Dundee United

Dundee United defender Declan Gallagher was certain his season was over when he hit the turf and heard a crack during a bounce game at Hibernian Training Centre. (The Courier)

Paul McNicoll
Fan writer

Well, who would have thought it?

In August, when we glanced around nervously at coming back to the top division, the talk was survival, whether could we handle it and were we going to beat the dreaded drop?

And now, in April, a top-six finish was guaranteed before a ball was even kicked on Saturday, with two pre-split games to spare.

It's not so much about exceeding expectations; it's a vindication of the work put in by the club, the players, and the die-hard fans who stuck by the team through thick and thin.

To switch from Championship title winners to a top-half finish in our inaugural season back is a massive achievement that should be celebrated.

It signifies progress, ambition, and a statement that United aren't here to just make up the numbers.

But let's not just settle for that sixth place. There are still important games to be played, points to be won, and European qualification to be chased.

Complacency does not come here; this is the time to push the team on even harder. Every tackle, every pass, every shot matters.

Tannadice's atmosphere for these last few games might well be the difference maker.

To finish in the top six is great, but to finish the season needing to dust off the passport would be magnificent.

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

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"Old-school" Jim Goodwin says the defensive solidity of his Dundee United team cannot be underestimated.

United won 1-0 at Tynecastle on Sunday to strengthen their case for a top-five finish in the Scottish Premiership.

It is their 11th clean sheet in 32 league matches this season and Goodwin insists being "organised and disciplined" is a central factor in any successful campaign.

"I'm a little bit old school and sometimes get criticised for it but I really do believe in doing the basics as a team," Goodwin said.

"I think setting a team up to be organised and to be disciplined and to keep harping on about concentration levels and decision-making is a huge part of the game.

"If you look at any league all over Europe, the teams that tend to be up there near the top of them have got very, very good defensive records.

"Of course we want to score more goals, we'd like to be more creative, we'd love to be involved in 4-3 thrillers every now and again. But at the same time from a manager's perspective, clean sheets are vital."

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Sam Dalby bagged his 14th league goal of the season in Dundee United's 1-0 win at Tynecastle on Sunday and he is picked in my team of the week.

His match-winning header was a thing of beauty, arcing past a helpless Craig Gordon in the Hearts goal.

United fans, we asked for your views on Sunday's 1-0 win over Hearts.

Here's what some of you said:

Dave: The good: another terrific three points on the road, top six secured and hopefully the end of a tricky period for us. David Babunski getting some minutes - don't know why he's not been featuring of late. The bad: a referee that clearly doesn't understand the game. James Wilson's red card was marginal, but probably right, but the yellow cards and non-fouls that were penalised on both sides were ridiculous. When will the authorities get a grip on refereeing standards?

Mat: A great result for the Terrors but being honest another poor performance against a Hearts team that didn't look that great either. Our players look mentally tired and have definitely lost that spark and sharpness from earlier in the season. But we can recover and we can push on in the last six games to make this not just a very good season, but a great one.

Kieran: Much like last week, the game had no real quality. That was until big Sam Dalby, our talisman, popped up with one of the best headed goals I have seen for a while. Another crucial three points and although Hearts were by far the better side, this team has shown all season we can claim a result without playing particularly well.

Kenneth: We've been grinding out wins like this all season, they're no flukes we're just hard to beat. Kudos to Ross Docherty, Dalby, Jack Walton and the whole team for another good shift. Glenn Middleton and Dalby's play for the goal was class.

Jim: Considering we had a couple of main defenders missing, a great result! Our passing at the back was very dodgy in the first half, gifting Hearts chances but Wilson's sending off turned the game and Dalby's goal was a cracker. Now it's onward and hopefully upward.

Stephen: Jim Goodwin has got two away wins on the bounce after a bad run, win next week and all is rosy again, fair play Jim! A good performance against a far better Hearts than the one we faced early in the season in Gorgie. We keep in touch with Aberdeen and Hibs while sealing top six. Blip aside I'm delighted with the first season back in the top flight.

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• Dundee United have scored in each of their last six games in the Premiership, scoring eight goals in that run.

• Hearts attempted 15 shots in this match, higher than their season average of 12.6 in the Premiership.

