Just one win in 10 games and six games without a win – but how concerned should Dundee United fans be about the team’s current form?
Following last Saturday’s defeat at St Mirren, manager Jim Goodwin admitted his side were “going through a very difficult period” at the moment.
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After an impressive fourth-place finish in their return to the Scottish Premiership last season, a brand-new side have started the season with a promising performance.
But early-season optimism has turned to fears that the Tannadice club could be dragged into another game at the other end of the table.
With three consecutive home games against Motherwell, Celtic and Hibernian, BBC Scotland analyzes the severity of their current predicament.
“Fragile” Manchester United “gifts goals”
Manchester United’s current form will naturally cause fear among fans.
However, they remain eight points from the bottom, four points adrift of city rivals Dundee in 11th.
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Now is certainly not the time to hit any panic buttons. In a crowded top flight, things could change quickly for United again this season.
If Goodwin’s side hadn’t conceded a 98th-minute penalty to draw 2-2 with Rangers last week, you wouldn’t be reading this right now.
“The only way out of this is if we stick together,” former Aberdeen manager Goodwin told BBC Scotland on Saturday. “We deserve all the criticism we get.”
This criticism has intensified during United’s current six-game winless run, which includes a 3-0 home defeat to Premier League rising stars Falkirk.
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Goodwin’s defense looks fragile, having failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 10 games, while the inconsistent form of goalkeeper Yevhen Kucherenko, who has withdrawn from the team since his disastrous performance against Falkirk, has not helped matters.
“They’re finding it difficult to replicate the form they had last season and a lot of it comes down to the defence,” said Sports Live host and former Manchester United striker Steven Thompson.
“They looked vulnerable but they gave the team goals.”
What do the numbers say?
Some fans have called for Goodwin to abandon his back three, which has consisted of Christian Kereszters, Yuri Iov and Bert Esselink for almost the entire season.
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On a per-90 basis, Keresztes and Iovu rank high in blocks, and the former also ranks high in clearances, but that suggests they have to do too much defending.
The fact that only Dundee and Falkirk’s goalkeepers were tested more suggests as much, so United have a lot of work to do in possession.
In terms of goals per game and expected goals (xG), their underlying numbers suggest they are not false in their eighth-place finish in the Premier League table.
The same goes for their goals per game and expected goals average.
They also rank eighth in chances created and seventh in touches in the opposition penalty area.
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Summer signings Zach Sapsford and Ivan Dolcek have shown encouraging signs, but the latter’s form has plummeted after an impressive start.
The attacking pair are part of a bold summer transfer strategy that excited fans early in the season but are now starting to raise questions.
What do fans think?
[BBC]
Jenny: Goodwin should turn things around in the next few games. If he doesn’t, then it will be time for United to look elsewhere. Almost any other manager in the Premier League could do more with some of the players he has.
Kieran: Goodwin is now on borrowed time, and the rest of the game doesn’t get any easier. St Mirren don’t need to do anything special to achieve their goal – and our season so far has a hint of 2022 déjà vu.
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Philip: Goodwin must go before we get into a relegation battle. No width, no speed. A striker with good touches but no contribution in the penalty area. Ryan Strand is not a fullback. I think Ferry has regressed or been injured. Goodwin exits.
Gary: Poor. You can’t be that inconsistent every week. The system Goodwin insisted on didn’t work either. The back three needs to be changed to a solid back four – 4-4-2 or 4-3-3. Give up the obsession with a back three.