Dundee United

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin: “To lose the goal against the run of play, in the way we did, is a very poor goal from our point of view. The boys know that, they were all very honest with each other after it at half time.

“We’re all pulling in the same direction and I’ve had complete buy-in from the players. There’s a real good, solid structure to the team now which is really pleasing.

“We have to believe that we’re capable of putting together a run similar to what Motherwell have done, six or seven weeks ago they were in a similar position to ourselves.

“I think that fact we’ve jumped up to tenth in the table is significant, albeit Kilmarnock have a game tomorrow and that could change again.

“But, you know, St Johnstone they're on a poor run of form at the moment as well, I think they’ll be getting a little bit nervous after how tight it’s all getting.

“It builds the atmosphere and makes it all very exciting for all of us involved and for the neutrals outside watching

“I'm thoroughly enjoying it, I've loved every minute of being here at the club and those types of victories make it all worthwhile.

Image source, SNS

Were you at the match or following from home?

Have you say on Dundee United's 2-1 win from behind at Fir Park here.

Steven Fletcher did.

He may not have scored but the veteran forward was exemplary in his hold-up, allowing his side to get up the pitch and into the final third.

He also showed his attacking nous to get on the end of a through-ball and win his side's decisive penalty.

Image source, SNS

Jack Herrall, BBC Sport Scotland

Dundee United will have watched Ross County fail to take any points against Aberdeen last night and knew a win would see them go tenth, four goals better off than Kilmarnock.

Their attacking play simply wasn’t sticking in the first-half but Ian Harkes, McGrath, and Niskanen showed their technical ability to all contribute with key passes and goals.

Fight for the sake of fight won’t keep them up, but if it’s coupled with football as good as their second half display, they might just be playing top-flight football next season again.

Image source, -

Motherwell: Kelly, Johnston, McGinn, Butcher, Casey, Furlong, Goss, Cornelius, Spittal, Van Veen, Mandron

Substitutes: Oxborough, O'Donnell, Lamie, Mugabi, Slattery, Aitchison, McKinstry, Blaney, Paton

Dundee United: Birighitti, McMann, Mulgrew, Niskanen, Fletcher, Sibbald, Behich, McGrath, Freeman, Harkes, Ayina

Substitutes: Newman, Graham, Djoum, Edwards, A. Sadat, Fotheringham, Cudjoe, Thomson, MacLeod

Image source, -

Dundee United forward Kai Fotheringham says his form on loan to Stirling Albion helped secure a new contract at Tannadice. (Daily Record, print edition)

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

The penultimate round of fixtures before the split are on the horizon and our team of David Currie, Thomas Duncan and Cammy Bell dive deep into the action for our weekend preview.

Give it a whirl here.

Motherwell midfielder Calum Butcher will be assessed before the visit of his former club after picking up a knock last weekend, while Ross Tierney (groin) has had a setback in his recovery.

Forward Jonathan Obika remains out with a hamstring issue, Joe Efford and Riku Danzaki are back in training, while Josh Morris, Nathan McGinley and Jake Carroll are long-term absentees.

Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin has no fresh injury concerns. Glenn Middleton (hamstring) and Dylan Levitt (knee) remain out as do Peter Pawlett (hamstring) and Liam Smith (ankle).

Image source, SNS

Charlie Mulgrew’s embryonic coaching career is on hold so he can focus on “playing and being a leader” in Dundee United’s Scottish Premiership survival battle.

The 37-year-old centre-back combined playing with coaching when he took a role on Liam Fox’s management team last November, but after Jim Goodwin took charge on 1 March he advised the 37-year-old to concentrate solely on on-field duties.

Mulgrew returned from injury last weekend as United saw off Hibs 2-1 for the first win of Goodwin’s tenure, but they remain two points behind second-bottom Ross County with seven fixtures remaining, starting with Saturday’s trip to Motherwell.

