Dundee United star Willo Flood backs Hearts to finish on a high

TANNADICE star insists it won’t be long before the Jambos show why they were being tipped for a title battle before a ball was even kicked.
Willo Flood wheels away towards the home fans after scoring a sensational opener Willo Flood wheels away towards the home fans after scoring a sensational opener

WILLO FLOOD last night insisted he’d never be duped by Hearts’ slow start to the season – because the Jambos are stick-ons to be title challengers come the end of the campaign.

The Scottish Cup holders are sitting a lowly ninth in the table with just one win to their credit – achieved way back on the opening day against St Johnstone.

Since then John McGlynn’s men have struggled to hit top gear and, despite giving a decent showing in their glamour Europa League ties against Liverpool, they head for Tayside on the back of a 2-0 defeat to St Mirren last weekend.

The Jambos have hardly been firing on all cylinders but Flood has been around long enough to know that the Tynecastle men will raise their game.

And he insists it won’t be long before they show why they were being tipped for a title battle before a ball was even kicked.

Flood said: “I just think at the start of the season a few teams have been inconsistent, including ourselves. The only ones who have started really well are maybe Motherwell and St Mirren.

“It’s been a bit up and down at the moment but hopefully we can start to get a run of games, be more consistent and get some points on the board.

“It’s a big game for us against Hearts and they are a good side. People say they have had a bad start but they haven’t really – they are only a win away from third place so it will be a tough game.

“I’m sure it will be a decent game of football and I still think Hearts will be right up there at the end of the season.

“People seem to be writing them off but I don’t know why. At the end of the day, they still have good players and one of the best back fours in the league.

“Big John Sutton is a top player, they’ve still got a lot of other decent players, like Andrew Driver and Arvydas Novikovas, and they’ll be right up there. There’s no doubting that. I’d be surprised if they weren’t come the end of the season.

“So they will be a tough nut to crack but we’ve been working on it this week and we’ll be trying our best to get the three points.”

United know a win over McGlynn’s men at Tannadice today could kick-start their season and midfielder Flood feels Peter Houston’s hopefuls should also be scrapping it out alongside Hearts near the summit of the SPL.

He added: “We’ve been preparing well this week and we fancy our chances. We fancy ourselves against anybody on our day.

“To be honest, I think we should be right up there challenging as well because we definitely have enough quality.

“We have got a lot of strength in depth with a few young lads playing now so long may it continue.”

The Tangerines were held to a goalless draw by relentless Ross County in last week’s Friday
night game.

But Flood believes Hearts will roll up from Edinburgh with a different approach.

With the Jambos desperate to right their recent wrongs and return to form, they’ll be on the hunt for goals – and Flood hopes United pick them off on the break.

He said: “Ross County came with a game-plan, played 4-4-2, and played a solid back four.

“Fair play to them because they came here for a draw and got it although I don’t think they deserved it because we had the better play and the better chances in the game.

“But Hearts won’t sit back. It will be a different kind of game from the one we encountered last Friday night.

“They’ll come out and try to win the game and I think it makes for a really exciting match.

“That will hopefully suit our more forward-thinking players and give them the chance to do what they’re good at.”

United new boy Gregory Vignal won’t make his debut yet while skipper Jon Daly may land a place on the bench as he recovers from his knee injury.

Taken from the Daily Record