• Dundee United have kept a clean sheet in 11 of their 32 games, only Rangers (13) and Celtic (20) have done this more often in the Premiership this season.

Watch highlights from Dundee United's 1-0 win over Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.

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Dundee United took a significant step towards a top-five Scottish Premiership finish and reignited their hopes of finishing third with victory over 10-man Hearts.

Were you at the game or following along from elsewhere?

Give us your views on the match here.

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Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin told Premier Sports: "I thought the game was very much in the balance as it had been in the previous two fixtures.

"I knew it was going to be a game decided on who defended the best, and thankfully, we did with another clean sheet. That's back-to-back clean sheets for us.

"Disappointed with how we managed the game, especially in the second half.

"I don't think we managed it well enough, but at the same time, I can't be too critical of the players. At this stage of the season, it's about getting results.

"It's such a tough place to come with everything Hearts are still playing for. I've managed to do my old club St Mirren a slight turn as well today."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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This season just gets better and better for United.

Not many gave the newly-promoted side a real chance of achieving a top-six place but they have done so with plenty to spare.

And now the race to catch Aberdeen, Hibernian - or both - and claim an even more unlikely European place is very much on.

Goodwin has built a squad whose originally remit was to survive, but now the goal is much greater than even the most ardent United fan might have thought possible last summer.

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Ross Docherty. What a difference he makes to this United side when he's in it.

An excellent display in the middle of the park at Tynecastle.

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Hearts defenders Jamie McCart, Stephen Kingsley and Frankie Kent are all pushing for a return to contention after injury but Gerald Taylor (knee) and Aidan Denholm (hamstring) are still out.

United have Emmanuel Adegboyega back from suspension but will make late decisions on fitness concerns for several unnamed players.

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Dundee United are guaranteed to finish in the Scottish Premiership's top six after results went their way on Saturday.

Jim Goodwin's side needed St Mirren and Motherwell to lose - and both did.

It means United travel to face Hearts on Sunday able to look at Hibernian and Aberdeen above them, rather than worrying about getting the point that would have secured a top-half place.

Dundee United wide man Will Ferry, 24, is walking a suspension tightrope as the season-defining run-in approaches. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

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Dundee United "don't want to be relying on anyone", says manager Jim Goodwin, as he urged his side to complete their top-six quest at Tynecastle on Sunday.

United have effectively secured a top-half finish but a point from their remaining two pre-split fixtures would remove any modicum of doubt.

Goodwin believes his former club St Mirren will beat both Dundee and Ross County in the coming weeks and aims to make sure there is no drama when United host St Johnstone on April 12.

"We have put ourselves in a great position and we haven't been out of the top six pretty much all season, which is credit to the group off the back of recently being promoted," said the Irishman.

"We are in a really strong position and it's very much in our hands. We don't want to be relying on anyone.

"St Mirren have had a really good season. They are hitting a bit of form at the right time and I would expect St Mirren to win their next two fixtures and that ultimately means we need to get a result in our next two games."

Hearts are only a point ahead of both St Mirren and Motherwell with a trip to Fir Park on the horizon after Sunday.

Goodwin said: "It's fair to say it's probably more of a must-win fixture for Hearts than ourselves but we're not going with a negative mindset of trying not to lose the game.

"We want to go there and try and win the game. We have to have a good defensive shape with the quality of players they have in the forward areas.

"But I believe St Mirren will win their next two fixtures and I think that's going to mount a lot of pressure on Hearts.

"They have to, I suppose, be a bit more open and expansive than we need to, and if we can exploit those areas on the counter-attack then that's something we will look to do."

Daldeep Kaur
BBC Sport Scotland

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Jim Goodwin has been speaking to the media before Dundee United's trip to face Hearts on Sunday.

Here are the key lines from his press conference:

• United head to the capital in "good spirits after a really good result and performance up in Dingwall" that has all but secured a top-six place.

• The 1-0 win against Ross County was "really important" after the derby defeat to Dundee and Goodwin says his side were able to "iron out some of those issues".

• On the task at Tynecastle: "It's going to be a very tight one between two good teams, it's probably more of a must-win fixture for Hearts."

• Goodwin is hoping for a repeat after United won 1-0 on their previous visit to Hearts this season. He adds: "Tynecastle is one of the best away days in the league, the atmosphere tends to be good, it can be a very hostile venue in terms of the supporters."

