Source: Team_Talk
Houston glad of quick turnaround
Dundee United manager Peter Houston is pleased the chance to avenge defeat against Motherwell has come around so swiftly.[LNB] United slipped to a 2-1 Scottish Premier League loss at Motherwell last Saturday, courtesy of two own goals, including one for Scott Severin inside the opening minute.[LNB]It was the second straight week in which United have begun a match lethargically, but Houston anticipates his side will be raring to go from the first whistle in tomorrow's Co-operative Insurance Cup quarter-final at Fir Park.[LNB]"It's great there's only two or three days for us to get an opportunity to right our wrongs," said Houston.[LNB]"We didn't play well on Saturday - Motherwell deserved to win, we didn't turn up.[LNB]"I'm sure knowing the players we've got, that we'll get a reaction from it - I'm absolutely positive that we'll start the game well tomorrow night."[LNB]Houston led United to Scottish Cup success at Hampden Park in May, with Craig Conway scoring twice in the 3-0 defeat of Ross County.[LNB]Conway is a doubt to play Well after suffering a recurrence of a problem in the back of his leg, which United believe to be at the base of his hamstring as scans of his knee have come back clear.[LNB]But even if their Hampden hero is absent tomorrow, United will be on the attack with the possibility of the national stadium hosting them in a last-four clash.[LNB]"We look at this game totally differently to Saturday," added Houston.[LNB]"We learn, hopefully, from our mistakes and one thing for sure is there's no point trying to sit back, you have to go and try and win a cup tie.[LNB]"We get an opportunity to get back to Hampden if we get through and that's the biggest incentive for the players.[LNB]"Going back to Hampden, in a semi-final, no matter who you're playing, it's a one-off game, anything can happen."[LNB]After successive defeats, Houston has called for his players to rediscover the qualities which led them to third place in the league and the Scottish Cup success last season.[LNB]"Before the Motherwell game we'd won four out of six and the two games we'd lost were the Old Firm," he added.[LNB]"We have to get back to basics of defending properly - I don't think we defended properly on Saturday - and that means from the front back.[LNB]"I don't think we won any second ball in the middle of the park and I don't think we won our individual battles.[LNB]"That's not like Dundee United, the team that's played for the last three or four years, and we have to get back to that."[LNB]Defeat would mean three straight losses for United ahead of Saturday's league meeting with Hibernian at Tannadice.[LNB]But Houston is only contemplating one outcome tomorrow.[LNB]"We've not got any thoughts in our heads of losing three on the trot," he said.[LNB]"It's a cup tie, it's a one-off game, but if we go into Hibs having lost tomorrow night I don't think it puts any pressure on us.[LNB]"The way I'm looking at it is we're going to try and get into a semi-final of a national cup.[LNB]"We have no thoughts of losing tomorrow night."[LNB]
