In front of a nail-biting Championship title race finale, Jack Walton has asked Dundee United supporters to “stick with us.”
Last Friday night at East End Park, United received overwhelming support once more. Manager Jim Goodwin acknowledged that the visiting Arabs were “let down” following the 3-1 loss.
By the time Colin Steven blew the final whistle, a significant portion of those supporters had left. Those that stayed expressed their emotions rather clearly.
Walton insists he knows how frustrating it is to lose three league games in a row after winning seven championships. Before this streak, United had only lost two league games in their previous TWENTY-TWO games.
But before the final seven games, he has emphasized the significance of the fans, who have cheered on the Terrors in large numbers throughout the season.
“We would have liked to win on Friday and go four points clear on the night, but the fact is we didn’t take that chance, and I understand the frustration of the supporters,” Walton said in an interview with Courier Sport.
“Unfortunately, we fell short of our expectations despite knowing our expectations and our performance for the most part this season. We were killed in the first half. From 2-0, it’s an uphill struggle.
But the fans are essential. It truly helps and motivates us when they support us.
Walton responded, “The message is stick with us,” when asked what he would say to United fans who are concerned that the Terrors are faltering as a heated battle for the championship enters the final stretch.
“It will be close for the remainder of the season, so we need you.” And we must ensure that we carry out our duties.
Raith Rovers did not capitalize on United’s error, playing out a respectable 0-0 draw at Queen’s Park that was somewhat disappointing given the stakes.
Still, Ian Murray’s team was level on points at the top of the Championship after the draw.
Top spot is maintained by the Tangerines’ better goal differential.
With a sprint finish anticipated and Rovers scheduled to visit Tannadice on March 30, Walton is adamant that their campaign cannot be derailed by a significant off-night in Dunfermline.
Given that Raith will not be playing the following weekend, United will lead the Kirkcaldy club by six points if they win their next two home games (against Rovers and Inverness). A big if.
He went on, “It wasn’t the outcome we wanted, and we were penalized for missing the races.”
However, we must get back up and ensure that the outcome does not define our season. We need to make sure that we return to our strengths next week (against Inverness) as we have seven games remaining.
We must examine the game and the goals we gave up as a team. From our point of view, they were undoubtedly highly avoidable; perhaps all it takes is returning to the fundamentals.
