Max Watters reveals the shocking truth: Never count Dundee United out!

Dundee United showcased their fighting spirit in Vienna as they battled back twice to earn a 2-2 draw against Rapid Vienna in the Europa Conference League qualifier. The result keeps their hopes alive for the second leg at Tannadice, where the winner will progress to face either AIK Stockholm or Etc Gyor.

Max Watters, who scored United’s opening goal, played a pivotal role in silencing the home crowd. He expressed his confidence in the squad, stating, “I don’t think anyone should have written us off, given what we have inside our camp. We believe in ourselves and we knew what we were capable of. It was a massive draw in Austria.”

Reflecting on his goal, Watters said, “It was good to get a goal in front of their fans. Their fans were really good all night — but I think ours were better, even though we didn’t have as many. There was a bit of a kerfuffle on the touchline at the start but it just happens in football. So, it was good to score in front of their fans.”

The upcoming home leg promises a different atmosphere, with Tannadice expected to be at full capacity. Watters also spoke highly of his partnership with new signing Zac Sapsford, describing their connection as almost telepathic. “Credit to him, he’s done it every game. Every game that I’ve been here, he’s worked hard and been incredible. As soon as he gets the ball – knowing he’s a striker as well – I know what he’s looking for. He couldn’t have done any better on Thursday. He was amazing.”

Despite not having much time to build chemistry, Watters is optimistic about their future together. “We’ve not worked together for long but you can see already that we work well off each other. I’m excited to see what else is going to come from us. You can see already that we’ve been working well, so I can’t wait for the next games coming up and we can learn more from each other and get even better.”

Before the decisive Vienna return, Dundee United must first turn their attention to a domestic match against Derek McInnes’ Hearts, hoping to build on their opening day draw at Falkirk. Watters acknowledged the demanding schedule: “The boys are happy because it’s a good result, but the game’s done now and we’ve got to look forward to Sunday. When games come thick and fast and there’s a lot of travelling, players do get tired – but you’ve just got to forget about it, get on with it and look forward to the next game.”

He added, “Hearts are definitely a good team. We’ve seen them play already, so it’ll be a good game, but I’m confident in the boys’ mentality and our ability that we can pull off another result.”

United’s preparations have not been helped by a string of injuries to key players including Isaac Pappoe, Ross Graham, Ryan Strain and Kristijan Trapanovski. Nonetheless, Watters praised the squad’s resilience: “It’s a really good mentality. It’s a new group, but everyone’s on the same page here. We’ve had a few injuries, which is unfortunate. I feel for Isaac because he’s been outstanding, but that’s football and stuff like that happens.”

As Dundee United look ahead to a crucial week, their belief and togetherness appear stronger than ever, with Watters and his teammates determined to defy the odds once again.