United Manager Jim Goodwin admits he was irked by last week’s defeat at McDiarmid Park, but insists he’s seen enough mettle from his side in previous weeks to give him confidence they can bounce back and string another crucial succession of victories together heading into the final four matches for the cinch Premiership season.
Watch the Gaffer’s press conference in full below!
Perth Blues
The Terrors were brought crashing back down to earth in Perth on Matchday 35, as a maiden Liam Gordon strike just before the interval consigned ten-man United to a 1-0 defeat.
It was a result which halted a run of three wins on the spin – the first time United had achieved such a feat in more than 18 months.
Beginning with reflection, Goodwin said: “To lose the game was extremely disappointing, albeit there were a number of positives that we have taken
“I thought the reaction to going behind was a good one, playing out the last half an hour with ten men and still looking like the team who were in the ascendancy, and looking more likely to snatch a goal.”
In-form talisman Steven Fletcher was left stricken with anguish when his exquisite, 15-yard volley cracked the stanchion deep into second-half stoppage time as the visitors threw the kitchen sink at their resolute opponents.
“We hit the crossbar late on as well and could’ve snatched a point which, I think, would’ve been a fair reflection of the game.
“We had two or three half chances ourselves and just, unfortunately, weren’t clinical enough in front of goal and those are the small margins that are between the teams at this stage of the season.
“We’ve analysed it back and recognised the area we need to do a bit better in and if we can do that this weekend we give ourselves a great chance of getting back to winning ways.
“There’s certainly no hangover from the weekend, the lads are still very much where they need to be psychologically. They’re in a good place and training has been very upbeat and positive this week.”
Composure
Frivolous with possession as they were dragged into an ugly battle with the Perth Saints, Goodwin is urging his players to take a little extra care with the ball at their feet this Saturday within the pressure cooker of a relegation battle.
United boast an array of adept technical footballers who are more than capable of carrying out these instructions, with the Gaffer in particular leaning on his talented midfield trio of Ian Harkes, Jamie McGrath and Craig Sibbald.
“They’re all quite nervy and anxious affairs and we have to make sure we show a bit more composure on Saturday. I think that’s the word that we’re trying to get through to the players.
“We’ve got some very good technical footballers in our team. Yes, we do have a great outlet in Steven Fletcher as a target man, but I want our midfielders on the ball a bit more and I want us to play through the different areas of the pitch a bit better.
“We need the likes of Sibbald, McGrath and Harkes on the ball, and if we do that we give ourselves a decent opportunity to control the game better than what we did last weekend.”
Knowing Where We Are
Rounding off on last weekend’s result and the ramifications, the 41-year-old is under no illusions as to the task which stares his side squarely in the face. Just 360 minutes of football remain for the three teams threatened with relegation to propel themselves away from the bottom.
“We have to be realistic about the situation. We know we’re in a relegation dogfight. We know we’re up against some good, competitive teams in Kilmarnock and Ross County.
“The reaction to the defeat at Ibrox was a brilliant one where we managed to go and win three games on the spin and the team have proven to themselves that they are capable of doing that.”
The winning run referred to, which saw Hibernian, Motherwell and Livingston swept aside one after the other, allowed United to leapfrog Ross County and Kilmarnock into 10th place in the table, away from both the automatic relegation and play-off places.
“There’s no better time than now to do something similar at this stage of the season.
“There are four massive games to go with huge significance on each and every one of them and we’re going to go into them with a positive mindset and believing we’re capable of winning.”
Ross County
Our visitors for our penultimate home match of the season come in the form of Ross County.
The Highland outfit began their post-split schedule with a fabulous victory over Livingston in Dingwall, with headers from Alex Iacovitti and Alex Samuels on either side of the break lofting County within a point of both ourselves and Kilmarnock.
“There’s nobody here within the ranks who had assumed Ross County were out of it. We have always tried to keep our feet on the ground and remain level-headed.
“Ross County and Kilmarnock, similar to ourselves, have a hell of a lot to fight for. Malky Mackay, for me, is one of the best managers in the league. He’s very experienced, has managed at a high level down in England and he’s been here and done it all before.
Mackay, formerly manager of Wigan Athletic, Cardiff City and Watford, steered the Staggies to a top-six finish in 2021/22, narrowly missing out on a place in European competition.
“He’s recruited really well in the summer, I think there are some terrific, young, talented players in his team. He’s also got a good blend of experienced players mixed with some youth and energy.
‘We Don’t Fear Anybody’
Goodwin continued: “We respect every opponent but at the same time, our main focus is on ourselves.”
“We want to be defensively solid and get a clean sheet and be disciplined in that respect but at the same time we want to offer a real attacking threat to excite the supporters which is, ultimately, what it’s all about.
“We have the utmost respect for all for the teams we are playing against, each team have their own different qualities but we have to focus on our strengths and ensure we bring our A game on Saturday.
A final rallying call to the playing group followed as he addressed the media at the High-Performance Centre.
“If we do that we give ourselves a great chance of taking three points. We don’t fear playing anybody.
Tangerine Army Out In Force
Another huge United support is expected within Tannadice tomorrow. The Eddie Thompson, George Fox and Carling West Stand are all completely sold out, set to be packed to the brim with home supporters.
On course to be the club’s biggest attendance in a match not involving the Old Firm this season, it’s an occasion everyone of a tangerine persuasion will not want to miss out on.
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“We’re all looking forward to a terrific game on Saturday in front of what is expected to be one of the biggest home attendances of the season.
“I think not only does it illustrate the magnitude of the game but it also illustrates the size of this club and how well-supported it is. That was one of the biggest factors in me wanting to come here – wanting to be a part of a big club with a great history.”
Goodwin is eager for that energy to be harnessed by the players on what is promising to be an electric afternoon in the City of Discovery.
“That message will be passed through to the players because we want to try and make the fans proud and give them something to get out of their seats and get excited about.”
“I’ve said it pretty much every week to the point where I sound like a broken record but the support the fans have given us has been incredible and to have over 10,000 there on Saturday just goes to show what a great set of supporters they really are.
‘On The 13th of May 2023…’
Furthermore, the occasion is heightened by the 40th anniversary of our Scottish Premier Division Triumph, which falls on Sunday.
“It is a big weekend for the club and the players are aware of the significance of that albeit we are fighting for our lives when these guys 40 years ago were competing up the top end to go and win championships which is something we could only dream of at this moment in time!
“It does give you an understanding of where you are and what kind of football club you are at. For those players, it’s a really good message to them to realise they are at one of the biggest clubs in the country that have a great history and probably adds to the importance of the game in terms of why we need to keep this team in the Premiership.”