Dundee United

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Jim Goodwin has been speaking to the media before Dundee United host Celtic in the Premiership on Wednesday.

Here are the key lines:

• Goodwin says there is "no hiding place in this game" and the pressure on managers is "always there".

• On counterpart Wilfried Nancy, who has lost his first three games, Goodwin says: "We're all in the same boat. I understand exactly what the Celtic manager will be going through, the emotions he'll be feeling at the moment."

• He adds: "We're judged on results and performances. Wilfred Nancy is no different to any of the rest of us. We've seen that already this week with a couple of good managers, unfortunately, losing their jobs."

• United have just one win in 11 and Goodwin says: "I'm no different to anybody else. I need to start winning games."

• He believes there is no "immediate pressure" from the United hierarchy but adds: "I'm not stupid enough to think that we can't go too long without getting back to winning ways. I hope that will come tomorrow night against Celtic."

• Goodwin is wary of a backlash following Celtic's defeat in the League Cup final but says a similar "gameplan and performance" to St Mirren's can deliver a positive result for his side.

• United's defensive performance in the goalless draw with Motherwell last weekend was "a lot more like it" and now they need to "find that attacking threat we've lacked in the last couple of games".

• The United boss would not be drawn on the possibility of Hearts goalkeeper Craig Gordon joining on loan in January but United have "identified targets and positions we need to strengthen".

Ronny Costello
Fan writer

A 0–0 draw at home. Seven league games without a win. Eighth place. Not pretty.

But for the first time in a while, Dundee United did one thing properly. They stopped conceding goals.

After the mess at Fir Park earlier in the season, Gorgeous Jim went back to basics. Being hard to break down. Clear roles. Fewer risks. It worked. Motherwell had the ball, lots of it, but they did very little with it. A clean sheet at last!

Craig Sibbald was excellent. Calm. Clever. Brave enough to try something from halfway. Amar Fatah at least tried to make things happen. Beyond that the creativity was thin and one shot on target at Tannadice is not enough but we didn't lose.

Which brings us to Wednesday night.

Celtic arrive out of form. Three defeats on the bounce. A new manager under pressure. This is where the season pivots.

Do you stick with solidity and keep it tight and happy to take a point? Or do you twist? Push higher, play with freedom and try to land a blow when confidence is fragile?

Playing safe got us through Saturday. Playing brave might get us something bigger on Wednesday.

If there is a night to roll the dice, this feels like it.

Ronny Costello can be found at the Dode Fox Podcast, external

Sportscene pundit Stephen Craigan praised Dundee United's work off the ball in their goalless draw against Motherwell on Saturday.

Motherwell won 2-0 when the sides met earlier this season, but didn't have the same joy on their trip to Tannadice.

"I was at the game on 29 October at Fir Park and Dundee United didn't know whether to press or drop off and they got picked off," Craigan said.

"The set-up [this time] was much better. When the ball was in the Motherwell half they were happy to go man-to-man, and when you have the pace of Fatah and the movement of Sapsford, you can create opportunities. It just didn't fall for them."

Dundee United defender Vicko Sevelj is in danger of a suspension going into Wednesday's meeting with Celtic, with one more booking set to rule the Croatian out during a busy December. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Monday's Scottish gossip

Watch the highlights from Dundee United's goalless draw at home to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership.

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We asked for your thoughts after Dundee United's goalless draw at home to Motherwell.

Here's a taste of what you had to say:

Kenny: Three words, BORING BORING BORING.

Paul: Having 30% possession and one shot on target in a home game against any team is unacceptable. Manager said the shape was excellent so what was the problem? One win in 11 (three wins in 16) tells me he can't see the problem never mind fix it. Please walk away.

David: Very tough watch. The team looks fragile and cannot maintain possession. Need to ditch this obsession of a back three and get a solid 4 at the back and build from there. Changes need made, and fast, or we are in for a dog fight at the wrong end of the table.

Jen: It's time Jim Goodwin went. Playing for a draw at home against Motherwell, when the team have only won three games all season, is pathetic. Continuing to not pick Samuel Cleall-Harding and Owen Stirton is a a sackable offence. Part of being Dundee United manager means giving young stars a chance especially when they are better than the players he is picking. He's not doing that. United are playing like a team bereft of confidence and that's all down to Goodwin.

Steve: Dismal. Yet again I fail to see any signs of improvement being implemented on the training ground. Whether that is due to the coaching staff or players being incapable of grasping what is required of them I can't say for certain but alarm bells are ringing loudly. Granted we didn't concede but had we played for 90 hours we still wouldn't have scored and Motherwell would have had several, shouldn't be celebrating the fact we only play for 90 minutes.

Zack: Bad game for both teams, would usually take a draw and a clean sheet against a high flying third placed team but three points is a must at the moment especially with three home games on the bounce. Fire power badly needed in attack Nikolaj Moller isn't quite cutting it when trying to get a goal.

