The Jack Ross and James Fowler era gets up and running tomorrow afternoon as St Mirren play host to Dundee United in a Ladbrokes Championship match-up at The Paisley 2021 Stadium.
St Mirren’s new management duo were put in place last week but they didn’t pick up the reins until Monday morning this week as they started to plan and prepare for the visit of Ray McKinnon’s Dundee United side.
For many United were the surprise relegation victims from the Premiership last season and, as so often happens, the Tannadice side have taken a little while to find their feet again in the second tier.
After the departure of manager Mixu Paatelainen from Tannadice at the end of last season, United looked to Raith Rovers who were steered to the promotion playoffs by former Dundee United player Ray McKinnon.
Over the summer McKinnon was handed the task to build a squad that would return to the Premiership at the first time of asking. Former Rangers keeper Cammy Bell was brought in to try and turn round the fortunes of a side that conceded 70 league goals last season. McKinnon looked to the mainland continent for his defence by signing Dutch player Frank van der Struijk and Frenchman William Edjenguele. Another Dutchman, Nick van der Velden was signed from Eredivisie side Willem II. The United gaffer also picked up some good Premiership experience with the signings of Tope Obadeyi from Kilmarnock and Stewart Murdoch from Ross County. The really impressive signing of United’s summer was a loan deal that brought former Hamilton Academical player Tony Andreu in on loan from Norwich City. It has been a shrewd signing to date as he has banged in six goals in as many appearances for United.
As already mentioned, new St Mirren manager Jack Ross and his assistant, James Fowler started earlier this week with the task of turning around St Mirren’s fortunes. The new duo have had a good base to work from as they took over on Monday morning after a fine 2-1 win against Hibernian in the IRN-BRU Cup last weekend at Easter Road. The Hibees took the lead on 37 minutes through Alex Harris but a stunning free-kick from Stephen Mallan had Saints level again just ahead of the half-time break. The game looked to be heading towards extra-time but David Clarkson’s late strike was enough to push Saints into the quarter-finals where they will face Ayr United next month.
St Mirren and Dundee United last faced each other in the 2014/15 Premiership campaign. United won the first two outings that season, both 3-0, with the final meeting between the sides taking place on 21st January 2015 when they battled out a 1-1 draw at The Paisley 2021 Stadium. The goal scorers, Kenny McLean for St Mirren and United’s Stuart Armstrong, were both close to the end of their time with the clubs as McLean would be at Aberdeen and Armstrong at Celtic by the end of the January transfer window.
You have to go back to 26th December 2013 to find Saints last win against The Tangerines. Goals from Steven Thompson and John McGinn had Saints ahead ten minutes before half-time at Tannadice but Nadir Ciftci gave the home side hope as he pulled back a goal before the break. Saints weren’t to be denied though as late goals from Jason Naismith and Steven Thompson secured a 4-1 win for the Paisley side.
