Millar hopes to give Houston selection dilemma
Mark Millar is hoping his Dundee United career is at last up and running.
The 24-year-old midfielder joined the Tayside club from Falkirk last summer but admits a struggle for fitness has held him back.
He did not make his first start until a home match against Aberdeen in October and was mostly on the fringes thereafter, but has been given the nod by manager Peter Houston for the last three games against St Mirren, Kilmarnock and Celtic.
The former Parkhead youth player, capped at Scotland Under-19 and Under-21 level, is hoping to be handed a starting berth against Ross County in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League encounter at Tannadice.
"Obviously it has been a tough time this season," he told Press Association Sport.
"I haven't had as much game time as I would like and I am no different from anyone else, I want to play as much as I can.
"I think it (struggle to get regular starts) has been about both my fitness and the boys doing so well.
"I only have myself to blame for the fitness side and obviously you can't really complain when the boys are playing well and you can't get in the team.
"But I have been working hard and have played the last few games so hopefully I have given the gaffer a headache and hopefully I get picked again tomorrow."
The United players discovered last week that boss Peter Houston will be leaving the club at the end of the season.
However, Millar insists that news has not altered the mindset of the dressing room.
"I don't think it has changed," he said. "We know what we have to do, we want to finish in the top half of the table, so regardless of who the manager is, we will work hard and try to get results.
"Players and managers come and go but everyone gives 100 per cent and hopefully you get your rewards at the end of the season.
"I need to knuckle down but that is the same with every player.
"We know the gaffer is leaving but we don't know who the new gaffer is going to be, so we need to work for the new manager, whoever that may be."
Houston has a fully-fit squad but is unsure whether he will be able to add to it although he is waiting to see if midfielder Rudi Skacel wants to extend his time on Tayside.
He said: "Rudi Skacel has a week left but he wants to keep his options open because he is 33. I would like to keep him. I would like to bring people in but finances are tight."
Meanwhile, Ross County manager Derek Adams is excited about his revamped front line as Steffen Wohlfarth pushes for a debut at Tannadice.
The 29-year-old joined this week after a spell in the third tier of German football, where he previously played for Bayern Munich reserves.
Adams also saw winger Ivan Sproule score twice on his debut in last weekend's 4-1 win at St Mirren Park, with Sam Morrow coming off the bench to hit his second goal of an injury-affected campaign.
Adams said: "Steffen has been here for a few weeks now and he's looking forward to getting started.
"He'll go into the squad and we'll see if he is part of the 18.
"He's a strong attacker, he's six feet plus, he takes the ball in well, has good technical ability, a good idea of the game.
"We have got good competition there with Gary Glen, Steven Ross and Sam Morrow.
"Sam's had a bit of a lift with Ivan Sproule, an old team-mate from Hibs, coming in. That's given him a bit of a bounce.
"He's a player that's got undoubted ability, now he's got to find that consistency.
"I'm really hopeful that he becomes a big part of our season."
Adams is still waiting on work permit papers for Canada international Andre Hainault to join Sproule, Wohlfarth and Greek defender Evangelos Ikonomou, but is not finished looking for additions.
Adams, who released Colin McMenamin and Mark Corcoran this week, said: "We are still hopeful of adding to the squad. We have moved seven players out so we have still got room to take other players in."
Source: PA
Source: PA