Dundee United's winless run stretched to seven, while Motherwell made it seven games unbeaten, in a largely forgetful Scottish Premiership draw at Tannadice.

Read the full match report here.

Have your say here.

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Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin tells BBC Scotland: "It wasn't a particularly great game. I don't suppose the guys in the Sportscene studio will have too many highlight to pull from.

"From our own perspective, we had a really disappointing performance last weekend in Paisley. The structure of the team today was excellent, the shape was really good.

"It wasn't as if Motherwell had lots of possession. My goalkeeper hasn't had a great deal to do, albeit the Motherwell keeper hasn't either.

"We had a couple of half chances, and we just didn't get the break of the ball. The pleasing aspect of it is the clean sheet. That's a good foundation to build from.

"Defensively, we have to be better. We've conceded far too many goals this season. I believe there's goals in this team but today, that wasn't the case."

Dundee United are hurting as much as their supporters during their downturn in form, says manager Jim Goodwin. (Courier - subscription required), external

Scotland's key match incident panel has backed penalty decisions in Dundee United's 2-2 draw with Rangers, in which United were denied one and Rangers scored from one in added time. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

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Dundee United welcome back Max Watters and Julius Eskesen but Krisztian Keresztes is suspended and Dario Naamo, Pan Camara (hamstring), Isaac Pappoe (knee) and Yevhen Kucherenko (calf) are out injured.

Motherwell midfielder Andy Halliday is still working his way back to fitness while Filip Stuparevic (knee), Aston Oxborough (hand), Sam Nicholson (knee), Zach Robinson (Achilles), Jordan McGhee and Eseosa Sule (both thigh) remain out.

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Amar Fatah insists it is "positive energy only" as Dundee United bid to end their slump against Motherwell on Saturday.

The Tannadice club sit eighth in the Premiership after six games without victory, but winger Fatah is remaining upbeat.

The 21-year-old said: "We speak a lot about the situation of course, but I think we see a bright side of it that it's just a bad moment, so the important thing is that we stick together.

"In a certain way, it's good that the bad moments happen this early so we can recover. Positive energy only.

"It's hard to really say what's going wrong at the moment. Maybe it's just the games come so quick and we have changed some things, but we need to find the consistency.

"I see this month as a huge moment where we need to prove to ourselves - these challenges coming up are exciting.

"We have Motherwell at home, Celtic at home, Hibs at home then Aberdeen away. These are really good games to look forward to and we need the mindset to win all of them.

"You can see clearly they [Motherwell] trained a lot in their system and the way they try to play. They're playing well, both attacking and defensively, but we need to show no fear and try to play our game."

Fatah, who is on a season-long loan from French club Troyes, scored his second United goal in the recent 2-2 draw with Rangers.

"This club suits me and the playing style that I try to bring," he added.

"I want to help the team as much as possible to be in the top six and to showcase myself in this league."

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• Dundee United have won four of their past six home league games against Motherwell (L2), as many as their previous 12 beforehand (W4 D4 L4).

• Motherwell have won five of their past seven games against Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership (L2), as many as their previous 19 prior (W5 D4 L10).

• Dundee United are winless in six Scottish Premiership games (D3 L3), their longest run within a single season in the competition since April 2023 (11).

• Motherwell are unbeaten in eight league games (W5 D3), their longest run within a single season since April 2013 (also 8).

• The Steelmen last enjoyed a longer unbeaten run within a single league campaign in March 2010 (12).

• Motherwell haven't conceded in four successive league games, last going on a longer run of clean sheets in February 2010 (5).

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has refused to rule out signing another goalkeeper in January. (The Courier), external

Dundee United are set to miss out on a six-figure youth development payment after the Scottish FA opted to axe its Club Academy Scotland (CAS) funding, which paid out an annual sum in the region of £2m split between clubs who meet stringent criteria. (The Courier), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Jim Goodwin is hoping Dundee United can transform their fortunes against a Motherwell side he describes as "the most in-form team in the league".

While Motherwell are up to third with an eight-game unbeaten league run, United are enduring "the toughest period" of Goodwin's tenure.

The Tannadice side, currently in eighth place, have just one victory in 10 games and are seeking a first win in seven this weekend.

"It's only natural when you're on the type of run that we're on that your confidence is going to take a bit of a hit," manager Goodwin said.

"But we believe in what we're doing. We are going through, probably, the toughest period that I've experienced during my time as United manager.

"Football is not a bed of roses all the time, you've got to find a way to get through these difficult periods."

United are now tasked with overcoming a visiting Motherwell side that Goodwin feels have been "totally transformed" under new boss Jens Berthel Askou.

The Steelmen defeated United 2-0 at Fir Park in late October and have lost just twice in 16 league outings.

"It's quite a remarkable transformation and he deserves a huge amount of credit," the Irishman added.

