CHRIS Wilder bel-ieves his two experienced signings, Paul McLaren and Steve MacLean, are coming into their own.

The U’s boss feels the “two Maccas”, as they are known, are beginning to exert their influence – to the benefit of the team.

Both McLaren, 34, and MacLean, 28, have played at a much higher level than League Two.

McLaren has featured in the Championship for Luton and Sheffield Wednesday, and MacLean in the Championship for Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth, as well as the Scottish Premier League for Rangers and Aberdeen.

Wilder said: “I get the sense that they’re taking ownership a bit in the team.

“When they first came in, the didn’t want to shout and bawl and tell everybody what to do – they’re pretty humble people.

“But now I just feel that they’re starting to exert their experience in certain parts, and it’s coming together.”

There is a spring in the step of everyone at United, following the manner of last weekend’s 3-0 win at Morecambe.

“We’re going along nicely,” Wilder said.

“It’s an enjoyable time for the football club.

“We had a great time last week, two big wins and a point at Stevenage.

“We’re naturally disappointed we didn’t win there, but we addressed a few bits and pieces for Morecambe and produced a very satisfying all-round display.”

And if matters on the pitch are going well, Wilder said the news of how the club is doing off it was equally key.

“The news in the week regarding the way, off the pitch, the club is doing is great testament to the way the club is run at the top and how we have gone about our business.,” he said.

“I do get a little bit tired when you pick up opposition programmes and they go down the road of ‘big-spending Oxford’ and use terms like ‘heavily invested’.

“We’ve gone about it sensibly, as the chairman has said.

“Kelvin (Thomas) works hard for the football club and I think anybody who has dealt with him knows he drives a hard bargain. It isn’t an open cheque book.

“It seems people just like to deflect it onto us.

“We just go about our business, running our club and being proud of the financial state it’s in at the moment, and looking to kick on.

“On the pitch we’re doing great, and we’ve got to make sure we keep having weeks like last week.”

A win over Hereford today could see United climb into the play-off places.

“I’ve said to the players, there shouldn’t be any motivational problems going into the back end of the season,” Wilder said.

“We just need to be nice and calm, keep playing the way we are, stay in control of games, like we did at Morecambe and against Rotherham, and hopefully we can keep progressing.”