Dundee United manager Mixu Paatelainen believes Stephen Thompson’s criticism of the club’s summer signings won’t affect morale.
Paatelainen, currently striving to keep United in the Premiership, was dealing with the fallout of an intervention from the club chairman in which he claimed former boss Jackie McNamara’s close-season recruitment policy was at the root of the Tangerines’ current troubles.
Thompson said: “Our recruitment last summer was poor at best and that’s why we are where we are.”
That may or may not be the case but the problem is that United are still looking to some of those players to try to help them beat relegation.
For example, Darko Bodul came off the bench to play in the Dundee derby on Saturday, Mark Durnan has appeared 21 times for United this season, while Coll Donaldson was on the bench at Dens Park.
This is probably the last thing Paatelainen needs ahead of an important William Hill Scottish Cup fourth round tie against Airdrie tomorrow but the manager is confident Thompson’s words won’t impact adversely on the dressing room.
“When there is criticism but no names are mentioned then players look at themselves and decide if they have done well for their new club or not,” said Paatelainen.
“If I were a player…I would look at where we are in the league and say ‘the chairman has a fair point’ or then I would say ‘but it doesn’t apply to me because I’m brilliant!’
“That’s how players take it.
“Unless you name names then the players will decide if they have been a success or not. That’s just the way it goes.
“I don’t believe it will have an impact on morale.
“When you have problems – and we have big problems – then of course you want to look back to find answers and I think that’s what the chairman is trying to do.
“The chairman works very hard for the club and he doesn’t want to make the same mistake again.
“He’s identified problems and a consequence of what he said is from that.
“We have players who came in last summer and have done really well for the club.
“We have players where it hasn’t worked out for one reason or another.
“It is always the case when you bring in players that it works or it doesn’t.
“I don’t want to go into player recruitment last summer too deeply because it has nothing to do with me.
“We have a squad of players now that I’m happy with.
“My aim is still to improve the standard of the squad but that’s not to say it’s a bad squad.”