Dundee United

Claire Thomson
BBC Sport Scotland

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Manager Jim Goodwin admits Dundee United have struggled to find consistency but has urged his players to avoid entering the international break "festering on a poor performance and defeat".

The Tannadice club ended a three-match unbeaten streak with a 2-0 defeat at home to Kilmarnock and hope to bounce back this weekend when they host Livingston.

United sit fifth in the Premiership, level on points with Motherwell and Hibs after six matches, but Goodwin is eyeing a top-four finish.

"The season already feels like it has been stop-start," the United boss said.

"It's hard to get a rhythm and momentum. You don't want to go into those two-week international break periods festering on a poor performance and a defeat.

"We've been looking for a really strong run of positive results.

"Prior to the Kilmarnock game, we'd been unbeaten in three games and we were disappointed for that run to come to an end.

"Saturday is a good opportunity to start a new unbeaten run.

"Livingston are going to be really aggressive, hardworking and physical. It's going to be tough but we need to bounce back after a disappointing result last weekend. It's an important opportunity to go and make amends.

"We've got to have the belief we can finish third or fourth."

United signed 14 new players this summer and while Goodwin says he is happy with recruitment, he admits it'll take time for them to adjust to life in the top flight.

"We've dropped points needlessly along the way," he added.

"We've had some really good, solid performances and individually there have been a few good players, but we're lacking consistency.

"We're happy with the recruitment we have done and we've worked extremely hard on that.

"It's only natural in the first 11 games of the league for our players to get to grips and see what it's like to play against all these different opponents.

"There's so many different styles of play, different systems and every team poses a different challenge."

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Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has been speaking to the media before his side host Livingston in the Premiership this weekend.

Here are the main points:

• Goodwin was disappointed United's three-match unbeaten run came to an end last weekend and insists Saturday is a "good opportunity" to start a new one.

• He is a "big admirer" of Livi boss David Martindale and expects Saturday's match to be "aggressive and physical" but hopes his team can bounce back and "make amends" after their 2-0 defeat to Kilmarnock.

• "If we reach the potential we're capable of, the result should take care of itself", he says.

• Goodwin believes the atmosphere at Tannadice for their 2-0 victory over Aberdeen gave the players a lift, but against Kilmarnock it was not as loud as the players wanted it to be.

• "It's up to the players to generate that atmosphere and we have to do that from the first minute," he says.

• On the international break, Goodwin feels the season has been "stop-start" and it is difficult to find "rhythm and momentum", but does not want to go into the hiatus "festering on a poor performance and a defeat".

• He says his side have "lacked consistency" despite good recruitment.

• "It's only natural in the first 11 games of the league for our players to get to grips and see what it's like to play against all these different opponents. There's so many different styles of play, different systems and every team poses a different challenge," he added.

• On United captain Ross Graham, Goodwin hopes to see him back training at the end of the month and in the squad in early November.

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• No side has faced more shots in the Scottish Premiership this season than Dundee United (95, level with Dundee), while opponents Livingston have faced the highest expected goals total of any side (12.4).

• None of Dundee United's past 13 home league games have been drawn, with the Tangerines winning five and losing eight since a 0-0 stalemate with Celtic in December last season.

• Livingston have won seven of their past 11 top-flight meetings with Dundee United (D2 L2), including four of their latest six (D1 L1).

• Dundee United have only won one of their past 10 Premiership games against newly-promoted opponents (D5 L4), a 4-0 victory win over Kilmarnock in November 2022.

• After picking up four points in their opening two league games this season (W1 D1), Livingston have since earned just one point from the last 15 available (D1 L4) and could lose three consecutive Premiership matches for the first time since January 2024.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Are Dundee United becoming victims of their own success?

After a fine campaign last time, Jim Goodwin's side have made a solid start to this season.

But success brings increased expectations. Jim Goodwin described last weekend's game against Livingston as one "we are expected to win", only for his side to crash 2-0 at home.

Post-match, the United boss admitted his side "deserve the criticism because we dropped below the standards expected".

