Today, though, Craig stressed that was a pressure he, and he alone, should live with and not something his players should be thinking about.

“At the end of the day, the boys are professionals with contracts to play for Dundee United. That’s what they are paid to do and I believe it’s what they will be focused on tomorrow,” he said.

“They need to get three points for the good of this club — that’s their job.”

And the manager stressed all his thoughts and efforts were on turning things round and getting a win that would almost certainly lift United off the bottom of the table.

“The fans are behind myself, the players and the club, and all I want is to get the right results, starting tomorrow.”

Looking at it from his own point of view, however, if it lets him slip into the team under the radar, the former Dundee and Scotland man believes he can use it to his advantage.

“It’s a situation that is strange for every player, not for just for me. I’ve never been in one where, if what you read is true, a manager could lose his job based on the result of the game you are playing in,” he said.

“I was not involved in anything like that at Dundee and, even when they were relegated, I was out injured for the last five or six games and missed the pressure of playing when people knew their jobs were on the line.

“It’s not a nice thing what has happened this week, but, looking at it in my situation, it could be a good thing for me if I come back and the spotlight is not just on me — there are more important things to do with the club as a whole.

“I’m sure I will be able to cope with it and the other boys will as well. Stuff like this is part of being a footballer and you can’t expect to be playing in games that don’t mean anything all the time.”

And the big issue for Wilkie remains showing he has recovered from his horrendous knee problems and can do at job at this level.

Fans have been waiting for several weeks to see him in the SPL and he is quick to stress any delays have been down to match fitness and not problems with his twice-operated-on knee.

“My knee has actually been fine since I started building it up again and I’ve not had any problems. Just like any player who’s been injured, though, it’s been a case of taking it slowly and getting the work done properly.

“Since I came here, I’ve been building up to a first-team level and trying to get to a standard I am happy with. I’m pretty much there now and I am ready to play if the manager picks me.”

The one outstanding issue, other than confirmation of his name on tomorrow’s team sheet, for Wilkie is that of his boyhood allegiance to United.

A fan in his youth, he admits 10 years on the books over the road means he is no longer in a position to play the only-club-I-ever-wanted-to-play-for card.

“For me, it is too long ago to be talking in terms of it being a lifelong ambition and my aim now is to rebuild my career and help the team.

“I suppose it will be nice for the family, though, because they are United fans and my grandad (Ron) has helped here at Tannadice for a lot of years, so it’ll be special for him.”

Wilkie will be joined in defence by former Dundee team-mate Lee Mair, who was one of the few to receive pass marks in last week’s defeat against Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

Liverpudlian Boggan has been fixed up on amateur terms and Alex is pleased with the extra options he gives in the middle of the park.

“We are not too bad for choice at the back, especially with big Gary McKenzie probably just a couple of weeks away from fitness, and we have a few to pick from in wide positions, but we have been short in central areas,” he said.

“Jon is a sitting type of player in the middle and looks comfortable in there. I’ve had a good look at him in training and now it’s just a matter of deciding if I want to change things a bit so I can include him.”

With Deasley, after more than a month of ankle and hamstring problems, it is a question of whether or not the teenager is fit enough to play the majority of the game.

If he is, it would solve the problem of Derek Lyle’s absence for the final game of his three-match suspension.

“Deasley is lively and has good movement, and that’s what we will be looking for tomorrow. He did well at St Johnstone the other night and we’d like to have him in, so, if he is feeling OK, he will be in my thoughts.”

The Jags only trail division leaders St Johnstone on goal difference and Alex has not forgotten Dick Campbell’s team gave his men a bloody nose at the start of the campaign with league and CIS Cup wins over them in the space of four days.

“Thistle were impressive against us at a time when we were missing a few of our senior men. Most of them have been back recently and our results have improved. This is a chance to show them the real us.

“They play good football and have done well to get up to the top of the table, but we are going there looking for three points.”

He’s been in scoring form this season — although he drew a blank in last Saturday’s 5-0 home demolition of QOS — so he’ll be double keen to get among the goals.

Steven Milne, who has been bothered on and off by a knee injury, has trained this week and looks certain to start up front alongside Jason.

Peter MacDonald is “looking sharper by the day “ according to player-boss Owen Coyle and will again be in Saints’ pool.

But a place on the bench is, perhaps, the best he can hope for.

“This will be a very hard game, but, if we play to our potential, it’s one we can win,” said Owen.

“We’re top of the league despite missing our central defensive pairing of Kevin Rutkiewicz and Kevin James through injury. And Steven Milne has been struggling at times with injury this season, too.

“But we’ve worked hard to get to the top of the league — and that’s where we aim to stay.”