Dundee Utd 0 - 1 Aberdeen: Andy Webster berates United for lack of mental pluck

Published on Sunday 3 January 2010 22:59

ANDY Webster has accused his Dundee United team-mates of failing to show "mental toughness" following the departure of Craig Levein.

United's form has dipped alarmingly since Levein left to take charge of Scotland a week and a half ago. From looking a safe bet to qualify for the Europa League, the Tannadice side have garnered only one Clydesdale Bank Premier League point and one goal from their three matches under caretaker manager Peter Houston.

Saturday saw them lose at home to north-east rivals Aberdeen for the first time in four years, a result that came hot on the heels of Wednesday night's 7-1 thrashing at Rangers.

Asked if United's season was in danger of unravelling, Webster – who is on loan from Ibrox – said: "It had better not. Sometimes, when you're not playing well, it's the mental side of things just to grind things out.

"As an individual and a team, if you're not playing well, keep battling away and try to do the right things and things will always come good."

The mini-slump appears to have highlighted the need for chairman Stephen Thompson to appoint Levein's successor as quickly as possible. Houston, who has ruled himself out of the running for the role, has revealed one candidate had already been interviewed, with more to follow this week.

Webster, who has been skippering the side in the absence of Lee Wilkie, said: "The chairman and the board will obviously have to take their time making the right decision. It should place a bigger emphasis on the players to take a bit more responsibility.

"The players haven't changed. It's an easy excuse to say the manager's left if we get beaten. You should have the mental toughness just to get on with it."

Houston admitted his players may have been feeling sorry for themselves following the result at Ibrox, and Webster agreed: "It will have some effect. How much you let it affect you is up to the individual. It's like anything; no matter how negative it is, you try to take the positives out of it and work even harder.

"Going to Ibrox, it was always going to be extremely difficult to get the three points. But it's things like last week at home to Kilmarnock, drawing 0-0, like losing 1-0 (to Aberdeen]. Our home form's been not what it should."

United were beaten on Saturday despite playing against ten men for the final half an hour after Davide Grassi was sent off for lashing out at Webster.

Aberdeen's winner arrived in the 15th minute courtesy of Charlie Mulgrew's fourth goal of the season. "It's a great three points for us," said the defender after helping his side bounce back from a hat-trick of defeats.

Mulgrew is free to sign a pre-contract with another club this month, with negotiations over a new deal at Pittodrie finely poised.