Dundee United

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

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

Hibernian: Marshall, Cadden, Fish, Egan-Riley, Cabraja, Jeggo, Newell, Campbell, McKirdy, Nisbet, Youan.

Substitutes: Johnson, Miller, Doyle-Hayes, Tavares, Hoppe, Stevenson, Devlin, Henderson, Kuharevich.

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Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin is hoping for a happier outcome on Sunday than the last time he faced Hibs – a 6-0 thrashing in January that saw him sacked by Aberdeen.

"That isn't my fondest memory of my career to date,” said Goodwin. “It was a very difficult time for me. Hibs were very good on the day, unfortunately my Aberdeen team, not so good.

"This is a completely different situation. A different group of players, we have Hibs on our own patch where we have actually done very well in the four games since I have been in.

"We have had two at home and both performances against Aberdeen and St Mirren were excellent. We have got good confidence within the group.

"We are all looking forward to the game on Sunday. It is a good opportunity for the players, live on the telly, to show how good they are and to show what this means to them and how desperate they are to turn things around."

Tony Watt would love to return to St Mirren next season but the striker, on loan from Dundee United, admits financial constraints might take a permanent switch out of the equation unless he proves his worth in the next few weeks. (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Saturday's Scottish gossip.

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Experienced defender Charlie Mulgrew may return for Dundee United after a month out.

But winger Peter Pawlett is set to miss out after his injury against Rangers, while defender Liam Smith and midfielders Glenn Middleton and Dylan Levitt remain sidelined.

Hibernian midfielder Joe Newell is back to full fitness after an ankle injury, while forward Elie Youan is free of suspension.

But Kyle Magennis, Martin Boyle, Rocky Bushiri and Aiden McGeady remain sidelined.

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Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin is adamant that his side can avoid the drop this season, and has stressed the importance of belief to his players.

United currently sit bottom of the Scottish Premiership with 22 points from 30 games, two behind Ross County in 11th place.

“There’s lots of examples over recent seasons of teams who have been in a similar situation to ourselves and have been able to turn it around," Goodwin said.

“Those are the kinds of things that we are trying to stress to the players, you never give up, you never stop fighting, never stop believing.

“I remember many years ago when Hamilton, for instance, were bottom of the table going into the split, slightly adrift.

“They managed to go and win four out of their last five games to stay up.

“So you can never throw the towel in. The team above us, Ross County, are only two points ahead so they are the team we have to try to suck in and once we get to Ross County we have to look up to Kilmarnock to see if we can put a bit of pressure on them.

“The result Kilmarnock got against Hearts (2-1 win) last week should give everybody a bit of belief that, it doesn’t matter who we are playing, we are capable of beating anyone on the day.”

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Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has been talking to the media before Sunday's Scottish Premership clash with Hibernian.

Here are the key lines from his press conference:

• Peter Pawlett, Liam Smith, Liam Smith, Glenn Middleton and Dylan Levitt are all out with injuries; Charlie Mulgrew has trained this week and is being assessed.

• With injuries mounting up, Goodwin challenged some of the squad's younger players to step up, calling it an opportunity to "show everybody what they are made of".

• He says the first objective is to catch Ross County, who currently sit 11th, just two points of United at the bottom, and then try to "put a bit of pressure" on the teams above that.

• Goodwin cited other teams that have escaped the Premiership drop, saying "you can never throw the towel in".

• Kilmarnock's win over Hearts last weekend gives him belief that "we are capable of beating anyone on the day".

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Title shootout. Battle for third. Top-six dogfight. Survival slugfest.

There's something for everyone in another compelling weekend of Premiership action.

Get in the mood for all the big games by listening to the BBC's Sottish football podcast here.

A bona fide legend returns to Tannadice this weekend.

Ivan Golac will be paraded on the pitch and greet the crowd prior to Sunday's Premiership game with Hibs.

Can the sight of the 1994 Scottish Cup-winning Dundee United boss inspire the current side to boost their survival hopes with a first league win since January?

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Former Dundee United wonderkid Ryan Gauld admits he is considering switching his international allegiance to Canada after seven years without a Scotland call-up. (OneSoccer via Scottish Sun)

Ex-Tannadice manager Craig Levein is concerned about Dundee United's Premiership status because they are "in a dogfight with other teams who are probably more used to being in that situation". (The Courier)

Read the rest of Friday's gossip.

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• Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin’s last league match as Aberdeen manager was a 6-0 defeat to Hibs in January. Goodwin has, however, won both of his last two home league games against Hibs.

• Hibs have won three of their last four Scottish Premiership away games at Dundee United, although did lose their first such trip this season 1-0 in October.

• Dundee United have won none of their last 11 league matches (D3 L8), the longest ongoing winless league run of any Scottish Premiership side. They last had a longer top-flight winless run between March and September 2008 (12 in a row).

