DUNDEE United manager Craig Levein has called upon personal experience to warn his players against underestimating Cowdenbeath at Central Park tonight.
Levein started his career with the Blue Brazil in the early 1980s before returning for a spell as manager after injury ended his playing days at Hearts.
It was the work he did during a three-year stint as manager at Central Park which won him a mo
ve back to Tynecastle as manager, and he has since also bossed Leicester and United.
Levein is well aware how Cowdenbeath use the tightness of their pitch to their advantage and has briefed his players on how they need to approach tonight's Co-operative Insurance Cup second-round test.
He said: "Cowdenbeath is always a difficult place to go. I know more than most just how tight that pitch is and how difficult it is to break teams down there so their players will really fancy it.
"They're top of the Third Division, I've watched them already this season and we've had reports on their games. They're in winning form so their confidence will be up and because we're an SPL team they'll be right up for it.
"The danger for us is if we don't approach it properly but I've told the players they need to be in the right frame of mind because we'll need to fight.
"People look at these sort of games and think that on paper we should win easily. I don't buy into that. They are always difficult because we're playing a side who will really relish it, have winning habits and are on their home pitch."
Eight years have passed since Levein left to join Hearts, so plenty has changed, especially as long-serving chairman Gordon MacDougall has recently sold his stake in the club.
However, the United manager still has some friends at Central Park and is looking forward to being greeted by familiar faces.
He said: "I'm looking forward to going back there, I know a few of the people who are still at the club. There has been a change of owners but some things are the same. I go along to their games sometimes. I think this is the first time I will be taking a team back there for a competitive game.
"We didn't play them when I was at Hearts so it will be nice to go and see a few old faces."
United have no fitness concerns for the trip but Levein will make changes, with winger Craig Conway likely to start.
Levein said: "We're well off fitness-wise so I'll probably make a couple of changes to the team. I've got options but I'll wait until before the game until we announce what we're doing."
Cowdenbeath are on a fine run of form. Danny Lennon's side have won five games in a row, with striker John Gemmell in form with three goals in the last three games.
The Fifers have defender Mark Baxter and striker John Dempster back to full fitness and will be hoping to avoid a repeat of their showing in a pre-season friendly last month, when United triumphed 4-2.
Lennon said: "Winning breeds confidence and we have been on a good run for a wee while now, but this will be a real test."
The full article contains 560 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
