timescale is a worry because you always get a couple of boys who get injured during pre-season, just through the intensity of the training.
“So it is a concern that we have the European tie as soon as July 14 but it can’t be helped and we are glad to be involved.”
United keeper Dusan Pernis, who has been busy on international duty with Slovakia, will miss the Dublin training trip in order to get some holiday time.
“We have given Dusan the extra bit off,” confirmed Kirk. “I noticed he was on the bench for Slovakia (in a 1-0 win over Andorra) the other week there so he has been keeping fit and training hard. He will miss the Irish trip and we will see him when we get back from Dublin. That’s when he will join in with the rest of the squad.”
Back at Tannadice next week for a second trial period will be former Airdrie frontman Gary Mackay-Steven.
“Gary will join us on Monday for training along with the rest of the lads,” said Kirk. “He will be in for a couple of weeks and should play a game or two. He really needs to do a pre-season because he didn’t do one last year.”
Meanwhile, former United midfielder Morgaro Gomis still seems set to become a Birmingham City player despite the furore surrounding manager Alex McLeish’s departure. Blues’ acting chairman Peter Pannu yesterday confirmed, “Gomis is still coming in to Birmingham.”