Dundee United

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With a smile on his face and a hint of laughter in his voice, Jim Goodwin said he is "now confident" Dundee United - who sit third - will avoid relegation this season.

The Tangerines are 16 points clear of bottom side St Johnstone, so his statement is safe, but, on a serious note, survival was very much the aim at the start of the campaign.

Which is perhaps why no one at United is getting "carried away" or "ahead ourselves" when thinking about a top six finish.

"We've done really, really well to put ourselves into this position," Goodwin said while previewing United's trip to Celtic.

"I think we've earned the right to be here. We're disappointed with recent results, we've had a few defeats, but we're still very, very positive.

"We always felt Hearts and Hibs were in a false position, but, the top six is a genuine ambition of ours now and any higher than that is a huge bonus for this group of players.

"There's still a lot to do to make sure we achieve it.

"We're not getting carried away, we're not getting ahead of ourselves. We still need a number of points to make sure we secure that and we've given ourselves a good chance to do that.

"Forty-three tends to be the magic number for a top six finish, so we think we need to win another two or three league games, but that's a lot easier said that done.

"We don't want an anti-climax, we want to maintain the feel-good factor around the club and the support. Once that happens we can reach for the stars."

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Jim Goodwin has been addressing the media before Dundee United's trip to Celtic on Saturday in the Scottish Premiership.

Here are the key things he said:

• No one was "happy" to have a weekend off due to their Scottish Cup exit, but, Goodwin was pleased to allow some players - including Allan Campbell - some much-needed "rehab time".

• The manager praised Celtic's "really good performance" against Bayern Munich, and said that given their tie is alive, "it does make us wonder what the selection on Saturday will look like".

• The mindset against Celtic must be United "are capable of an upset" and Goodwin believes their "respectable" form against the league leaders this season aids that.

• United have "earned the right" to be third, but Goodwin insists "we're not getting carried away" as "there's still a lot to do to achieve top six".

• The manager said they're always "scouring the market" and is confident they will have "some really good targets" to go after in the summer.

• Craig Sibbald is the only player unavailable this weekend, but he is hopeful the midfielder will be back at "the early part of next week".

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• Celtic are unbeaten in 21 meetings with Dundee United in all competitions (W16 D5) since going down 2-1 in December 2014 under Ronny Deila.

• Dundee United have failed to win each of their past 49 away games at Celtic in all competitions (D12 L37). The only side to fail to win 50+ consecutive away games against the Hoops in all competitions were Kilmarnock from 1957 to 2011 (64).

• Celtic have conceded in just one of their 12 home league games this season (2-2 draw v Aberdeen in October), winning their past eight at Celtic Park in the Scottish Premiership by an aggregate score of 29-0.

• Dundee United have lost four of their past five league games (W1), as many as their first 20 such matches of the season beforehand (W9 D7 L4).

• Celtic's Daizen Maeda has scored in his past three Premiership appearances (four goals), his longest scoring streak in the competition. Since Christmas, he has 10 goal involvements in the top flight (six goals, four assists), more than any other player.

Manager Jim Goodwin has predicted a "busy summer" as Dundee United seek to build on a solid maiden campaign back in the Premiership. (The Courier), external

Dundee United midfielder Richard Odada is in talks over a loan switch to Serbian club OFK Beograd. (The Courier), external

Read the rest of Thursday's gossip.

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has revealed interest from European clubs in midfielder Richard Odada, and says a loan move would be good for the Kenya international with the transfer window still open in certain countries. (Courier, external)

Ronny Costello
Fan writer

Dundee United have officially withdrawn from the KMI (key match incidents) panel and, honestly, it's the right call. Now, wouldn't it be great if we led the charge to scrap VAR altogether?

Let's be honest - VAR just isn't working. It's flawed because football will always have subjective decisions. No amount of slow-motion replays will ever change that. It takes too long, the camera angles aren't good enough, and in the end, we're still left arguing about the same things we did before.

United have rightly highlighted how inconsistent the decisions are, but even with the best officials in the world, no two incidents are ever exactly the same. You can watch 100 handball decisions and see them given 50 different ways. No amount of "clear and obvious" checks will ever make it truly fair or consistent.

But beyond all that, VAR is sucking the joy out of football. That moment of pure, unfiltered celebration when the ball hits the back of the net? Gone. Instead, we stand around waiting to see if a toenail was offside. By the time we get the decision, the moment has passed.

And let's be real - VAR has turned us into bairns, arguing over microscopic offsides like spoiled kids squabbling over whose turn it is on the PlayStation. It's pathetic. Football was never meant to be played with rulers and protractors.

Yes, refereeing in Scotland is a shambles. But rather than persisting with a system that clearly isn't working, why not actually invest in improving standards?

Bring in foreign refs, give officials better training, or - here's a radical thought - just accept that mistakes happen. They always have, and football was no worse for it.

