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“We have been working hard in training all week, looking at ways how we can beat Dundee United on Saturday.

“I think we have being lacking a bit of luck over the past month and the results have maybe affected the player’s confidence. Also certain scenarios in games have not gone for us. But we are not making any excuses. The only thing we can do is keep working hard to put things right.

“There have been a lot of rumours going about that the players have been fighting. There was a rumour about me fighting with the manager which is not the case. Everyone is 100% behind each other. All the lads are 100% together and we are all 100% behind the manager. As for the rumours, they are ridiculous. “People have just made up their own reasons for why the team have not been doing well. As I said we are all together and we will stick together. We are all going to work hard together to make sure we can put this right. We are training hard and the standard in training has been excellent. If we can play the way we have been training and we can take that form into a game then I sure we will do fine. The players are looking sharp and fit. We are all raring to go on Saturday.

“It would be difficult to go into the break without putting another win on the board but if we can beat Dundee United, then I think we would be putting our season back on track again and we can start to be the team everyone knows we can be.

“In the last couple of seasons, once we have got the international breaks out of the way, we have tended to have a strong spell from early November on into the New Year so we are hoping that we can do the same again this season and stay right in the thick of things.

“It won’t be easy because for the second home game in a row, we are up against a team who have brought in a new manager so we are well aware that Dundee United’s players will be looking to make an impression on Mixu Paatelainen but we are hopeful we can get the result that we all want.”