New emails undermine the timeline of Dundee United's claim for more than £1.2m in relief from HMRC, according to a tax expert who warns that the Premiership club could face a massive financial penalty over the saga. (The Courier), external
Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.
Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin hopes to help Australia defender Ryan Strain realise his World Cup ambitions. (Record), external
Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter
We reporters often ask football managers whether the international break has come at the right or wrong time.
Well, this one has come at just the right time for Dundee United.
It seems ludicrous to suggest that a team who are flying high in fourth in the table - just one point off third - are having a wobble.
But that is exactly what has happened in their past two games.
Home encounters against Kilmarnock and Livingston would have been fixtures United fans expected their side to win.
So a return of just one point from a possible six is well below expectation.
For all that there has been to like about United this season, the Tangerines are in danger of undoing their early good work.
They may be well placed in the table at the moment, but teams are starting to bunch up behind them, with just five points between United in fourth and bottom side Aberdeen.
There is an added pressure that comes with games you are expected to win, and for all the undoubted talent that is in this United squad, they need to find a way of dealing with that pressure to fully deliver on their early season promise.
Image source, SNSWill Ferry has earned a first Republic of Ireland call-up for World Cup qualifiers against Portugal and Armenia.
Panutche Camara joins up with Guinea-Bissau as they face Ethopia and Egypt in World Cup qualifying.
Iurie Iovu is part of the Moldova squad for a friendly with Romania and World Cup qualifier against Estonia.
Dundee United forward Amar Fatah has withdrawn from the Sweden Under-21 squad. (Courier - subscription required), external
Ronny Costello
Fan writer
I wouldn't normally start by crediting my podcast buddy Paul but here goes. To echo what he said on this week's episode, it's hard to argue with four points from nine at home because it's exactly what we've deserved.
No less frustrating, but the truth.
There's been no hard-luck story or freak result to hide behind. Against Kilmarnock we were flat. Against Livingston we were better in the second half but the first half was terrible.
For a team with top-six ambitions, that's nowhere near good enough.
Once again, we've been the architects of our own downfall. Sloppy goals, unforced errors, set-piece frailties. Bert Esselink has been one of our most consistent players this season, but even he got caught in the act on Saturday.
It summed things up in the season so far - moments of quality followed by moments of madness.
The stats don't lie. Since Europe, we've shipped goals in bunches and most of them have been gifts.
There's a good side here, but it's buried under self-inflicted damage. Jim Goodwin knows it too, you can hear it in every post-match interview. The gorgeous one even referred to himself as "sounding like a broken record" at the weekend.
We've proved we can mix it in the big games. Rapid Vienna, wins over Aberdeen and Dundee showed that when the tempo is high and the crowd is up, we look a proper team. But when opponents sit in, we seem to struggle.
The league table still looks fine, but results like these can drag you backwards quickly.
We need to stop helping the opposition score. Time to tighten up, United.
Ronny Costello can be found at the Dode Fox Podcast, external
Image source, Getty ImagesFerry represented the Republic of Ireland at underage level
Dundee United defender Will Ferry has received his first call-up to the Republic of Ireland senior squad for World Cup qualifiers against Portugal and Armenia.
Ferry, who has represented Republic of Ireland at under-19s and under-21s level, has been brought into the squad after Callum O'Dowda and Sammie Szmodics withdrew through injury.
The 24-year-old has been a mainstay for Dundee United since signing from Cheltenham Town in the summer of 2024.
Now the Tangerines vice-captain, the full-back has made 52 appearances for the club and helped them to qualify for Europe last season.
The rest of the Republic of Ireland squad reported to Dublin on Monday as Heimir Hallgrimsson prepares his side to travel to Lisbon to face Portugal on Saturday, 11 October before hosting Armenia in Dublin on Tuesday, 14 October.
Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter
Dundee United were came from behind to snatch a 1-1 draw at home to Livingston in tricky conditions on Saturday, they've got one player in my team of the week.
Big goal for the big defender - Krisztian Keresztes' first for the club - as United turned this game around to share the points with Livingston.
Watch all the highlights as Dundee United and Livingston play out a 1-1 draw in the Scottish Premiership.
We asked for your views on Dundee United's 1-1 draw against Livingston on Saturday.