"With the situation we are in, it is best I focus on playing and knuckle down and think about that,” said Mulgrew.

“And I have enjoyed that, focusing on playing and being a leader in this team.

"The next seven games is where my focus is and I will give everything for that, keeping this club in the division, and we will see where we are in the summer.

"It (coaching) is definitely something I want to go into in the future. It's something that I'm really interested in, something that I have long-term plans in my mind, but the best thing now is to focus on playing rather than one foot in both.

"I will give 100 per cent as a player and the future will take care of itself."

Mulgrew wants United to build on the boost given by their first win in 11 matches in all competitions.

He added: "We take confidence from the Hibs game. In my experience of playing and being in the game, the atmosphere in a club is so much better the week after a good result. It brings confidence to the place.

"We have waited long enough for it so hopefully we can get a few now.”

Image source, SNS

Defender Scott McMann says Dundee United's supporters deserve more than one away victory in the Scottish Premiership this season. (Courier - subscription required), external

Ross County manager Malky Mackay believes Dundee United counterpart Jim Goodwin would still be in charge of Aberdeen had the Dons players performed better for him. (Express), external

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

• Kevin van Veen has scored 18 Scottish Premiership goals this season, double his return of 2021-22 (9 goals) and the most by a Motherwell player in a campaign in the competition since John Sutton scored 22 in 2013-14.

• Dundee United’s victory over Hibernian last time out ended an 11-game winless run in the Scottish Premiership (D3 L8). However, the Tangerines have only won one of 15 away league matches this term (D5 L9).

• Motherwell have won both of their last two league games, last winning three on the spin in September 2021. Indeed, the Steelmen have won five of their last seven in the Scottish Premiership (D1 L1).

• Dundee United are winless in three league visits to Motherwell (D1 L2), losing as many of those trips as they had in their previous nine top-flight away games against the Steelmen beforehand (W6 D1 L2).

• Motherwell are looking to earn back-to-back Scottish Premiership wins over Dundee United for the first time since March 2016, having won the two sides’ last such game in October (1-0).

Image source, SNS

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin believes his side's "crucial" win over Hibernian on Easter Sunday has turned up the heat in the battle for Scottish Premiership survival.

The victory against Hibs was Goodwin's first in charge at Tannadice and the Irishman admits it has "given the whole place a lift".

“There was a real sense of relief more than anything else considering how the results had gone on the Saturday," Goodwin said in his pre-match press conference before United's clash with Motherwell.

“It was crucial that we took maximum points on Sunday and I am delighted for the players and everyone connected to the club that we were able to get that massive win.

“I think prior to the weekend people may have been looking at it as ourselves, Ross County and Kilmarnock, possibly (fighting for survival), but I think there is another couple of teams maybe looking over their shoulders now and getting a little bit nervy which is great.

“We have seven games coming up that we would look at, from our own perspective, as winnable games albeit we respect the opposition and we know how difficult those games are going to be."

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has been addressing the press ahead of his side's trip to Fir Park to take on Motherwell on Saturday.

Here's the key points from his media conference:

• He says the "crucial" win against Hibernian has "given the whole place a lift".

• Result brought "a sense of relief" after seeing the Saturday results of teams around them.

• Goodwin added, "there is another couple of teams maybe looking over their shoulders now and getting a little bit nervy which is great".

• The manager said while respecting the opposition, the upcoming seven games are "winnable" for his United side.

Image source, SNS

Bet that winning feeling felt good last weekend?

First three points on the board for Jim Goodwin and he'll certainly be hoping another few can follow suit.

A tough test awaits as a trip to ML1 to face a rejuvenated Motherwell is in store on Saturday.

Pick your starting XI here.

Image source, BBC Sport

Former referee John McKendrick believes anybody found guilty of abusing Kevin Clancy should be permanently barred from football stadiums. (Daily Record), external

Scottish football has been warned it is running the risk of another referees' strike by former official Steven Conroy. (Daily Record), external

Read all of Wednesday's Scottish gossip.

