Mixu Paatelainen praises support of Dundee United board

Mixu Paatelainen insists the club's board have done everything possible during Dundee United's Premier League relegation fight.

United sit 11 points adrift at the bottom of the table ahead of Saturday's trip north to face an in-form Ross County. 

The club announced this week a profit of almost £4m from the sales of Andy Robertson, Ryan Gauld, Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven and manager Paatelainen believes their strategy is correct. 

"Money is everything to a football club, if there's no money, there's no club, that comes before everything, Of course we want to manage the money well," he said.

"It's great that the club has made profit, we all know how quickly money is spent in football as well, and it is an expensive business. 

"For a club our size, I think it's only natural and very important that the club looks to sell players to make revenue and survive.

"That's why we put a lot of emphasis on youth coaching, making sure we do everything to develop our own youngsters to make the first team.

"It is expensive to bring in players, if you produce young players and they make the first team and you sell them on, it's a healthy recipe.

"Dundee United is known for developing youngsters and selling them on but Dundee United is not the only club. Every club tries to do that."

Paatelainen is looking at Ross County's great escape last year when Jim McIntyre's side claimed 25 points from nine games after sitting bottom of the table on 12 points on February 7. 

He said: "They are a good example of what can be done through hard work. I want to pay compliment to the players and coaching staff, Jim has done a fantastic job there.

"We know exactly how they felt last season, they used their opportunity, after a couple of victories they used their momentum and confidence to stay up, it was a tremendous achievement."

United boosted their fragile survival hopes with a 2-1 victory over Hearts last weekend where they showed a solidarity with one another, similar to the Celtic huddle.

"It wasn't a huddle, it was a cuddle, Dundee United do a cuddle not a huddle, just to make that clear," said the Finn.

"Our assistant head coach Gordon Young suggested to the players they should do something like that and that's what they did. 

"Because the unity is there, the squad is fantastic, the boys really pull together and I think it's good to show that out there."