Darren Jackson yesterday played down Dundee United's tempestuous encounter with Inverness Caledonian Thistle the last time the pair met on cup duty, claiming his side will not be bullied when they head for the Highland capital on Scottish Cup business on Sunday.
United lost 2-1 after extra time in a League Cup quarter-final tie at the Caledonian Stadium last October, a match which resulted in Jackson, the United coach, being charged with misconduct along with the then Inverness manager Terry Butcher. The pair were 'red-carded' following a mass first-half brawl sparked by the dismissal of United's Nadir Ciftci.
Ross Draper, who hit the winner for the home side, further stoked the flames by claiming Inverness had prevailed by adopting streetwise tactics. "We were a bit more streetwise to get under their skin; You have to be because they are a good footballing side," he said.
Jackson, however, was having none of it. "Our boys are streetwise when it comes to playing football. You have to look after yourselves and make sure you are not getting bullied. All our focus is on going there and playing well; that's what our boys want to do."
Jackson believes the League Cup affair was blown out of proportion.
"It was something over nothing really," he maintained. "It shouldn't have happened and it was disappointing the way we went out of the League Cup. Hopefully, we can make up for that."
United have rediscovered their form, chalking up four successive wins to end a seven-game winless run, and Jackson said they never lost self-belief. "We go into every game confident. Yes, we went on a wee run there when we weren't winning, but we always believed."
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