"Given results, and where Motherwell are sitting in the table, I imagine there's people all over Europe taking notice.

"Motherwell are the most in-form team in the league. The new manager has been incredible in terms of their playing style and they're as difficult an opponent as you can face at this moment in time.

"But we have to believe we're capable of winning the game. We didn't do ourselves justice at Fir Park, the second half was a lot better from us, so we have to make sure we start this game the way we did in the second 45 over there."

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has been speaking to the media before the Premiership game with Motherwell this weekend.

Here are the main points:

• Goodwin says this is "probably the toughest period I've experienced during my time as United manager" and admits confidence has "taken a bit of a hit" amid a six-game winless run.

• But the United boss "believes in the group" and feels they've shown they are "capable of being a good team", adding he feels he will "find out more about the character" of some of his players.

• Goodwin also feels recent results need "put into context" and insists "some really poor decisions" have gone against his team.

• The manager insists those reasons are not "excuses", adding "the buck stops with me" when it comes to responsibility for recent results and performances.

• On the January window, the United boss is "very pleased with the squad we've built" but says the club are "working on one or two things".

• Goodwin says third-place Motherwell "are the most in-form team in the league" and suggests "people all over Europe are taking notice".

• Dundee United want to "do themselves justice" after the defeat at Fir Park in September.

• Panutche Camara was a "huge loss" in Saturday's defeat to St Mirren as he's a "really influential player" but Goodwin hopes the midfielder will only be out for "a couple of weeks".

• Team news: Max Watters has been back training this week so will be in contention. Dario Naamo could return next week and Julius Eskesen has returned to training.

Shape is not Dundee United's problem, insists manager Jim Goodwin. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

Paul McNicoll
Fan writer

Common belief says you should never wake a sleepwalker. Apparently that also applies to Dundee United, because very few in this squad seem brave enough to give this team the almighty shake it so desperately needs.

Honestly, at this point, I'd happily risk the folklore curses and yank the lot of them out of their trance if it stops us sleep-stumbling into the relegation zone.

Because right now? Our form isn't below par, it's completely off the chart. We started the season dreaming of European nights, picturing ourselves jetting off to glamorous places like Vienna, again.

Instead, we're on course for a romantic Friday evening in Dunfermline, eating sub-standard steak bridies and pondering where it all went wrong. We're terrible. Painfully, spectacularly, award-winningly terrible… at present.

And here's the thing that really melts my brain - we have played well at times. Briefly. Fleetingly. So few and far between and rare that I'm unsure if I actually saw it.

Recently, though? It's been a circus. We have goalkeepers that inspire as much confidence as a three-legged chair, defenders who seem allergic to the ball, a midfield that has essentially become 'Panutche Camara and his baffled assistants', and forwards who don't create nearly enough danger for opposition defences.

You don't need a Uefa coaching badge to see where this is heading. Any team with this many issues isn't climbing the table, it's tripping down it.

And the summer transfer window? Oh, we were buzzing. We thought we'd pulled off a recruitment masterclass. We were praising the club like they'd reinvented the wheel.

Now those same players have 'settled in' and we look less like a team and more like a group project where nobody wants to do the work.

Half of them don't even look like they fancy the fight, which is kind of essential in Scottish football, where the weather alone tries to two-foot you every weekend.

It's all a bit grim, to put it mildly. But hey, Santa hasn't shown up yet. There's time. If the big man could kindly leave a competent goalkeeper under the tree, and maybe a defender with a pulse, we might still salvage something.

As things stand, though, top six feels about as realistic as United heading to America next June to compete in the World Cup.

Paul McNicoll can be found at the Dode Fox Podcast, external

St Mirren's 2-0 win over Dundee United was "a perfect example" of what currently separates the two sides, according to former Aberdeen, Rangers and St Johnstone full-back Richard Foster.

The hosts' opener came from "poor defending at the back post" and the second came from a goalkeeping error.

"You don't really see that often from St Mirren," Foster told BBC Scotland's Sportscene.

He suggested centre-half Bert Esselink was at fault as St Mirren midfielder Conor McMenamin met a cross at the back post to head powerfully past goalkeeper Dave Richards.

"You are expecting your defender to at least challenge for the ball," Foster said.

The second came from what "should be a relatively simple save" from Richards, who has replaced Yevhen Kucherenko in goal after the Ukrainian's own recent errors.

At the other end, striker Zac Sapsford fired against Shamal George when through one-on-one with the goalkeeper then sent a powerful free-kick against the crossbar.

"That was the story of the game," Foster said. "When it's not your day, it's not your day.

"St Mirren took the chances that they created, albeit with help from the goalkeeping and defending, and Dundee United never."

Sportscene host Stephen Thompson added: "It's six without a win. They are finding it difficult to replicate that form they had last season and a lot of it is down to the defending. They look fragile. They are gifting goals to teams."