That defeat - United's first league loss since early August - will not detract from what has been a very encouraging opening to the campaign.

Nevertheless, the United boss will be hoping it is simply an aberration, and will be demanding normal service in performance level resumes over the coming weeks, starting with Saturday's visit of Livingston.

Having set such high standards over the last couple of years, trying to achieve them from week to week is always going to be difficult. But it's a challenge United must embrace.

Dundee United captain Ross Graham, 24, could return from a hamstring injury in November. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

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Dundee United forward Miller Thomson has completed a season-long loan move to Ross County.

The 21-year-old academy graduate returns to the Championship having spent the final months of last term with title-winning Falkirk.

Thomson has made 42 appearances for United, including three this season.

He becomes County's third signing of the day after the relegated Staggies, now managed by former Dundee boss Tony Docherty, added Aberdeen forward Ryan Duncan and Falkirk full-back Sean Mackie, both on loan.

"Miller is a versatile player who will add energy and balance to our ranks, as well as good experience from his previous loan spells and featuring over 30 times for Dundee United in the Premiership and the European Conference League," said Docherty.

Paul McNicoll
Fan writer

After Aberdeen were superbly put to the sword - and could count themselves lucky to get out of Tannadice with only a two-goal defeat - it was Kilmarnock's turn to try to stop Jim Goodwin's men.

Boy, did they stop them.

United were incredibly poor on the day and you'll get no argument from me that Killie fully merited their victory. They stuck to their gameplan and ultimately it worked.

That is now twice they have beaten United this season. We're quickly getting into bogey team territory with that side from Ayrshire, who are now unbeaten in eight against United, including six wins.

Moving forward I am hoping to see far more of the type of performance United delivered against Aberdeen and far less of the one that was served up against Kilmarnock.

The signs are still promising, but there is work to do before the team can turn into a consistently good, and reliable, side that have genuine ambitions for what they hope to achieve this season.

It's Dundee United, though, and you never truly know what you're going to get. To be honest, I'm not sure I'd have it any other way.

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

Dundee United pair Will Ferry and Zac Sapsford have been informed of their places on longlists for the Republic of Ireland and Australia respectively. (The Courier, subscription required), external

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Will Ferry insists he had no issues with Dundee United turning down a six-figure bid from Vancouver Whitecaps. (Daily Record), external

Watch all the action from Kilmarnock's 2-0 victory over Dundee United at Tannadice in the Scottish Premiership.

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Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin says his side "deserve criticism" after they fell to a 2-0 defeat to Kilmarnock at Tannadice on Saturday.

Following Tuesday night's victory over Aberdeen, Goodwin's men extended their unbeaten run to three games but yesterday's defeat saw them slip to fifth in the top flight.

Following previous success the manager selected the same starting line-up for the fourth game in a row but insisted that any fatigue the players may have felt can't be an excuse for the performance.

"The Tuesday night game was far enough away that the boys had plenty of time to recover," the Irishman said.

"There was plenty of freshness in the legs. That's not an excuse as far as we're concerned.

"They're a young, fit, healthy group of players – they should be able to play on a Tuesday, and then go and play again on a Saturday.

"The players understand, we've all got to take it on the chin. We've enjoyed some nice pats on the back lately, because we've been performing well.

"Today [Saturday], we deserve the criticism because we dropped below the standards expected."

We asked for your views on Dundee United's 2-0 defeat to Kilmarnock.

Here's what some of you said:

Jamie: Back down to earth with a bang after Tuesday's stunning performance. Killie's first goal was very well worked but apart from that their style of play was painful to watch with long ball after long ball to Marcus Dackers. That said, we had no answer to it and Jim Goodwin had no plan B. He continues to be outthought by Stuart Kettlewell. A bad day indeed.

Gary: Utterly unacceptable performance. We were never at the races. Goodwin should be apologising not just saying we didn't play well. Kilmarnock offered next to nothing, but our movement was non-existent. Our front three were AWOL and the entire team played with no urgency at all. Not happy!

