Dundee United manager Craig Levein has talked about this game being a release for his players and the fans, a chance to get their minds back onto football. It'll be interesting to see how they get on. Last season, Manchester United struggled in an emotional tribute to the victims of the Munich aircrash and never really got going in the first half of their game against Manchester City, eventually losing 2-1. While tomorrow's game is not on the same scale, it will still be emotional for everyone connected with United and they could end up struggling. Of course, there's just as much chance of them coming out fired up and playing us off the park as there would be no better tribute to their chairman.
Levein has built up a reputation in recent years for plucking players from the lower leagues and turning them into stars on the big stage. Morgaro Gomis has done well since signing from Cowdenbeath a few years ago, while Danny Swanson has looked an exciting prospect after his arrival from Berwick Rangers at the start of the year. Levein took over at Tannadice two years ago and there are few players left from when he arrived. Those that are have improved a great deal, with defender Lee Wilkie not looking quite as rash and clumsy as he did before.
One of the players Levein shipped out has ended up at Love Street. Steven Robb was allowed to leave Tannadice in the summer due to his injury problems and pitched up at Saints. After overcoming some more injuries, he seems to be gaining confidence every week and could come back to haunt his former club. It's happened often enough to us in the past so it's time for payback! Jim Hamilton counts Dundee United as one of his many former clubs and is set to return to the squad after injury, while another ex-Arab - Stephen O'Donnell - will probably miss out.
The injuries are beginning to cause a concern at Love Street, with David Barron still out and Tom Brighton just back in training. Tonet is also out with injury, although given his recent performances this is no great worry. Everyone else is relatively fit, aside from the odd knock here and there, which is just as well as - barring postponements - there won't be a break for some time. It's likely to be the same side that faced Hamilton last week that starts tomorrow, with no one really doing their chances of a first team place any favours in Tuesday's reserve game. The poor showings by Andy Dorman - who scored twice against United at Tannadice last season - and Craig Dargo are particularly worrying.
Tannadice is never an easy place to go to at the best of times, and the emotion combined with the big crowd is likely to help United edge this one by a goal or two.