DARREN JACKSON has rejected chairman Stephen Thompson’s accusation that poor recruitment in the summer is the reason behind Dundee United’s dramatic slump this season. Jackson was part of Jackie McNamara’s backroom team at Tannadice until September when they were sacked and replaced by Mixu Paatelainen. Despite the managerial change, United are still bottom of the Ladbrokes Premiership, 11 points from safety, and in real danger of being relegated.

Thompson has pinned the blame for that situation on the players signed by McNamara in the last transfer window. “Our biggest mistake is our recruitment last summer wasn't good enough,” he said. “It's nothing to do with ambition or anything like that. The recruitment was poor and were paying the consequences at the moment.”

United signed seven players in the summer, including Rodney Sneijder who had his contract terminated after just one match, while others have featured only fleetingly. Former first-team coach Jackson, however, defended the reputation of those brought to the club by McNamara.

“I thought the boys we brought in were good players,” he said. “Sometimes it does take time when you’re bringing in so many. We weren’t on a good run either so confidence wasn’t great and new boys coming in maybe found it a little bit harder. But I wouldn’t say any of the players we brought in were bad players. It’s just not happened. Football is like a jigsaw and sometimes the pieces don’t fit and sometimes players don’t fit. Not everyone’s going to be an Andy Robertson, it takes time for players as well.

“Rodney Sneijder was an unbelievable player, a very, very good player. Unfortunately he just couldn’t handle the pressure. He’s had to live with that and he found it really hard, leaving. There are things you can’t legislate for or think that they will happen. In training, and when he came on in his first game, he looked excellent. It takes time for players to gel. They wanted youngsters and I still believe the youngsters like Spittal and Telfer are excellent.”

John Souttar is another young prospect who looks set to leave Tannadice in the summer after failing to agree a new contract. Celtic have been strongly linked but Jackson hopes the player may yet stay with United.

“I think it would be better for him to stay,” he added. “Would he get a game for Celtic right now? Probably not. He could play another 50 games and still just be 19. He’d have played nearly 200 games by that point and that’s the experience you need to go to the next level.”

- Darren Jackson was speaking at a William Hill event. William Hill is the proud sponsor of the SFA Scottish Cup.