Dundee United

Paul McNicoll
Fan writer

Dundee United have certainly been doing their best impression of a team that's forgotten how to win.

Six defeats in the last seven games - five of them in the league - tell their own story. Not exactly the kind of form that inspires confidence.

Yet, somehow, despite this miserable run, we're still sitting in fourth place. Go figure.

The battle for the top six is shaping up to be an absolute scrap, with barely an inch separating a clutch of clubs all dreaming of European football.

Aberdeen, who hadn't won a league game since just after Bonfire Night, somehow find themselves in third. Meanwhile, our noisy neighbours across the road are just 11 points off them in 11th. The league is tighter than a John Souttar hamstring.

And now, here we are, the final sprint to the split.

Seven games to decide if this season has been a success or just a slow, painful fizzle.

If United can rediscover their early-season form, top six should be within reach and maybe, just maybe, a push for Europe. But, if the current form continues, we could be in for a frustrating end to the campaign.

For now, this squad still has enough goodwill in the bank from earlier performances, but time is running out. The next few months will tell us a lot about what this team is really made of.

Strap in, it's going to be a fun ride.

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

Dundee United are facing a potential £600,000 tax bill. (Courier - subscription), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

Dundee United remain on course for an "unbelievable" season on their return to the Scottish Premiership, says Ross Docherty, despite a run of four straight losses. (Courier - subscription), external

Read Monday's Scottish gossip

Sportscene pundit Neil McCann's on Dundee United's recent rut in the Scottish Premiership following Saturday's 3-0 defeat to Celtic.

Watch highlights from Celtic Park as the Premiership leaders dispatch Dundee United 3-0. (UK users only)

United fans, we asked for your views on Saturday's Scottish Premiership defeat to Celtic.

Here's what some of you said:

Jim: Celtic are now 31 points ahead of the third team in the league so it is damage limitation for trips to Parkhead. However, our manager could maybe stick to the maxim of "if it ain't broke don't fix it" and revert back to the players that had given us such a good start to the season.

John: Our season isn't defined by this result. We've done very against teams around us and we need to get that momentum back, and we will. Despite a sticky patch we are still in the mix for Europe next season.

George: Jim Goodwin called it correctly when he said we have seven cup finals coming up before the split. Fortunately none of them is against the Old Firm. We have a real chance to clinch a top-six spot with the next two home games against Motherwell and Hibs. Forty three points with five games to the split thereafter would see us there. Few expected anything from this game.

Scott: Our battle isn't with Celtic, it is with the teams around us. Massive two games coming up next week at home. I think United need at least four points from these games to have a realistic chance of finishing top six.

Brian: Too easy to say better quality from them, let's go and play our game. I'd rather give them a scare by going at them 11 v 11.

Image source, SNS

• Celtic have kept a clean sheet in 19 of their 26 games, more than any other in the Premiership this season.

• Jota has contributed to goals in his last four games in the Premiership (two goals, two assists).

• Celtic have scored 19 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half, more than any other team in the Premiership this season.

• Dundee United have lost their last three games in the Premiership, their last longer losing streak was from 6 May 2023 to 28 May 2023, a run of five games.

• Dundee United have failed to score a first-half goal in 19 of their 26 games, no team has failed to do so more often in the Premiership this season.

Will Ferry and Kevin Holt's absence from the Dundee United team at Celtic Park was precautionary, says manager Jim Goodwin, and both should return next weekend. (Courier - subscription), external

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip

Jim Goodwin's men fall to a 3-0 defeat to league leaders Celtic.

Dundee United are now 50 matches without a win over Celtic in all competitions following the away loss.

United fans, were you at Celtic Park on Saturday or following the action from home? Either way we want your views on the game.

Have your say here., external

Image source, SNS

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin: "We can analyse the goals against and believe we can do more from our perspective. The shape and structure of the team was good behind the ball.

"It was too easy on the edge of the box, there was no pressure on [Callum McGregor]. And Jota, it was quite similar, really. When he comes inside the 18-yard line, we need to be engaging with him.

"When you go two goals behind here, you know hard it is going to be. We thought if we could get the next goal, we might be able to make things nervy for them. But credit to Celtic and Brendan [Rodgers], they have been very consistent throughout. We need them to be on an off day and that was not the case today.

"This group will always keep going and give their all for the jersey. It certainly was not due to a lack of effort, it was down to quality. Sometimes you need to hold your hands up and admit you are playing the best team in the country."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

In the opening quarter, Jim Goodwin's side gave up an incredible amount of possession but retained a good structure and discipline to minimise direct threat.

One lapse, in affording Callum McGregor a little too much space, was key to their downfall. From there, Jota stepped up to make their task a long shot.

To United's credit, they hung in and tried to get forward when possible but to little avail.

The desire was there but they could barely land a punch in the final third, like many teams domestically.

United's good work early in the season means a difficult run of results has been absorbed to a large extent.

The priority now is to capitalise on a couple of home fixtures to keep them firmly within the top six.

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin believes Richard Odada can still make an impact at Tannadice, despite the 24-year-old midfielder joining OFK Beograd on loan for the remainder of the season. (Courier - subscription), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

Image source, SNS

Celtic midfielder Paulo Bernardo faces four to five weeks out with an ankle injury while James Forrest has just started running again after a foot injury.

Dundee United remain without Craig Sibbald (groin).

Image source, SNS

Dundee United midfielder Richard Odada has joined Serbian side OFK Beograd on loan for the remainder of the season.

The Kenya international joined United in July but has made only three league starts in his 13 appearances for Jim Goodwin's side.

The 24-year-old now returns to Serbia where he spent three years at Red Star Belgrade, including two loan spells at Graficar Beograd and Metalac.

After joining from MLS side Philadelphia Union last summer, Odada signed a two-year deal with an option for a third but has not been involved in the past four matchday squads.

Image source, SNS

Will Ferry is convinced Dundee United can halt their slump with a shock result at Parkhead on Saturday, but he is taking no encouragement from Celtic's European exertions.

Brendan Rodgers' side put in a huge effort against Bayern Munich in their 2-1 midweek home defeat and travel to Bavaria for the second leg of the Champions League play-off on Tuesday.

However defender Ferry, said: "They've got a big squad, they're able to make changes. And even when they make those changes, they bring in good quality and we know that. We've watched plenty of games this season.

"We've played them twice, so we know what they're going to bring. They're going to bring lots of possession, be intense, not give you a yard.

"We've dealt with it well at times through the season. We obviously got a point at Tannadice, and we played all right there [2-0 defeat at Parkhead]. I think we can we can go there and get something.

"We're not going there with any other attitude. We will go there and stick to what we're good at, which is staying in games and we know we've got a threat going forward as well, so hopefully everything comes together."

United have suffered five defeats in six games - including a Scottish Cup exit to Dundee - but remain third in the Premiership and Ferry hopes having last weekend off will prove beneficial.

He said: "We've put together quite a few positive runs through the season so hopefully we repeat that.

"It was frustrating, not having the game. But it comes with a positive as well in the sense that we should all be fresh.

"We should all be ready to go, and who's not going to be up for a game against Celtic?"

Image source, SNS

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."

Image source, SNS

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".

Image source, SNS

• 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