Mixu Paatelainen believes Dundee United have the right spirit to survive

Paatelainen questioned the team's desire and work ethic when he was appointed in October, just after caretaker boss Dave Bowman had labelled them a "very weak group" and warned they were viewed as a "soft touch".

United are now eight points adrift at the foot of the Ladbrokes Premiership and have lost five out of their last six games.

But Paatelainen feels United have dominated recent games and simply need to do better in both penalty boxes. T he Finn has seen no sign of fear or lack of confidence in his players ahead of their trip to Invermess.

"I think the players have quite a strong mentality because the league table doesn't look good for us but, when you see the boys train and how they speak and encourage each other and demand from each other, then it's very good," Paatelainen said.

"I don't know whether it has changed or whether in certain matches it was just poor performances.

"What I can say is that at the moment our players are strong. They believe we will climb up the table.

"Everyone realises it won't be easy, but everyone realises we need to stay patient and calm and do our stuff on the pitch.

"I think we have a good chance because our game itself is in good nick."

United's poor run continued last Saturday when Kris Doolan's goal was enough to earn Partick Thistle victory at Tannadice.

But Paatelainen said: "If we deny our opponent to only one shot on goal, I think that's pretty good defending. Unfortunately we lost the game 1-0. Their one shot went in. We have to try to do better and deny our opponents any shot.

"We can do that. There's no question. That's our aim, we want to have the perfect game. In this division you have to have the perfect game to win matches."

Midfielder John Rankin backed up his manager's assertion that the team have the spirit to battle their way off the bottom.

"I think there is more resilience about us as a squad," the 32-year-old said.

"It's a difficult time but if there wasn't more resilience about us we would give in and not keep playing the way we are playing, and maybe go more route one.

"But we're not, we are believing in what we are doing and believing it's the right way to come out the other end of it. To be honest, I can't see any other way of playing at the moment because we are dominating games, we are just not taking those chances and letting silly goals in at the other end.

"We are looking at the Christmas period as the chance to get ourselves out of danger, because we have four or five games coming thick and fast and we are aiming for four or five wins."

The former Ross County, Inverness and Hibernian midfielder added: "I've never been in this situation so when the younger boys ask me for advice, it's not something I can advise them on. I'm learning with this situation as well.

"But from what I've seen so far, it's the belief, mental toughness and spirit that we have got that will get us out of it."