Here's what some of you said:
Jamie: Time to ditch the three at the back. We look so much better as a team when we have three in midfield. Jim Goodwin is showing a stubbornness that can't go on. The home atmosphere is non-existent at Tannadice as well. Must be rubbish to play in front of. I stand by my prediction of a seventh-placed finish for United this season.
Jenny: Goodwin needs to stop playing the same defensive trio again and again as they keep on shipping goals and are clearly not good enough - with, possibly, the exception of Bert Esselink. Sam Cleall-Harding is a better defender than any of the others and he should be in that team. He knows how to clear a ball and doesn't make schoolboy errors despite being only 19. The sooner Ross Graham is back the better to sort out this defensive mess.
Calum: Rubbish again from United - I thought we were supposed to learn from the Kilmarnock game last week? We didn't win second balls, had little imagination and almost no penetration. What a contrast to performances earlier in the season. How can a team be so Jekyll and Hyde?
Alan: Goodwin's fault for the stupid tactics passing across the back. Same issue with the Hibs game.
Image source, SNSDundee United manager Jim Goodwin: "The second 45 obviously was a lot better in terms of our all-round play, possession, getting into dangerous areas. Little bit guilty of wasting some good opportunities in terms of final ball when we get into those good areas.
"The second half was a lot more what we were after from the start of the game. We started a little bit slow. It's another horrendous goal against.
"A really poor mistake, we just don't deal with the situation and find ourselves trailing and having to chase the game again. We were turning over possession far too cheaply.
"We had 19 or 20 attempts on goal and just couldn't find the winner, unfortunately, when we were on top. It's probably a better point for Livingston than ourselves. It's another point on the board but yeah, a major disappointment."
Krisztian Keresztes' first goal for Dundee United secured a Scottish Premiership point after Scott Pittman's strike gave Livingston a deserved first-half lead.
Image source, SNSDundee United have Kristijan Trapanovski back in contention but Isaac Pappoe (knee), Owen Stirton (ankle), Ross Graham and Max Watters (both hamstring) remain out.
Livingston could include new signing Joshua Brenet but are expected to be without Ryan McGowan, Cristian Montano, Cammy Kerr and Aidan Denholm.
Claire Thomson
BBC Sport Scotland
Image source, SNSManager Jim Goodwin admits Dundee United have struggled to find consistency but has urged his players to avoid entering the international break "festering on a poor performance and defeat".
The Tannadice club ended a three-match unbeaten streak with a 2-0 defeat at home to Kilmarnock and hope to bounce back this weekend when they host Livingston.
United sit fifth in the Premiership, level on points with Motherwell and Hibs after six matches, but Goodwin is eyeing a top-four finish.
"The season already feels like it has been stop-start," the United boss said.
"It's hard to get a rhythm and momentum. You don't want to go into those two-week international break periods festering on a poor performance and a defeat.
"We've been looking for a really strong run of positive results.
"Prior to the Kilmarnock game, we'd been unbeaten in three games and we were disappointed for that run to come to an end.
"Saturday is a good opportunity to start a new unbeaten run.
"Livingston are going to be really aggressive, hardworking and physical. It's going to be tough but we need to bounce back after a disappointing result last weekend. It's an important opportunity to go and make amends.
"We've got to have the belief we can finish third or fourth."
United signed 14 new players this summer and while Goodwin says he is happy with recruitment, he admits it'll take time for them to adjust to life in the top flight.
"We've dropped points needlessly along the way," he added.
"We've had some really good, solid performances and individually there have been a few good players, but we're lacking consistency.
"We're happy with the recruitment we have done and we've worked extremely hard on that.
"It's only natural in the first 11 games of the league for our players to get to grips and see what it's like to play against all these different opponents.
"There's so many different styles of play, different systems and every team poses a different challenge."
Image source, SNSDundee United manager Jim Goodwin has been speaking to the media before his side host Livingston in the Premiership this weekend.
Here are the main points:
Goodwin was disappointed United's three-match unbeaten run came to an end last weekend and insists Saturday is a "good opportunity" to start a new one.
He is a "big admirer" of Livi boss David Martindale and expects Saturday's match to be "aggressive and physical" but hopes his team can bounce back and "make amends" after their 2-0 defeat to Kilmarnock.
