Liam Fox insists he still retains full faith in his players despite publicly questioning their personality and bravery.
The Dundee United head coach made those comments in the aftermath of the disappointing Scottish Cup exit to Kilmarnock at Tannadice last weekend. It was United’s fourth defeat in a row with the club propping up the Premiership table and fed-up fans becoming increasingly angry with the situation. Fox, however, believes he possesses players who will stand up and be counted to dig the club out of the hole they find themselves in, starting on Saturday in a Tayside derby with St Johnstone at Tannadice.
The 39-year-old said: “I talked about character and personality because when you’re a footballer, especially when you have had a few bad results and people are getting on your backs, you need to show it. It’s about trusting yourself and sticking to the things you work on every day. You don’t just become a bad player overnight. Players are here because they are good players – a few bad passes or a few below-par games doesn’t change that.
“That’s what we have been talking to them about and my job is to continually go over what’s expected and give them structure. I have real belief in the group because we have some really good talent.
“We have seen some flashes of what we can do but we need to keep believing it and stick to it. I take the responsibility because I am the one asking them to do it. All I ask of the players is to go out there and do what’s being asked of them. If they execute it and it doesn’t go right then that’s on me. Part of my job is to take that pressure off them, that’s how I see it.”
Fox has been in the game a long time both as a player and a coach but the United job is only his second in the managerial hotseat, following a previous spell in charge at Cowdenbeath.
But the former Livingston and Raith midfielder insists he is not tempted to seek help from elsewhere and will continue to manage in his own way.
The Tannadice gaffer said: “Do I seek advice from other people? It’s about me being crystal clear in what we need to do. When you speak to too many people it can become muddled and getting various opinions can leave things clouded. I have been in the game a long time and have worked with a lot of managers and coaches.
“So I need to do it my way. If I start doing it someone else’s way or trying to be someone else then it becomes clouded. I am happy to take the responsibility, that’s the job of a manager.”
United’s owner, American Mark Ogren, is due to fly in to Scotland today and has a meeting scheduled with Fox.
The head coach is looking forward to talking with Ogren and hopes to treat him to a win over St Johnstone.
He said: “I have regular contact with the chairman on Zoom and in text messages. He was always planning to come over now, it has been in the diary for a while. I will sit down with him, we will have a bit of lunch or a cup of tea and catch up on everything. Hopefully we can get a positive result in Saturday’s game when he’s here.”
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