“In general, I think we’d rather be training and playing than having a free weekend at this time of the season, although it does give people who’ve had wee knocks or aches a few days to get themselves ready again,” he said.

“To deal with the specific point about us, a lot has been written and said about us under-achieving as a group, but, having had to watch most of the games because I’ve been injured, I think it is fair to say that we have actually been playing a bit better than last year.

“I’m not trying to kid people by saying that. For long spells, we’ve been playing decent football, but the results haven’t reflected that, so, while the criticism is not nice, you have to take it.

“There is pressure on this club to achieve. In the last couple of years since that pressure has intensified, we have finished fifth in the league, reached semi-finals, a Scottish Cup Final and Europe, so we have made progress.

“Don’t get me wrong, the league position last year was nothing like acceptable and we are not as high as we should be now.”

And, having been a spectator during much of the last two months, he has been able to pinpoint the biggest single setback.

“I think everyone knows that going out of Europe to MyPa was a huge blow to us and it’s taken a while to recover.

“We’ve been showing signs of that and, in a way, it is good we are playing Rangers on Sunday because we have a good record against them recently and a big result would be the kind of thing we need for a good run.”

Another ingredient in the recipe for recovery was the clean sheet against Kilmarnock a fortnight ago. That Tannadice stalemate may not have been pleasing on the eye, but McInnes feels it represented an important confidence boost.

“Fans like to see goals and that’s the way it should be, but, for us, it is also important that we are solid defensively. There’s been a few games where we haven’t been and, in the build up to the Killie game, we worked hard on that, so not to concede was pleasing.

“If we keep that going, we can be confident of getting up where we want to be, because I feel we will always create chances — in most games this season we have.”

Just as he is backing his own team to recover from a sluggish start, he believes former employers Rangers will be back challenging at the top before long, though he is happy to put just a little more pressure on them.

“It is still too early in the season to be judging teams, and that goes for them as well as us. I am sure they will put in a strong challenge for the title, but, if they are going to, they cannot afford many more slips and that makes this another hard game for them.”

With the exception of long-term casualty Lee Mair, United will have a full squad to choose from. Teenage defender Garry Kenneth came through his trip to Switzerland with the Scotland Under-19 team unscathed and is set for a place on the bench.

“It was one of those where I think I had to remind myself after the game that I’d scored, because I was so disappointed at the result. Then what transpired later with Duff, it is a game I will never forget, but for the wrong reasons,” said the former Celtic and Preston man.

Revenge is perhaps too strong a word to use, but he does admit defeat that night and its ramifications, means there is an added determination to pick up three points when Neil Watt brings his talented Blues to Dens Park tomorrow.

“Before a game, you are always looking for extra motivation and what happened gives us that. On the night, though, Stranraer deserved to win and it is up to us to make sure we are the better team tomorrow and get the win this time.”

Since that last meeting, it has not just been the manager that has changed at Dundee. With new boss Alan Kernaghan showing a willingness to give youth its chance, there will be fresh faces in the home line-up.

Not only does Lynch feel the likes of teenagers Kevin McDonald and Scott Gates were deserving of their starting berths in the win over Brechin a fortnight ago, he believes they will play a big part in the coming months.

“Since the gaffer has come in, he has steadied the defence and it has looked harder to score against us. He’s also given some of the young boys their chance and Scott and Kevin have been outstanding.

“As a young lad, I think it is important to make the most of it when your chance comes along — I know that from my own experience at Celtic — and they have done that. With them, I definitely don’t think it is flash-in-the-pan stuff and you are going to see them contending for places from now on.”

Despite the youthful look to the line-up and that CIS Cup reversal, Lynch believes only a win tomorrow can be considered acceptable.

“Stranraer are very well organised and play to their strengths, so it can be an uphill task trying to beat them. On the bigger pitch at Dens, hopefully we can stretch them and try to get in behind them.

“While we will have the greatest respect for them because they have had a few good results, we are under no illusions that if we want to be winning this league and getting back to the SPL, this is the kind of game we have to be winning.”

On the fitness front, two of this season’s regulars are definitely out and a third is also likely to be missing.

Goalkeeper Kelvin Jack hurt a knee when he collided with a post during Trinidad’s World Cup win over Mexico on Wednesday and will be sidelined for a week to 10 days, while Iain Anderson has failed to recover from a groin problem.

And the ankle injury picked up in the win over Brechin a fortnight ago, means in-form striker Steven Craig is likely to drop out.

“I spoke to Kelvin on the phone yesterday and, while the injury is not too bad, he has seen a specialist and there is no way he will make tomorrow,” explained Alan Kernaghan.

“We are fortunate that Derek Soutar is fit again and will take over. Likewise with Steven, we have Tam McManus, who can move up beside Simon Lynch, so it is not too much of a problem.”

Saints are minus long-term injury victims Kevin Fotheringham and Peter MacDonald, while Mark Campbell and Kieran McAnespie are also out injured. Kevin Rutkiewicz is back in training following his sickness bout and it’s hoped David Hannah will recover to play.

Jason Scotland is due back today from World Cup duty with Trinidad and Tobago and player-boss Owen Coyle will assess his fitness before deciding if he starts or not.

As he looked towards the game, Owen said, “Brechin will be well organised. I know Ian Campbell and Bert Paton and know they’ll put out a team to come here and win.

“Bert is one of the nicest men I’ve met in football. He was assistant manager to Alex Totten at Dumbarton when I was there as a player and I have a great regard for Bert and his ability.

“I’m looking for our fans to give us a lift tomorrow.

“And I’m hoping to repay them with a win and a few goals.”

Brechin’s visit to McDiarmid Park is in the first of two away matches against promotion hopefuls.

Next week, the trip is to Hamilton and the chances of Brechin reversing their current form has been made even more difficult with the loss of half a team to injury and suspension.

“It is disappointing,” said manager Ian Campbell. “We are trying not to changes things too much, but, when you get injuries, there is not a lot you can do.”

Almost certainly out of the reckoning for the trip to Perth are captain Paul Deas, Darren Smith, Craig McEwan, Steve Hampshire and Alex Burns, who are all injured, and Stuart Callaghan who is suspended.

“This is why we have a strong squad,” said Campbell, whose side have lost six goals in their last two matches.

Last week’s break was a chance to get in extra training and closed-door matches against Stenhousemuir and Aberdeen, talk through the inidividual errors that have cost City dear, and run the rule over players who will step into the starting line-up.