Rumour Mill: Robertson | Europa League | Hibs

Dundee United set for £3m windfall from sale of Andy Robertson; delight for Dons and Saints but McCall blasts ‘soft’ Motherwell and Mark Oxley to decide on Hibs loan

Andrew Robertson, right, has followed Ryan Gauld out of the Tannadice exit. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

£3m windfall for United from Robertson sale

BARELY a month after selling Ryan Gauld to Sporting Lisbon, Dundee United have cashed in on another of their starlets by agreeing a fee with Hull City for the Scotland left-back to

United chief Stephen Thompson rejected four bids from Steve Bruce before the Tigers finally met his valuation of the youngster, who could make Hull’s Europa League squad if his registration is completed in time.

Thompson has now landed £6 million from the sales of Gauld and Robertson. (The Courier)

Dons set up Sociedad clash after Groningen glory

TWO first half goals from Adam Rooney and Niall McGinn were enough to set Aberdeen up with a tricky tie against Basque outfit Real Sociedad, after they sent Groningen crashing out in the Netherlands last night.

Rooney’s penalty and McGinn’s bundled second in quick succession stunned the Dutch side, who pulled a goal back but couldn’t rescue the tie.

A thrilled Derek McInnes said: “I’m not surprised as I always thought we could get the result.

“If I was nitpicking then we could have scored a couple more goals. It was more than deserved. We showed different aspects to our game with pace and invention on the break.” (Daily Record)

Saints banish Minsk misery with shoot-out win over Swiss

ALAN Mannus was the hero for St Johnstone after his vital penalty save from Luzern’s Marco Schneuwly sent the Saints marching into the third qualifying round of the Europa League.

St Johnstone faced another penalty shoot-out less than a year after they were knocked out by Belarussian side Minsk on penalties, but Steve MacLean, Liam Caddis, Dave Mackay, Stevie May and Tam Scobbie all scored their spot-kicks.

May - recalled after recovering from an injury - had put the McDiarmid Park side in front after Hochstrasser brought Gary Miller down in the box, but Luzern dangerman Schneuwly came off the bench in the second half to level both the score on the night and on aggregate.

Caddis hit the post in extra time, taking the tie to penalties, where St Johnstone triumphed. (The Scotsman)

McCall blasts ‘soft’ Steelmen after Stjarnan defeat

STUART McCall branded his side ‘soft’ after their 5-4 defeat to Icelandic part-timers Stjarnan last night.

With the tie balanced at 2-2 after the first leg, Stevie Hammell’s 11th-minute goal was cancelled out by Olafur Karl Finsen’s penalty - incredibly, the third penalty Keith Lasley had given away over the two legs.

Lionel Ainsworth - who gained an assist for the first goal - put Motherwell 2-1 up on the night and 4-3 on aggregate, but Stjarnan sub Rolf Toft was given all the time in the world to fire past Dan Twardzik in the Motherwell goal.

With the tie into extra time, Lasley dithered with only the ‘keeper to beat and his effort was charged down, and Atli Johansson’s superb volley six minutes from the end consigned Motherwell to a European defeat.

And although McCall claimed it wasn’t the time for lambasting people, he added: “To have been 2-0 up at Fir Park, then 1-0 and 2-1 up tonight, should’ve been enough.

“But we haven’t been strong enough to keep the lead. We had chances to kill the game off.

“Instead we were soft right through and let them back into it.” (The Scotsman / The Sun)

Oxley to decide on Hibs loan deal

HULL City ‘keeper Mark Oxley is close to agreeing a season-long loan deal with Hibernian, according reports in the Hull Daily Mail.

Oxley, 23, is effectively the Tigers’ fourth-choice goalie behind Allan McGregor, Steve Harper and Eldin Jakupovic, and is keen to gain further experience away from the KC Stadium after spending last season at Oldham.

Hibs head coach Alan Stubbs has been on the look-out for a recognised No 1, after the departures of Ben Williams, Sean Murdoch and Paul Grant left him with inexperienced duo Kleton Perntreou and Sean Brennan.

Alan Combe has joined the club primarily as a coach but may still be registered as a player, while French ‘keeper Antoine Gounet has been on trial with Hibs in the last few weeks. (Hull Daily Mail)