Image source, BBC Sport

One of the finest European nights Tannadice has ever witnessed.

Having won their maiden top-flight title the season prior, Jim McLean's side ventured out to the continent, reaching the semi-finals of the 1983/84 European Cup.

It was there they would meet Italian champions Roma, who sauntered into the City of Discovery with confidence and swagger. United, a team of real quality and tactical nous, more than matched the Serie A giants, however.

A David Dodds goal three minutes after the restart was followed up on the hour mark by Derek Stark, as The Tangerines secured a 2-0 win to take to the Stadio Olimpico a fortnight later.

It will always be a story of what could have been for United fans, as Roma ran out 3-0 winners in the second leg - in a game marred by allegations of bribery and drug use.

Although not contesting the final will have hurt, there would have been a few glasses raised in Dundee when Liverpool lifted the trophy in Roma's own backyard in the first European Cup final decided on penalties.

Image source, SNS

Ronny Costello, Dode Fox Podcast, external

Paul finished off last week's column by saying that a defeat on Sunday would keep United rolling towards the Championship. A win though, and you just never know.

And after Sunday's win over Hibs, the miracle of survival is still possible, against all the odds.

Going into the game on Easter Sunday five points behind Ross County, most United fans may well have rather been rolling eggs, scoffing chocolate and watching from behind the sofa. 2 January was the last time we had won a league game - you can dress it up any way you like, but that is relegation form. Despite that, somehow, someway, we were still not cut adrift.

Step forward Steven Fletcher to head us into the lead after just eight minutes - maybe, just maybe, the resurrection may happen.

It was not easy on the eye at times. Too slack in possession, passes too short, too long or out the park, but we were a threat on the counter and if Fletcher and Niskanen had scored, Behich would have had a hat-trick of assists on the day.

Being United means we don't always make it easy for ourselves and when Charlie Mulgrew got caught under a cross and Kukharevych scored, I imagine most United fans thought "aw nawwww, here we go again..." until Will Fish made a complete meal of it in the box and the ref pointed to the spot.

Jim Goodwin described Jamie McGrath as having ice in his veins post-match after he sent David Marshall the wrong way and secured all three points.

The miracle of survival? You just never know...

Dundee United are finally fit enough following "a mini pre-season" under new manager Jim Goodwin, says Steven Fletcher. (Courier - subscription required), external

Fletcher says "emotions just take over" as he describes celebrating a goal for Dundee United against former club Hibs on Sunday. (Scotsman - subscription required), external

Image source, BBC Sport

Steven Fletcher thinks that Dundee United's first Premiership win in 12 has be in the offing for a while, as he spurred his team on to victory over Hibs.

The striker scored an early opener before winning a late penalty either side of a Hibs equaliser.

“It’s been a long time coming," he revealed. "The performances have been a lot better in the last couple of weeks but the results haven’t come our way.

"Today was just a bit of a relief in a way but we can’t get carried away. We have to take each game as it comes and we have a massive game next week as Motherwell are in a really good run just now."

Asked if he was worried of a 'here we go again' situation for the bottom club, he said: “I did for about ten seconds and then I thought 'you need to get that out your head and we need to go again.'

"I've been saying that to the boys that when they equalise or we go a goal down we need to get going again because we’re not going to go anywhere if we don’t. Credit to the boys we went again.

“It’s good to go in there (the dressing room) with three points and a spring in our step and we can enjoy it for a couple of hours but we need to get back to work Monday, Tuesday as we have a massive game at the weekend.”

Image source, SNS

What a huge win at Tannadice for United, right?

A mighty performance was required to earn the three precious points for Jim Goodwin's first win as United boss, and Loick Ayina certainly put in that kind of showing.

His efforts have earned him a spot in Sportscene presenter Amy Irons' team of the week.

Image source, Opta