That, coming the day before a game, has not impressed Dundee, but, today, they were getting on with preparations for tomorrow’s clash with Livingston.

“Top play joint second here and, by the end of the afternoon, we could be top of the First Division — there is nothing else I need to be thinking about today,” said a relaxed Alex Rae.

Chief executive Dave MacKinnon, meanwhile, was quick to give his backing to the incumbent team boss.

“We have three big games coming up against Livingston, St Johnstone and Partick, and we are confident about them and concentrating on nothing else.

“The timing isn’t great, but we can’t help it if people are going to speculate about things that have not happened.

“Earlier this year, I read Spanish business men were taking us over, with Joe Miller and Peter Grant becoming the management team — I put this story in the same bracket as that.”

While there have been no fresh talks with Bennett this week, he could still be in control within the next month or so.

O’Brien, though, believes that will change soon and is hoping Livi will be the first side to suffer the full wrath of the Dens strike force this season.

“The lack of goals is a bit worrying, but, when we think about the chances we’ve been making, we know we are not far away,” he said.

“Maybe it just needs a deflection or something like that for one to go in and then we’ll start scoring. There are certainly goals in the team — you just have to look at what Mikael Antoine-Curier, Colin McMenamin and Bob Davidson have done before to see that.”

Even when the fact Livi are something of an unknown quantity under new Italian boss Roberto Landi is added to the lack of goals, O’Brien sees no reason to change his opinion of tomorrow’s clash as one Dundee should be winning.

“They’ve got their new manager and he’ll probably have some different ideas, and there’s a few foreign boys joined them,” he added.

“We’ll have had them watched a few times and be told some of what they’ll do, but it is a game where we don’t know exactly what to expect.

“It’s at Dens, though, and that means we will be looking to win it. With the players we have and our crowd behind us, that goes for every game we play here.

“We were disappointed we did not do that against Dunfermline and, looking back, I still can’t believe we didn’t win that game.”

With Eric Paton and Craig McKeown shaking off knocks, boss Alex Rae has the option of going with the team that dominated, but failed to score, against the Pars last week.

However, Colin Cameron and Colin McMenamin both staked strong claims for starting places after showing up well against Hamilton behind closed doors on Wednesday.

Jim Lauchlan, meanwhile, was travelling to Leeds today for an operation on an abductor muscle which will keep him sidelined for another six weeks.

And he feels he is as well placed as anyone in the team to testify performances so far have been way better than results suggest, which is why he is still eyeing a UEFA Cup slot at the end of the campaign.

“We are playing well, I know that because I can see from where I am standing,” said Zaluska.

“In the last two games, I have had little work to do, but we have lost both. This is football and part of being a goalkeeper, but it means I know we are playing well.

“I think all we need is just one win and many more will follow, and this is why I still say we will get to Europe. I believed this at the start of the season and I still believe it now.”

Zaluska stops short of promising that first victory will come against the Dons and, despite past successes against them, is predicting a hard-fought game.

“I look forward to games like this because the stadium will be full and it should be a good match. We have worked very hard in training and we want to start winning.”

It’s been a good few weeks for Zaluska after his first inclusion in the Polish international squad, but, at both that level and domestically, he is looking for better.

“I was very happy when my name was announced in the squad for Poland and I was pleased to be with the team. All I did was watch the games from the stand and, in the future, I want to play for my country, not just watch.

“And doing well here for United is still most important, so I want us to begin winning and then I will be happy.”

Manager Craig Levein, meanwhile, has warned his players to be wary of the former Tangerine contingent at Pittodrie — Mark Kerr, Charlie Mulgrew Lee Miller and Lee Mair have all played for their opponents tomorrow.

“There is a real edge to this game because it’s a derby and there are a few ex-United players at Pittodrie these days,” he said.

“To be honest, the game is going to be that competitive it doesn’t need an edge, but it promises to be a really good match.

“We’re still a bit disappointed to have not got what we deserved last week, but the only way to get rid of that is to get out there and try to rectify it.”

Kevin battled hard to get back to fitness and now he’s trying to ensure Saints plug the defensive leaks that have plagued them in the early part of the season.

David Weatherston and Stephen Dobbie may well line up in the home attack and Kevin said, “It didn’t work out for them at Saints and they’ll be keen to do well against us. We must ensure they don’t.”

Saints are again minus the injured Kevin James and Jody Morris, but a good showing in the midweek reserve loss to Cowdenbeath has elevated Kevin Moon into the squad.

DUNFERMLINE hope to improve their indifferent home form when they face Ross County at East End Park.

So far this season, the Pars have won one, drawn one and lost one of their three home league games.

Manager Jim McIntyre wants to make East End Park a fortress and so is looking for better showings.

They go into the match minus the suspended Calum Woods, and there is no place also for Stephen Glass who is troubled by a muscle strain.

Andy Kirk has started the season well with five goals and Jim will be looking for him to get among the goals again.

Pulling teams from the hat will be Dundee Lord Provost John Letford and SFA president George Peat.

“We are absolutely thrilled the draw is taking place at Thomson Park,” said Lochee secretary Larry Duncan. “It’s a historic day for the club and also for the community, and my only hope is that we make sure we are in the hat.”