All eyes on Tannadice tonight for Falkirk boss

Peter Houston will be an interested observer at Tannadice tonight when Dundee United host Hibernian.
Peter Houston will be on TV screens around the country tonight. Pic by Michael Gillen.Peter Houston will be on TV screens around the country tonight. Pic by Michael Gillen.
Peter Houston will be on TV screens around the country tonight. Pic by Michael Gillen.

Falkirk are sandwiched between the two sides in the SPFL Championship table and the result will have a bearing on their post-season ambitions.

Houston, who will be summarising with BT Sport, is happy for the match to be coined as a ‘title decider’ in some areas, despite the Bairns splitting the pair.

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“It’ll be mentioned as a title decider, but that suits us. We flew under the radar last year and we’ll happily do the same again and take our campaign one game at a time.

Neil Lennon. Pic by Ian Georgeson.Neil Lennon. Pic by Ian Georgeson.
Neil Lennon. Pic by Ian Georgeson.

“It doesn’t worry me if people don’t want to write or talk about us. Write and talk about us when we succeed. The pressure’s taken off us a little bit.

Dundee United are a big club and under pressure to get up, Hibs have been down for a while and are a big club too, and are under pressure to get back up.

“They are top division clubs who find themselves in theChampionship. We are also a club designed for the top level too because look at the support we carry here – it’s bigger than half the division on a Saturday. But we have to earn it.”

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Hibs are the bookmakers’ favourites, but it is a tie which could go either way.

United boss Ray McKinnon. Pic by Michael Gillen.United boss Ray McKinnon. Pic by Michael Gillen.
United boss Ray McKinnon. Pic by Michael Gillen.

The Bairns boss added: “I was going up anyway, but the TV have asked me to do the game, and I’m looking forward to it.

“I honestly don’t know what way it will go and it’ll be a tough one for both sides, and I’m sitting thinking I’m not sure which result I’d want from it.

“There’s pressure on both teams, there’s pressure on Hibs to maintain and not let Dundee United get closer to them. There’s also pressure on United not wanting a team like Falkirk to get too far ahead. If they were to lose and we win at Ayr there would be four points difference - albeit with games in hand.

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“That’s the pressure Dundee United have to handle and Hibs getting away, there’s also pressure with being in front for Hibs.

Neil Lennon. Pic by Ian Georgeson.Neil Lennon. Pic by Ian Georgeson.
Neil Lennon. Pic by Ian Georgeson.

“United won the last game up there 1-0 win a penalty kick, and by all accounts that was deserved.

“Neil [Lennon] will be happy with the cup form but one or two wee things in the league has irked him, and every manager wants a level of consistency, but that’s like every teram in the division.

“The more consistent teams are the best. The ones where they can turn up regularly.

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“We’ve had games at The Falkirk Stadium where we’ve not turned up and I’ve moaned about the points dropped. Games where if we have any ambition to get out of this division, we should be winning.

United boss Ray McKinnon. Pic by Michael Gillen.United boss Ray McKinnon. Pic by Michael Gillen.
United boss Ray McKinnon. Pic by Michael Gillen.

“Neil has the same ambitions as me, and you always want the players as professional as they can be, but there’s pressure on different sides for different reasons.”

Falkirk play Ayr United tomorrow at Somerset Park. Pre-match odds and stats here.