[DavidMc]

Cup Final Build-up

Dundee United manager Craig Levein wants CIS Cup glory as a timely fillip for club chairman Eddie Thompson, who is suffering from cancer.

"We are absolutely desperate to win this cup competition," he said.

"I'm sure Rangers will be desperate to win as well, but I just can't stress how important this is to us, for various different reasons.

"We will do absolutely everything to win this game and the chairman factor is part of it, of course."

United's 4-1 semi-final win over Aberdeen in February was dedicated to Thompson, who has invested heavily in the club since he took over in 2002.

And Levein has established a strong bond with the chairman since his appointment in October 2006.

"He's supported his team for an awful lot of years now, with his vocal backing and also with his money," added Levein.

We've probably got just as many players who've played in a cup final as Rangers have
Craig Levein

"He's waited a long time to get some sort of reward and we're aware of that. We don't need to talk about it internally, everybody knows exactly how much this competition means to all of us.

"It's also probably been too long for a trophy win for us. I can't be held responsible for the last 14 years, but I'll take the blame for the last 18 months or so.

"The club has had difficult times and nowadays it isn't easy to put together a team to win a cup competition.

"It's even harder to keep them together and that's what we're trying to do. It'll hopefully happen and we're just desperate to win it."

United approach the final in good heart after just one defeat in their last 12 matches, a run of form which has taken them to third spot in the Premier League table.

Over 17,000 fans will cheer them on in Glasgow and Levein is in confident mood.

He said: "We're in good form. Even the matches that we drew at home recently, we played very well and I don't know when we last lost.

"We've been solid at the back and we've got our important players available and fit to play. It should be a great game."

Rangers are still in the hunt for four trophies this term, having gone two seasons without any silverware.

But Levein, who leads United into their first cup final since losing to Celtic in the 2005 Scottish Cup, feels his side can match the SPL leaders.

He added: "Unusually, we've probably got just as many players who've played in a cup final as Rangers have, which is unheard of.

"Usually, you would think there would be an advantage to Rangers in that their players have been there on a regular basis, but a lot of their players haven't played in cup finals.

"That, I think, negates any advantage Hampden might have given them."