Robertson wary of County

DUNDEE UNITED midfielder Scott Robertson admits the Scottish Cup winners will have to adjust to being a "scalp" as they prepare to face a team aiming to make amends for Hampden heartache.

United began the season on a high after their May success against Ross County, which followed an ultimately convincing third-place finish in the SPL.

Unlike many of their rivals, United kept hold of the vast majority of their first-choice team but they have won just one of their first six matches.

They go into tonight's Co-operative Insurance Cup third-round clash against Ross County in Dingwall as favourites following that 3-0 Hampden success, and Robertson is comfortable with the expectation.

But the 25-year-old admits United, who also beat County 2-0 at the same stage of the League Cup last season, have to raise their game because their success has made them a target. "We want to achieve what we achieved last year, if not better," Robertson said.

"But you probably set those goals every year, it doesn't change for us. The only thing that has changed is other teams' perceptions of us. Having won the cup and finished third, they will probably see us as a scalp and raise their game against us, which is a totally different mentality to have playing against opposition like that.

"Given how well they did in the semi-final against Celtic, they will probably have been disappointed at how they performed in the final. I'm not saying it was easy, but I don't think they quite reached the levels they did in the semi-final. I'm sure they will want to rectify that."