• Since Kevin Nisbet’s first league appearance of the season in December, only Kyogo Furuhashi (10) has scored more Premiership goals than the Hibs striker (9). Nisbet has the best minutes per goal ratio of any player with 500+ minutes in the division this season (one goal every 75 mins) and the best by a player with 500+ mins in a season since Kenny Miller in 2010-11 (one goal every 72 mins).

• Dundee United have only lost one of their last five league games against Hibs (W2 D2), a 3-1 home defeat in December 2021.

Kai Fotheringham is on course to earn a new deal at Tannadice following a fine season, with boss Jim Goodwin impressed with the Dundee United youngster. (The Courier)

Read the rest of Thursday's gossip

The games are running out for Dundee United as they seek to avoid the drop this season.

They face a wounded Hibs side on Sunday, after Lee Johnson's side went down 3-1 to Motherwell last time out.

What team would you pick if you were in Jim Goodwin's shoes? Let us know here.

Former Dundee United manager Jackie McNamara has backed the Tannadice side to stay in the Scottish Premiership despite their struggles so far this season.

United sit bottom of the table having picked up just 22 points from their 30 league games, but McNamara believes they have enough to avoid the drop.

"I think they've got enough in their dressing room," he said.

"I know they've not picked up enough points. The good thing at this stage is that they're not cut adrift - it's not a massive task to get out of where they are.

"They've got enough quality, but they need to turn that into victories now."

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Tyrone Smith, BBC Sport Scotland

Dundee United remain bottom of the table, and with eight games left time is running out as they battle to save their Premiership skin.

A grim looking situation – undoubtedly – but all is not lost.

You can make a case that United have a run of pre-split fixtures which is more favourable than those of the two teams who are also embroiled in the battle at the bottom, Ross County and Kilmarnock.

Two of United’s next three games are at home, starting with the visit of Hibs this weekend, undoubtedly something that should work to the advantage of the Tangerines.

But, in order to capitalise on anything that looks like it could work in favour, United must start winning.

That might sound like a relatively straightforward task, but it is something that has been far from straightforward for United.

In fact, you have to go back to 2 January to find the last time they managed to muster a league win - that is relegation form, make no mistake.

However, their fate remains in their own hands, and there have been signs of improvement in recent weeks. Those signs have to start producing wins though, and soon.

Derek Bond, who joined Dundee United in December 2018, is to leave his position as finance director at Tannadice. (The Courier), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

Paul McNicoll, The Dode Fox Podcast, external

Rangers comfortably, and deservedly, won the match on Saturday. They pretty much dominated the game from start to finish and were also the only side that looked like they wanted to win.

Most United fans will have been happy to get out of Ibrox without the goal difference taking too much of a battering. That, I'm afraid, is the level that we have reached. Happy to only lose by two goals.

Of course, Tillman was the goalscoring hero for the Govan men. He was excellent on the day and it does make you wonder why someone as good as him, in a game as comfortable as that one, would still try and simulate contact to win penalties, but, I'm getting sidetracked there.

So where does that leave United? Well, we've eight games left. Eight games where we simply have to go out and try to win every single one of them. Eight opportunities to right the wrongs of this whole season. Eight matches to retain our top-flight status.

It's worth noting at this point that United haven't won a league match since 2 January 2023. That's over three months ago. We should be horrendously cut adrift by now, no chance of staying up, probably already relegated... but somehow, we are not. The gap to the team directly above us is a mere two points. With eight games to go, that is far from insurmountable.

But, and it's a big but, we have to start winning matches. There are only so many favours that a team can have come their way. I feel like we've used most, if not all, of ours up this season. It is now United's turn to do themselves a favour or two.

We welcome Hibs to Tannadice next Sunday. Easter Sunday no less. The time of year when children roll chocolate eggs and Christians mark the resurrection of Jesus. It's all very apt.

A defeat, and United may keep rolling towards the Championship. A win, and you just never know. Against all odds, the miracle of surviving may very well happen.

Ex-Dundee United defender Lee Wilkie believes time is running out for his old club and they must keep Ross County and Kilmarnock within touching distance before the Premiership split. (The Courier)

Read the rest of Tuesday's gossip here.

We asked for your thoughts after Dundee United went down 2-0 away at Ibrox on Saturday.

Here's what you had to say:

Alan: We can hardly string two passes together. It gets punted up to the halfway line which invites the opposition to come at them again. That's the reason why they have conceded so many goals. Add to that a striker with two left feet and a square head and that's why they have scored very little. They will struggle in championship too. A clean out is needed - open the biscuit tin and buy wisely.

Watch the latest episode of Sportscene Goals+ right here.

All the goals and main action from the weekend's Scottish Premiership fixtures.

Were you at Ibrox on Saturday or following the match from home?

Either way, want your views on the game – have your say here.