VAR is beyond saving. It's time to bin it and get our game back. While we are at it, throw the KMI lot in the same bin.

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

Scottish FA head of referee operations Willie Collum says the decision to award Kilmarnock a controversial winning goal against Dundee United last weekend was correct.

Marley Watkins challenged United goalkeeper Jack Walton in the air to head home and the goal was given following a VAR review.

The Tannadice club contacted the SFA after the game to say they feel VAR continues to lead to "inconsistent interpretations" of the laws of the game.

But in the Scottish FA's VAR Review Show,, external Collum said: "We support the decision. There's not enough here for a foul on the goalkeeper.

"The Kilmarnock player makes inevitable contact with the Dundee United goalkeeper and it's not enough to be illegal contact. We believe the goal was right to stand."

Collum admits three VAR mistakes

Dundee United called for VAR reform and withdrew its representation from the Key Match Incident Review Panel on discovering that commentators and reporters are involved in the process, along with former officials, ex-players and managers. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Friday's Scottish gossip.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

After getting knocked out of the Scottish Cup by their city neighbours, Dundee United have an unwelcome weekend off.

Of course, they would rather still be in the competition, but after such a hectic spell, it might not be a bad time for them to have a break, take stock of things and reset for the remainder of the campaign.

United sit third in the Premiership table, boast the league's top scorer - step forward Sam Dalby - and have the second best away record in the division.

So what is there to take stock of? Well, United have won just one of their past six games in all competitions, losing five.

Despite having the league's top scorer they have found goals hard to come by lately, netting just twice in those six fixtures.

No one at Tannadice will be hitting the panic button – far from it – but finding a way to rediscover winning and scoring form will be at the forefront of manager Jim Goodwin's mind as the cup continues in his team's absence.

And if he can come up with a formula to do both of those things again, then an already very good campaign has the potential to become an exceptional one.

We asked for your views on Dundee United's business after the January transfer window closed on Monday.

Here's what some of you said:

Denis: Come the end of the season will determine if the window was a success or not. An additional striker, a solid midfielder and a creative midfielder have come in, which is what all Arabs wanted to see - well done to the recruitment team. Icing on the cake is that Sam Dalby is here at least to the season's end. Got to be happy.

Jamie: If someone had told me before January that we would sign a Scotland cap, a Scotland Under-21 cap, and one of the best strikers in last year's Championship, I would have been delighted. However, I can't help but feel we haven't strengthened where we needed to. Outside of Glenn Middleton, who only shows it in bursts, we have no pace in the side. 4/10 January window.

Charles: I hope Allan Campbell gives us some much-needed strength in midfield so we can consolidate our position in third place.

Kieran: All in all, across both transfer windows I can have no complaints with the majority of deals. I think all fans would agree we needed cover for one of the players of the season in Will Ferry. However, the players that have came in have certainly made the team stronger. Now to push on and cement a top-six place, possibly Europe.

With the transfer window now closed, how do you feel about Dundee United's January business?

A third-place finish is still on the cards for Jim Goodwin's side on their Premiership return, so it's no surprise the manager was keen to keep the momentum going.

Scotland midfielder Allan Campbell joined on a permanent deal, forward Ruari Paton and midfielder Lewis Fiorini came in on loan, and United's best bit of business was arguably keeping a hold of striker Sam Dalby.

Summer arrival Meshack Ubochioma headed out on loan, as did a host of youngsters, including Miller Thomson to Falkirk on deadline day.

So, are you confident Goodwin can lead his Tangerines to third with this squad?

Have your say on Dundee United's transfer business., external

Paul McNicoll
Fan writer

The January window has quietly closed, and for my money United are a stronger outfit now than they were at the turn of the year. Certainly on paper.

The slight flaw in that opinion, however, is that we have lost five of the past six games. We are in the midst of a slump, that much is fair to say, and next up for the team is a trip through to Celtic Park. Nice and easy.

As a United fan I fully expected this to happen at some point this season, so there is no panic from me. If you look through the league this season, it is really only Celtic that haven't gone through a trying spell.

Still, you don't want these kind of runs to go on too long as it can be a hard habit to break. We know this all too well, we were there just a couple of years ago.

One positive during this testing run is I don't think the team's form has fallen off a cliff. Far from it. In tight matches earlier in the season we were perhaps getting the rub of the green in some moments and coming away with all three points.

That seems to have somewhat deserted us just now. There has also been a fair bit of chopping and changing of line-ups and set-ups, but that is something that has served us well for the majority of the season, so I am not against that approach. Horses for courses, if you will.

I do wonder, though, now that Jim Goodwin appears to have so many different options to choose from, how easy will it be for him to figure out his best XI.

From my point of view, it's all about getting through this spell and then really making a stab at finishing as high up the table as we possibly can.

We are currently punching above our weight, and expectations (and hopes and dreams) have certainly been raised due to just how well the team have done in the first half of the season.

