Simon Donnelly says Dundee pulling off their “great escape” and avoiding relegation would be a big bonus for everyone at Tannadice.
The Dundee United assistant boss was overseeing training at St Andrews on Thursday in the absence of manager Jackie McNamara who was at Hampden for what turned out to be an unsuccessful appeal against Barry Douglas’s red card.
And Donnelly revealed that, having sampled a taste of two derbies since he and McNamara took over at the club from Peter Houston, he feels the games would be a big loss if Dundee are relegated.
He said: “I think if you ask the players, the fans and everyone involved, the derbies are great. We have been involved in two since we came here and they capture the imagination of everyone in Dundee.
“It is a tall order for them to stay up but stranger things have happened in football.
“So if the derbies were there for us again next season it would be superb, but it’s not really something we have focused on.”
Instead, Donnelly and the rest of the United camp have Saturday’s Tayside derby with St Johnstone firmly in their sights.
The two sides have drawn three times this season with United only being denied a victory last month at McDiarmid when Liam Craig scored with a last-gasp header.
Donnelly believes there will be little between the two teams again as the Tangerines prepare for their first Saturday fixture since April 6.
However, with Saints sitting six points ahead of sixth-placed United in fourth, the Tangerines are determined to pick up all three points.
Donnelly said: “We were disappointed the last time we played them when they scored with the last touch of the game.
“I wouldn’t imagine it would be anything other than a tight match on Saturday. All credit to St Johnstone, they have had a good season to get where they are. If you look at the league and, with the greatest of respect, when you see Ross County, Inverness and St Johnstone up there and a lot of teams in the bottom six that you would not expect to see there, it’s credit to them and they deserve to be where they are.
“But we are at home so it would be good to get three points. We have just had two Friday night games and they haven’t suited us, for whatever reason.
“It isn’t often these days that you get to play at three o’clock on a Saturday so we are really looking forward to it.”
He added: “We have said to the boys that there are three games left and we want to finish on some sort of high. There is pride to play for, positions in the league and the outside chance of qualifying for Europe.
“So they are raring to go for the game against St Johnstone.”
Keith Watson is struggling to be fit, while Richie Ryan is also doubtful, although there is a chance Johnny Russell could return after his recovery from a broken leg.