THE name Ryan Gauld has been kicked about during a number of team meetings this season.

Getting close enough to swing a boot at the wee blighter for real has proved to be harder, the Dundee United forward identified as a clear threat by opponents in the SPFL Premiership but one which tends to become frustratingly elusive on a Saturday afternoon. The teenager is expected to be seen stepping on to the pitch at Tannadice tomorrow and from then on will be watched closely by a Partick Thistle team who have spent this week going back over the menace posed by Gauld.

The forward has been a focus of discussion for Alan Archibald's side, then, although the Thistle manager's own interest has been held more tightly by another. He was able to watch United during pre-season and marshalled his side to a draw against them on the opening league game of the season, each time being captivated by Stuart Armstrong. The midfielder has been part of a fluid, attacking four for United this term, even if he has at times been made to hold his position in Gauld's shadow, only peeking out to slide an intelligent pass down a channel or make a late burst into the penalty area. And the Scotland squad.

Armstrong would ask questions of Thistle in August, too, but the Firhill side proved unwilling to open up. The goalless draw is the only clean sheet that Thistle have kept all season - their last trip to Tannadice ended in a 4-1 defeat and an exit from the Scottish League Cup - with the subsequent 15 matches having been marked by moments of insufficient defending and the occasional mishap in front of goal. The Glasgow side have become unsteady in the top flight, then, and now teeter just four points above the league's relegation play-off place. A gusting run from Armstrong could cause them to fall into disrepair.

That frailty was acknowledged by Archibald yesterday but so was the opportunity for his side to blow a draft through this United team, since both sides have found attack to be a more appealing form of defence. "Our only clean sheet at Firhill came against them but it was a very open nil-nil," said the Thistle manager. "We saw them in a few games in pre-season and Ryan Gauld was very, very good, I must say, but the one for me is [Stuart] Armstrong. He stood out a mile and I like all the qualities he has, but they have an embarrassment of riches up there. You've got guys like Chris Erskine who can't get a game.

"We single these guys out, make the boys aware of a team's strengths; I think you have to in the modern game. You can't give players excuses to turn up and say 'I didn't know he did that' or 'I was surprised he went that way'. But all you can do is give them as much information as you can and then it is up to them when they get on that pitch. We maybe just need to be a bit more rigid and keep it a wee bit tighter at the back."

United cannot afford to be similarly miserly, since the club were informed yesterday that they had failed in an appeal against a compensation fee being demanded for Damian Casalinuovo by Velez Sarsfield of Argentina. The forward would only spend a year on Tayside having been signed initially as a 'free agent' but the impact of his move is still being felt as the Court of Arbitration for Sport has ruled that United must pay £163,000 plus interest to Sarsfield.

The club had already been busy discussing another deal, with Nadir Ciftci having been approached about extending his contract. The forward has scored seven goals since arriving in the summer and that is likely to add to improved terms in the coming weeks. "Nadir loves it here and we love having him at the club, so there are just a few wee things that need to be ironed out," Jackie McNamara, the United manager, said. "We want to keep these lads together and there's another couple we're looking to tie up, such as Mark Wilson, who is up in January."

There are others who might not be so easy to keep a hold of. Gary Mackay-Steven is another clad in orange whose future seems bright, particularly given he has rounded the edges of his game. The United winger had become conspicuous for a series of arresting tricks and the odd pirouette - the sort of thing which made him a hit on YouTube and helped bring a first Scotland cap last week - and he can now be seen chasing back to retrieve possession and offering greater protection for the full-back.

It is the sort of thing which McNamara is taken with, and which interested clubs might be inclined to take on. "For Gary to get a cap for Scotland should hopefully do wonders for his confidence," said the manager. "It will give him a lift another wee lift going into the game against Thistle. His attitude is great and I'm delighted for him. Gary has added the wee things to his game. He's now tracking back when he doesn't have the ball and is working ever so hard for the team, as well as concentrating better."