The run-in to May should be edge-of-the-seat stuff, with United, Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts, Motherwell and St Mirren all vying for third place. The guarantee of European football, much-need finance, and memorable foreign adventures for us punters potentially lie ahead.

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

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Falkirk have signed Miller Thomson from Dundee United on loan until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old came through the United academy and made his senior debut in 2022.

Last season the midfielder bagged three goals in 12 League One appearances with Montrose and went on to set up two goals on his return to Tannadice as Jim Goodwin's side secured promotion to the top flight.

This season, Thomson has scored one goal in 14 Premiership appearances.

"Miller is an exciting and versatile wide player who is primarily right sided," Falkirk boss John McGlynn told club media.

"He had an impressive spell with Montrose in League One last season before going back to Dundee United, where he was able to play a part in winning this division.

"He has since tested himself with plenty of appearances in the Premiership this year.

"He is a player that knows how to win and adds to our competition for places in the wide areas. I'm sure he will make an impact in the attacking third of the pitch."

Watch highlights of Kilmarnock's 1-0 win against Dundee Utd in the Scottish Premiership.

We asked for your views on Dundee United's 1-0 defeat against Kilmarnock.

Here's what some of you said:

Kieran: Where do I start? Disappointing, dull and dreadful, that was just the game in a nutshell. United were uninspiring, lacklustre and pedestrian. As contentious as the goal was it was always going to be an error if any team was going to win it. We've hit a bit of a sticky patch, we are lucky Aberdeen are still in freefall to hold onto third spot.

Alasdair: This was a real bore fest, with the main talking point again the way key decisions are being decided inconsistently. Albeit Jack Walton should be stronger for the goal, Marley Watkins I think does foul him. We saw a softer example benefit Rangers recently where a goal was ruled out. It's also a clearer hand ball at the end than some that have been given.

Michael: A surprisingly insipid performance from both teams with very little inspiration. I'd have said the Kilmarnock goal was fair, apart from the fact that in any other game I've seen in recent years, a foul would've been given. It's that word 'consistency' again.

Ross: United were bereft of any quality whatsoever and except for Will Ferry, no one hit a pass, never mind a pass mark! It appeared width was required to break Killie down but changes were made too late. Killie's goal was questionable but if we got it we'd take it. Jim Goodwin must hit the drawing board to decide where new signings fit.

Jamie: Since the admittedly poor decisions that went our way against St Mirren earlier in the season, we have been on the end of some horrendous officiating. Allowing Watkins' goal is beyond any and all comprehension. Before making contact with the ball his hand comes down and smacks into Walton's face, impeding him entirely. We won't get third.

George: Unlucky that we are missing the rub of the green at the moment, but are not losing our league position. Hopefully lady luck returns soon. The team are still trying hard and deserve to get through this spell.

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• Will Ferry created five chances, his highest total in a single match in the Premiership.

• Kilmarnock have a record of W4, D0, L2 when scoring the opening goal in the Premiership this season.

• Dundee United have a record of W2, D1, L6 when conceding the opening goal in the Premiership this season.

• Marley Watkins has scored his fourth goal in the Premiership this season, netting for the first time since 20 October 2024 against Rangers.

Did you take in Dundee United's narrow defeat by Kilmarnock or were you following from home?

Have your say on the match, external

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin: "The major disappointment for us is the goal that we concede. VAR is there to help in those situations. The centre-forward for Kilmarnock has his arm right across Jack Walton's face, making it impossible for Jack to get off the ground to try and catch the ball.

"I don't think it was a game that we deserved to lose over the balance of play. The game was really scrappy. It was two strong teams battling it out.

"I thought we had more opportunities than Kilmarnock, I thought we got into more dangerous areas. The bit that was lacking was that final ball at times. We were unfortunate at 0-0 with the Sam Dalby header that comes crashing back off the bar."

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Andy Campbell
BBC Scotland

Dundee United's lofty status in third, eight months on from promotion, belies their recent form with six points from a possible 18 registered since the turn of the year and three defeats in a row in all competitions.

However, that run betters nearest challengers Aberdeen's recent form, with the Pittodrie men without a league win since November.

Former Motherwell man Allan Campbell's addition in midfield brings experience and Premiership nous and can only help Jim Goodwin's team emulate Hearts' feat of following promotion with a third-placed finish three seasons ago.

The Tangerines may feel VAR just was not smiling on them in Ayrshire, with a late penalty claim for handball against Corrie Ndaba not moving the officials to act.

Image source, SNS

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Brad Lyons is back for Kilmarnock but Rory McKenzie is touch and go and Matty Kennedy is not quite ready to return from a back injury.

Robby McCrorie (broken cheekbone), Kyle Vassell, Stuart Findlay (both ankle) and Innes Cameron (hamstring) remain out.

Dundee United could hand a debut to Allan Campbell and remain without Craig Sibbald (groin).