"If we reach the potential we're capable of, the result should take care of itself", he says.
Goodwin believes the atmosphere at Tannadice for their 2-0 victory over Aberdeen gave the players a lift, but against Kilmarnock it was not as loud as the players wanted it to be.
"It's up to the players to generate that atmosphere and we have to do that from the first minute," he says.
On the international break, Goodwin feels the season has been "stop-start" and it is difficult to find "rhythm and momentum", but does not want to go into the hiatus "festering on a poor performance and a defeat".
He says his side have "lacked consistency" despite good recruitment.
"It's only natural in the first 11 games of the league for our players to get to grips and see what it's like to play against all these different opponents. There's so many different styles of play, different systems and every team poses a different challenge," he added.
On United captain Ross Graham, Goodwin hopes to see him back training at the end of the month and in the squad in early November.
Image source, SNSNo side has faced more shots in the Scottish Premiership this season than Dundee United (95, level with Dundee), while opponents Livingston have faced the highest expected goals total of any side (12.4).
None of Dundee United's past 13 home league games have been drawn, with the Tangerines winning five and losing eight since a 0-0 stalemate with Celtic in December last season.
Livingston have won seven of their past 11 top-flight meetings with Dundee United (D2 L2), including four of their latest six (D1 L1).
Dundee United have only won one of their past 10 Premiership games against newly-promoted opponents (D5 L4), a 4-0 victory win over Kilmarnock in November 2022.
After picking up four points in their opening two league games this season (W1 D1), Livingston have since earned just one point from the last 15 available (D1 L4) and could lose three consecutive Premiership matches for the first time since January 2024.
Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter
Are Dundee United becoming victims of their own success?
After a fine campaign last time, Jim Goodwin's side have made a solid start to this season.
But success brings increased expectations. Jim Goodwin described last weekend's game against Livingston as one "we are expected to win", only for his side to crash 2-0 at home.
Post-match, the United boss admitted his side "deserve the criticism because we dropped below the standards expected".
That defeat - United's first league loss since early August - will not detract from what has been a very encouraging opening to the campaign.
Nevertheless, the United boss will be hoping it is simply an aberration, and will be demanding normal service in performance level resumes over the coming weeks, starting with Saturday's visit of Livingston.
Having set such high standards over the last couple of years, trying to achieve them from week to week is always going to be difficult. But it's a challenge United must embrace.
Dundee United captain Ross Graham, 24, could return from a hamstring injury in November. (Courier - subscription required), external
Image source, SNSDundee United forward Miller Thomson has completed a season-long loan move to Ross County.
The 21-year-old academy graduate returns to the Championship having spent the final months of last term with title-winning Falkirk.
Thomson has made 42 appearances for United, including three this season.
He becomes County's third signing of the day after the relegated Staggies, now managed by former Dundee boss Tony Docherty, added Aberdeen forward Ryan Duncan and Falkirk full-back Sean Mackie, both on loan.
"Miller is a versatile player who will add energy and balance to our ranks, as well as good experience from his previous loan spells and featuring over 30 times for Dundee United in the Premiership and the European Conference League," said Docherty.
Paul McNicoll
Fan writer
After Aberdeen were superbly put to the sword - and could count themselves lucky to get out of Tannadice with only a two-goal defeat - it was Kilmarnock's turn to try to stop Jim Goodwin's men.
Boy, did they stop them.
United were incredibly poor on the day and you'll get no argument from me that Killie fully merited their victory. They stuck to their gameplan and ultimately it worked.
That is now twice they have beaten United this season. We're quickly getting into bogey team territory with that side from Ayrshire, who are now unbeaten in eight against United, including six wins.
Moving forward I am hoping to see far more of the type of performance United delivered against Aberdeen and far less of the one that was served up against Kilmarnock.
The signs are still promising, but there is work to do before the team can turn into a consistently good, and reliable, side that have genuine ambitions for what they hope to achieve this season.
It's Dundee United, though, and you never truly know what you're going to get. To be honest, I'm not sure I'd have it any other way.
Paul McNicoll can be found at the Dode Fox Podcast, external
Dundee United pair Will Ferry and Zac Sapsford have been informed of their places on longlists for the Republic of Ireland and Australia respectively. (The Courier, subscription required), external
