Daly & Hunt - The New Strike Force

Manager Craig Levein is hopeful that strikers Noel Hunt and Jon Daly will form a successful partnership for Dundee United upfront, which will be the solution to the clubs goal drought.

Despite scoring 28 goals in 26 SPL matches already this season, Dundee United have actually struggled infront of goal and haven't scored a league goal since losing 5-1 to Falkirk on New Years day.

With Barry Robson and Craig Conway supplying some great teasing crosses from the wings, the United forwards are almost guaranteed to get at least a handful of chances in every match.

24-year-old Daly arrived at Tannadice in January, but has still to find the net after making 5 appearances in Levein's starting eleven - 2 in the SPL, 2 in the Scottish Cup.

Noel Hunt is the clubs top-scorer, but has struggled to recover from an ankle injury that kept him out for over a month and has only made one appearance from the start in 2007.

Levein believes that Daly's aerial ability, combined with Noel Hunts workrate will be a great asset for Dundee United - once Hunt is back to full fitness.

"The problem with Noel is that he's not fit - he's got this ankle problem. I was going to play him and Jon Daly upfront, but he was sore in training on Thursday and I'm just concerned that we go back to the situation where he was 4 or 5 weeks ago - when he was sitting on the treatment table," said Levein after the Caley Thistle Cup defeat.

"The sooner we can get him fit, the better. It gives us a different type of centre forward, than Jon Daly. He's more mobile, he does work in the channels and against Inverness Caley today, that's what we needed."

"We need more than just a straight forward target man, because Caley's strengthen is heading balls that come straight up the middle. Noel would have been a great asset to use from the start, but we didn't have him."

"He's in there complaining that his ankle is sore again, so maybe I've done the wrong thing brining him on - but it's a cup tie and needs must."

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