Paatelainen to make instant impact at Dundee United
Published:
Fresh from being appointed manager of Dundee United this week, new boss Mixu Paatelainen will be plenty aware of the work that needs to be done at Tannadice.
The Terrors sit bottom of the Ladbrokes Premiership after a woeful start to the season but Ladbrokes’ odds of 4/1 to finish in the top half come May is testament to the quality of the United squad.
Paatelainen spent five years at Tannadice as a player, and can call upon both club and national management experience in Scotland and abroad.
The former Hibernian and Kilmarnock manager has been out of the dugout since departing as boss of Finland in the summer, and has signed a four-year deal with United, running through until 2018.
Propping up the table with five points, the Terrors haven’t won in the league for over two months, since the second weekend of the season.
Two subsequent draws weren’t enough to keep Jackie McNamara in the hotseat, but Paatelainen has an excellent chance to open his tenure at United with a win.
The Finn’s first game as boss is this Sunday at home to Hearts, and though the Edinburgh side sit third, they’re very much out of sorts.
Hearts won their first five games this season upon returning to the Ladbrokes Premiership, but since a 3-0 win over Partick in August to make it five wins on the spin, the wheels have fallen off the Jam Tarts’ wagon.
A trio of defeats have been stemmed somewhat by back to back draws with Celtic and Kilmarnock, but it’s six weeks since Hearts won a game.
With a squad widely regarded as one which should be featuring in the top half, and a group of players no doubt eager to impress the new boss, United’s odds of 15/8 to win on Sunday afternoon will surely attract attention.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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