McNamara ready for Celtic test
Dundee United manager Jackie McNamara has backed his side to come good in Saturday's Ladbrokes Premiership game with Celtic in the wake of their Hamilton humiliation.
The Tangerines host Ronny Deila's champions at Tannadice when they will be aiming to make amends for last weekend's 4-0 thrashing from Accies at New Douglas Park.
McNamara himself came under pressure from angry United fans for the manner of their display but he is confident his players can make amends in the televised lunchtime meeting.
McNamara said: "It's all about moving on from the Hamilton game.
"Make no mistake, it's a great game to be involved in against Celtic. Any player wants to test themselves against the best and that's how we'll be looking at this match. It should be a cracking atmosphere as Celtic will bring a good crowd as they always do.
"We will get tested properly on Saturday, that's for sure, so we need to make sure we start properly and with high intensity.
"The atmosphere was a bit flat in the Hamilton game compared to the derby match with Dundee a few days earlier when there was a lot of intensity. But it will be different against Celtic and we've got to be ready for it.
"We were very disappointed with the football side of things last Saturday. But it's up to us to try and put it right come Saturday and I'm confident we'll see a positive reaction.
"We've had one bad result this season so far so we don't panic. We know what we're capable of and want to produce that kind of display."
Meanwhile, United may be boosted by the return of the long-term injured Ryan Dow. The winger has been sidelined since the end of last season but McNamara insists he is getting closer to a top-team return.
However, defender Callum Morris (Achilles) and striker Mario Bilate (hamstring) are still out while Dutch summer signing Rodney Sneijder is back in his native Holland after undergoing tests on a virus.
Celtic striker Nadir Ciftci will serve the fifth of a six-game domestic ban against his former club.
Deila refused to get into a war of words with Malmo keeper Johan Wiland after he accused Celtic of acting like "pigs" and children in their Champions League play-off tie.
The Hoops boss has also refuted the claim of the Swedish club's boss, Age Hareide, that the Scottish champions "do not have the legs for 90 minutes".
Wiland made the comments after Malmo were beaten 3-2 by Celtic in the first leg of their Champions League play-off encounter at Parkhead on Wednesday night.
Quoted on the Kvallsposten newspaper's website, the 34-year-old keeper said: "They are pigs, everybody, that's it."
Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths netted two goals but did not impress Wiland who said: "Griffiths is, I do not know what to say. He behaves like a child."
However, ahead of the trip to Dundee United in the Ladbrokes Premiership on Saturday lunchtime, Deila was not keen to respond to the "pigs" comment which, reportedly, Wiland has subsequently tried to soften.
"We can't go to that level, that is not Celtic," said the Norwegian.
"It is up to them to say whatever they want.
"I watched the game one more time and I didn't see any trouble.
"It was a fair game and as far as I remember we won 3-2.
"That was a result that we are happy with and we have a good opportunity to go through in Malmo."
Source: PAR
