Source: Team_Talk
Houston expecting contract offer
Peter Houston expects to be asked to extend his contract with Dundee United after Sunday's 3-2 SPL win at Motherwell secured European football.[LNB] Terrors boss Houston even joked he would knock chairman Stephen Thompson out if he was not offered a new deal.[LNB]Jon Daly struck a double at Fir Park as United beat Well to guarantee a top-four finish and all but clinch third place.[LNB]Houston has led his players on an 11-match unbeaten run and the Scottish Cup finalists could cut the gap on second-placed Celtic to four points at Tannadice next Sunday.[LNB]Craig Levein's former assistant, who took over on a caretaker basis in December, has postponed talks on his future until after the May 15 clash against Ross County at Hampden.[LNB]But there is no doubt he expects to be in charge when United return to European football after a five-year absence.[LNB]"I'll be honest and say if we won the cup final and finish third, then if he doesn't ask me, I'll knock him out," Houston joked.[LNB]"I would expect that, let's be honest, if they are looking for another manager I would be surprised, but stranger things have happened in football.[LNB]"We always decided that the week after the cup final we would sit down and have a blether and see where we are."[LNB]Houston has succeeded where Levein failed in taking United into Europe but he was quick to credit the Scotland manager.[LNB]"It was three and a half years ago when Craig Levein asked me to come in and assist him, when Dundee United were rock bottom of the league," he said.[LNB]"This is the culmination of three and a half years' hard work. I'm delighted we have improved the team, that was always the intention.[LNB]"We have made a lot of changes in that time and it's great credit to the players and Craig as well.[LNB]"We have improved every year and this year we thought we had a good chance of getting third.[LNB]"We were heading in the right direction when Craig left. It was a good bunch of players and it was just about trying to continue that.[LNB]"Craig bought all the players. I don't want the credit for all the hard work Craig put in. I'm just delighted to take it on."[LNB]Motherwell manager Craig Brown admitted his side had shot themselves in the foot after conceding three soft goals.[LNB]Goalkeeper Michael Fraser slipped before hitting the ball off Daly and into the net in the fifth minute and his poor pass to Mark Reynolds led to the corner that the unmarked Daly volleyed home just before half-time, after John Sutton had headed the first of his two goals for the hosts.[LNB]"All I'll say is that he came in and immediately apologised to his team-mates," Brown said of his goalkeeper, who was deputising for the injured John Ruddy.[LNB]Another slip, this time from Chris Humphrey, allowed Craig Conway to fire home a third that bounced off the turf and over Fraser before Well came up short with a late comeback amid some denied penalty claims.[LNB]"I'm pleased with the spirit of the lads and the performance in the most part," Brown said. "Obviously I'm disappointed with the way we conceded the goals."[LNB]The former Scotland boss lost Keith Lasley to injury before the game and captain Stephen Craigan in the 36th minute, and Lukas Jutkiewicz was restricted to the last quarter amid his knee problem.[LNB]"I'm not making excuses but we don't have an extensive pool," Brown said. "Resources are tight."
