Ray McKinnon admits he is under no illusion as to the size of the task he faces in restoring top-flight football to Dundee United next season. Romelu Lukaku Manchester United Jersey . The former Raith Rovers boss was appointed on a three-year contract last week after Mixu Paatelainens dismissal following relegation to the Championship.McKinnon watched from the stands last Saturday as the Terrors, relying heavily on youth players, beat Kilmarnock 4-2 at Rugby Park to end a miserable season on a rare high note. With the majority of last seasons squad having been told to find new clubs, McKinnon knows he must add to the promising youngsters on view in Ayrshire to have any chance of an immediate return.Speaking to Sky Sports News HQ, the 45-year-old said; This is a big challenge for me. Dundee United are a very, very big club who find themselves in the Championship after a disappointing season so I understand the challenge ahead but its one I am looking forward to.Asked if the expectation of the fans to go straight back up was one he shared, he added: Definitely. Its a goal and we will work extremely hard behind the scenes to get it right on the park and we will be giving it everything we can over the season to do that. Mark Durnan opens the scoring for Dundee United in a 4-2 victory at Kilmarnock But we are not silly enough not to realise how difficult the task ahead is. We are prepared for that and we are looking forward to it.McKinnon, who enjoyed two spells as a player at Tannadice between 1988-92 and 1995-98, admits he may have to change the mind set of the players following such a miserable campaign where they spent almost the entire time at the foot of the table.They have had a really poor season and we need to bounce back from that, he said.The first thing I will do is create an atmosphere where people enjoy coming to work and we can get out there on the training field and try and build momentum in a squad which the fans can be really proud of next season, one hopefully strong enough to put us in contention for the title next season. Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson (right) with former boss Mixu Paatelainen And despite chairman Stephen Thompson revealing eight players would be leaving in the summer, with others told they could depart if they found other clubs, McKinnon is hopeful he will be allowed to speak to some earmarked for departure should he believe they would prove an asset in the Championship next season.That was more the fact the players were out of contract and there was no funds available at that moment, he added.I think thats what was mentioned. I dont think he [Thompson] was in there effectively sacking people. I understand where he was and its up to me now to take the reins and source players who are good enough for Dundee United to take us back up next year. Blair Spittal, one of only four United players guaranteed to stay next season But if I want to keep any of those players I can go and speak to them - thats part and parcel of football. At the end of the season they are out of contract and they have decisions to make for themselves.This is a big club, with big potential, but we are realistic to know there will be cost-cutting measures in place and I will be working within a budget that I feel I can work with.This was all discussed in the meetings I had prior to taking the job. I am obviously here now and Im comfortable with whats in place and looking forward to the season. Also See: Dundee Utd fixtures Dundee Utd stats Scottish Prem table Diogo Dalot Manchester United Jersey . As the schedule flipped from November to December, they would go on to drop five straight, falling six games below the .500 mark before a franchise-altering trade turned them into an unrecognizable team. Phil Jones Manchester United Jersey .com) - There may be a debate in Philadelphia about who should be the starting quarterback of the Eagles. http://www.jerseymanchesterunitedsoccer.com/womens-victor-lindelof-manchester-united-jersey/ .com) - Ben Lovejoy tallied a goal and an assist as the Anaheim Ducks cruised into the All-Star break with a 6-3 victory against the Calgary Flames.With the Rogers Cup set to take place in Montreal next week, Blainville, Quebecs Aleksandra Wozniak reflects on preparing for the event in her home province with her personal blog on RDS.ca and TSN.ca. I took a few days off after Wimbledon, but now Im back in training - seven hours a day, six days a week. Ive finished my preparation for the tournament at Stanford before returning to Quebec for the Rogers Cup. And Ive spent a lot of time on the field and in the gym. Im really happy to go play at Stanford, a place where Ive kept some precious memories. This is where, in 2008, I won my first title on the WTA Tour at age 20. This time, Im going through qualification before I get to see my name on the main board - an event that will feature top seed Serena Williams. It seems that when a tennis player returns to play in a tournament that he or she has already won, the organizers generally give some more attention to that former champion. Sometimes youre entitled to special treatment because theyre happy to know youre returning. There are certainly a lot of tournaments in a year and each player usually has an established route for the season. Sometimes the former champions dont return to where theyvewon. But as a former champion, I keep so many great memories and beautiful thoughts it feels good to go back. Not to mention that Stanford University is beautiful, with a great atmosphere and people who love tennis. Theyre true enthusiasts and its nice to play there. I was also very happy to learn that the organizers of the Rogers Cup gave me a pass for the tournament, which begins next week in Montreal. Ive supported Tennis Canada for several years and they believe in me, knowing all the efforts that I put in to heal my injured right shoulder. Tennis Canada knows that I work hard to improve my lot in the sport. I was 378th in the world but now Im up at 103rd. There was a time when I was one of the few Canadians on the professional tour, but I continued to get great support along with other new players. Going through the qualification stage doesnt bother me, but I am very pleased with this pass in Montreal. Upon my return to competition, the most important thing was playing as many events as possible just to get into shape. I hadnt played for a year and wanted to find my bearings and rebuild my confidence. Sergio Romero Jersey. Then when you start winning more regularly, its good to get to play in places like Montreal. And the Rogers Cup is my favorite tournament. When I was younger, my parents took me to this tournament so I could see my idol Monica Seles in action. Watching her in my hometown made me want to be like her. It made me dream. And its great for encouraging young people to play tennis. And of course, I get to play at home - where I reached the quarterfinal round two years ago and was the first Canadian in 20 years to get that far in the tournament. It will be very fun to play at home in front of family and sponsors, not to mention the fans who bring a beautiful energy. Ill try to play my best tennis for my supporters and go as far as possible against the best in the world. I would like to repeat what I did two years ago, taking one game at a time. And of course, Eugenie Bouchards success in the WTA is spilling over in courts across the country. With Eugenie and others making their mark, were demonstrating to the world that Canadians wont be easy prey and were very competitive. A few years ago, I was the only Canadian in the Top 50. Today, we have Eugenie and Sharon Fichman - not to mention the guys! All of these good performances are inspiring our youngest to play tennis. I am very pleased to see Eugenie succeed on the world stage. We all work very hard to climb to the top and we do it our own way. I reached 21st in the world a few years ago but unfortunately, injuries slowed my progress. But Im a very persistent and determined girl and will continue my journey by staying focused on my career. A heavy loss - Dr. Francis Jean Its with great sadness that I learned of the passing of Dr. Francis Jean, the founder of The Iris Visual Group. They were my first major sponsor, well before my win at Stanford. Francis believed in me and always encouraged me - even when things werent going so well. He sent me little words of encouragement and was very active in the tennis world. He was a true sports enthusiast and was loved by all. My deepest sympathies to his entire family. https://www.facebook.com/WozAlekshttp://...iak.com/Twitter @alekswoz ' ' '