Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes believes new Dundee United manager Mixu Paatelainen will save the Arabs from relegation – but is confident he can get the better of the Finn at Pittodrie this afternoon.
The Tangerines are bottom of the league with only eight points from the opening 13 matches – a stark contrast to the same stage last season when they had accumulated 25 and were only a point behind leaders Celtic.
The poor start to this campaign cost former manager Jackie McNamara his job with recently-appointed Paatelainen guiding United to only their second win of the season with a nervy 1-0 victory against Ross County last weekend.
United head north on the back of a painful 3-0 defeat by Championship side Hibernian in the quarter-finals of the League Cup, which further emphasised the difficult task facing former Don Paatelainen if he is to guide the Tannadice side away from danger.
McInnes believes United’s luck will turn, but is hopeful an upturn in fortunes will not start today.
He said: “I am surprised by where they are in the table, but there is not much between the teams in this league.
“Confidence is huge, especially when you have a lot of younger players.
“Even though they are bottom of the league, United are still a decent team and there is a familiarity there.
“A new manager is in and he is still finding out about his team.
“They are probably still finding a way of playing that suits them and gives them the best chance of winning games.
“I have no doubt Mixu will get it right. They got a good result against Ross County last weekend but they didn’t manage to follow that up with the result against Hibernian on Wednesday night.
“They were up against a good Hibs team that is playing with loads of confidence.
“I think sometimes, as we have found ourselves, confidence is so vital in getting players to perform at their best.”
While there has been little to admire about United’s start to the new campaign, McInnes’ side has also been far from impressive in recent weeks.
A loss of form has led to the Dons losing five of their previous six fixtures, but McInnes is upbeat about his side’s chances of returning to winning ways this afternoon.
The Aberdeen manager added: “We need to show we are good enough to win the game on Saturday by having confidence and composure.
“The difference between myself and Mixu is I know my players.
“Mixu is still finding out about his squad. Even though we are not on a good run at the moment, I have total confidence and trust the answers to win games are in the squad.
“That is the difference I have over Mixu at the moment.
“I know what I have is good enough to get back to winning games.”