Dundee United chairman Stephen Thompson has vowed to back head coach Mixu Paatelainen in the January transfer market in a bid to avoid Premiership relegation, despite admitting the Tannadice side have already gone over budget.

United are 11 points adrift at the bottom of the top flight table after the 2-1 derby defeat to city rivals Dundee on January 2.

After sacking Jackie McNamara in September, replacement Paatelainen has overseen one league win in eleven matches.

Former Kilmarnock and Hibernian coach Paatelainen has brought in free agents Gavin Gunning, Florent Sinama Pongolle, Guy Demel and Eiji Kawashima.

Thompson says the board will continue to fund new recruits is a bid to stave off the drop to the Championship.

He told STV: "As a club our budget was blown a long time ago, it was blown under Jackie [McNamara]. It's the third biggest wage bill in the league and since then we've spent even more money backing Mixu.

"We've spent a lot in transfer fees - £650,000 in the last 18 months - so it can't be said we haven't backed the manager or head coach.

"We're about to back him again because it is important we support him as much as we possibly can, it is as simple as that."

Second bottom Kilmarnock hold a four game advantage over United having played a game more and Thompson admits the board have had to cast an eye over what a drop to the second tier would mean for the club.

He said: "Make no mistake it will be tough for this club, there's no doubt there will be some really tough decisions to be made.

"I think some of the staff are starting to realise the consequences of relegation and that's not nice. People's livelihoods are at stake. It's quite a dramatic change.

"I know what has happened at other clubs who have gone down and its been difficult for them. We've give it a go to stay in this league."

The sales of Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong angered United fans last January but Thompson insists he has no regrets over their departures and says their current predicament is simply down to poor recruitment by former boss McNamara during the close season.

He added: "Everyone keeps saying it is down to the player sales. It's not down to the player sales. A lot of money was spent bringing players in.

"Our biggest mistake is our recruitment last summer wasn't good enough. It's as simple as that and that's why we are where we are. It's nothing to do with ambition or anything like that.

"The recruitment was poor and were paying the consequences at the moment."