Source: Team_Talk
Watson takes confidence from Athens
Keith Watson believes Dundee United can use their improvement in Athens as inspiration to get their SPL season back on track.[LNB] The Tannadice team recorded a deserved 1-1 draw against AEK Athens on Thursday and were inches away from going through to the Europa League group stages when Danny Swanson narrowly missed a chance in the final minutes.[LNB]Watson, who played in both legs and is making the right-back position his own, reckons the confidence boost from Thursday can help them go to face Hearts on Sunday ready to erase the memory of their 4-0 defeat to Inverness last weekend.[LNB]He said: "I thought I was much better and the team as a whole played very well on Thursday.[LNB]"We were disappointed after the first leg at Tannadice because we didn't feel we did ourselves justice.[LNB]"In Athens we showed what we are capable of and we feel we could have gone through - all the boys are disappointed at going out and we should be because we almost made it.[LNB]"From my point of view I'm also pleased because I was not happy with the first leg and I wanted to improve.[LNB]"We had gone into the game on the back of two poor results but I think we showed we're getting back to our best.[LNB]"Obviously playing Hearts is going to be a big test because they have started the season really well but our confidence is up again after outplaying a top team like AEK for a while on Thursday.[LNB]"The European thing is over now, it's all about the league again and that's what we'll focus on.[LNB]"The lads want to improve on last season so that means going to places like Tynecastle and picking up points."[LNB]United played in a virtually empty stadium on Thursday because of security concerns when the match was switched to the home of AEK's deadly rivals Olympiacos.[LNB]But while they had the backing of their own fans only in midweek, Watson expects a marked contrast at Tynecastle.[LNB]"It was weird running out (in Athens) and all we could see were empty seats on the far side, but we could hear our fans," he said.[LNB]"They were amazing and all the boys were talking about it.[LNB]"It was like there were 5,000 not 500 there and I pleased we gave them something to shout about.[LNB]"Tynecastle will be totally different from the other night because it's one of the best stadiums to play in and I'm sure it will be near a full house.[LNB]"The fact the fans are so close to the pitch always makes it great, so it really will be one extreme to the other."[LNB]United will recall strikers Jon Daly and David Goodwillie for the trip to Edinburgh, while Danny Cadamarteri is an injury doubt.