• Goodwin praises his squad and says they've put themselves "in a really strong position" before the split.

• He hails captain Ross Docherty - who is out of contract this summer - for the "influence he has on the team" but says the midfielder's injury history has been a "major disappointment".

Dundee United manager Jim Goowin says "brave" captain Ross Docherty must prove he has put his injury woes behind him in the concluding weeks of the season if the 32-year-old midfielder is to earn a new contract beyond the summer. (The Courier), external

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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• Hearts have lost just one of their past nine Scottish Premiership games against Dundee United (W6 D2), although that was their last at home in September this season (1-0).

• After that 1-0 win in September, United could win back-to-back top-flight away games at Hearts for the first time since February 2012 under Peter Houston.

• Hearts have won six of their past eight home league games (L2), including both of their past two. Hearts last won three successive home matches in the Scottish Premiership in February 2024.

• United are the only side in the Premiership this season to pick up at least half of their points away from home (52% - 23/44), winning their last game 1-0 away to Ross County.

• Hearts have won four of their past five games against newly-promoted opposition in the Scottish Premiership (L1), as many as their previous 20 beforehand (W4 D8 L8).

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Dundee United's "jack of all trades" nature has made for a "really successful recipe" in their return to the Scottish Premiership, says BBC Scotland pundit Rory Loy.

After winning the second-tier title last term, manager Jim Goodwin has almost certainly led United to a top-six finish following Sunday's win at Ross County.

Former Dundee and St Mirren forward Loy hailed Goodwin's summer recruitment, which he feels made the Tannadice side ready-made for the top flight.

With a place in the top half all but secured, Loy feels United should now be targeting a European place.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, he said: "Goodwin has managed to make really good signings in Sam Dalby, Luca Stephenson and Will Ferry, as well as having the likes of Ross Graham, Craig Sibbald and Ross Docherty in the team.

"They've built a really good squad. I've always described them this season as a kind of jack of all trades, master of none.

"I look at them and don't go, they're brilliant at that. But I also really struggle to look at them and think, well you're really poor at that.

"And that's made for a really successful recipe. I think Goodwin and the club, given where they were at, deserve enormous credit. There's absolutely no reason why they can't nick a European place."

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Dundee United defender Ross Graham had a weekend to remember, and not just for his winning header against Ross County.

Jim Goodwin's side all but secured a top-six berth, a magnificent feat for a newly-promoted side, but the Graham household had another sporting achievement to celebrate as well.

His partner, Anastasia Vaipan-Law, was taking part in the World Figure Skating Championships in Boston and secured a spot on Team GB for next year's Winter Olympics.

"Yeah, it's been a very special week for the two of us, probably more for her, probably a bigger achievement," Graham told BBC Scotland.

"She finished 12th and qualified for a spot for next year's Winter Olympics. So, yeah, it's a very happy household."

United's stellar top-flight form is particularly sweet for 24-year-old Graham, having joined the club's academy over a decade ago and worked his way to the first team as a local lad.

He said: "You can't beat that feeling, being from the area, you know a lot of people in the stands who are out watching and supporting you all the time and you go to shops and you're always speaking to fans and they're always wanting to speak to you.

"So it's a nice feeling after you've scored and you've got a win and you just know how much it means to them."

On a possible push for a European spot, he adds: "We're not looking too far ahead into that just now. We want to get the job done of securing top six first."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Dundee United's top-six status is all but secure. A fine achievement whatever way you look at it.

Remember, United were playing in the second tier last year – so surviving in the top flight was the objective at the start of this campaign.

And how they have exceeded that aim. What makes it all even more impressive is the fact Jim Goodwin completely rebuilt his squad last summer, a revamp that laid the foundations for what they have gone on to achieve.

Yes their form has dipped, but that was always going to happen at some point in the campaign.

This has been a wonderful season for United – and a European place would be the biggest of bonuses.

If f they can get to a situation where the fans are reaching for their passports, then you have to think Goodwin will be putting himself into manager of the year contention.

There is still a lot of water to flow under the Premiership bridge this season, with plenty yet to be decided.

But if I dare look to next term, the big challenge the United boss looks set to face is finding a way to build and improve on a campaign that has gone well beyond their early-season expectations.