Gordon: The buzz from dispatching Aberdeen so convincingly crashed into the immovable object of Killie. Solid, stolid, physical and with a brilliant first goal they undid United. United needed a spark and it rarely came. This is the reality of this league, effort and purpose is the bare minimum requirement.

Kieran: We always say if ain't broke don't fix it, but that should have been the exception to the rule. The passionate, energetic and exuberant United we saw on Tuesday was replaced by a lethargic, lacklustre and lifeless United with the missed penalty summing it up in one moment. What realistically should be nine points from nine in the hat trick of home games could end up being a measly three if we don't up our game next week against a similar test in Livingston.

Lee: United were absolutely dismal. Low energy, sloppy passing even from the usually dependable Pan Camara. Only Will Ferry gets pass marks. Goodwin doesn't and needs to learn how to change things when they're not working. This was just one bad day at the office as United have shown before they're capable of scintillating play.

Ross: Some games are impossible to understand, you just need to demand a positive response and move on. Quickly. A team performing so well, and off the back of a brilliant result against Aberdeen, looked like they'd stepped back in time and had never met each other. Poor communication and decision making, lack of energy and ideas, out fought and out thought. Everyone got huge plus mark against Aberdeen, not one player matched that against Kilmarnock. Come on United you are better than that!

Kilmarnock recorded their first win of the Scottish Premiership season in style as they dispatched a meek Dundee United at Tannadice.

Read the full match report here.

Let us know your thoughts.

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Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin told BBC Scotland: "We're bitterly disappointed to have lost the game and put an end to the unbeaten run we've been on.

"I spoke before about consistency in starting XI because of the consistency of performances. Unfortunately today, that dropped below the standard of what is needed to win games in the Scottish Premiership.

"I don't want to take anything away from Kilmarnock, they were very good on the day. Stuart Kettlewell has them well drilled, they're difficult to break down, and defended their box brilliantly.

"A couple of key moments in the game has cost us. We didn't do enough in the game overall."

Dundee United have nothing to fear in the Scottish Premiership this season, says defender Bert Esselink. (Record), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

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Ryan Strain is back in contention for United, while Kristijan Trapanovski is set to return the following weekend. Isaac Pappoe (knee), Ross Graham and Max Watters (both hamstring) remain out.

Kilmarnock captain Brad Lyons is back in training, while Scott Tiffoney played 45 minutes for the B team in midweek as he works his way back from a calf injury. Jamie Brandon, Matty Kennedy and Tom Lowery are expected to remain on the sidelines.

Alfie Robinson
BBC Sport Scotland

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Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has an abundance of options as he looks to avenge the League Cup defeat to Kilmarnock when the sides meet in the Premiership on Saturday.

The Tangerines crashed 2-1 at Rugby Park in mid-August just four days after losing their thrilling Conference League qualifier against Rapid Vienna on penalties.

A difficult week which was compounded with injuries to Zac Sapsford, Max Watters, Isaac Pappoe, Ross Graham, Kristijan Trapanovski and Ryan Strain.

Goodwin feels United are much better armed for the latest battle, with the return of Ryan Strain and Sapsford, plus the arrival of Nicolaj Moller.

"People don't like managers making excuses for defeats and I think sometimes it's better just to credit the opposition," he said.

"But we obviously did play two hours against Rapid Vienna on the Thursday, and really had no time whatsoever to turn things around, and had a lack of players available to us as well.

"That's something that is probably worth mentioning, the options now I have got on the bench.

"The changes that I make during the game don't weaken the team, which as a manager is fantastic.

"Kilmarnock were the better team on the day when we played them in the League Cup and deserved to knock us out, so we want to show a positive reaction to that one.

"We don't feel that we did ourselves justice on the day against Killie.

"Kilmarnock are one of the more direct teams in the league. They've got two big, tall number nines, physical players at the top end of the pitch.

"It'll probably be a bit more of a dogfight than what it was against Aberdeen, who try to build from the back and play through the different sections."

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• Dundee United's Ivan Dolcek is the top scorer in the Scottish Premiership this season with five goals in five games so far. Four of his goals came from set-pieces (3x throws, 1x direct free-kick).

• Since losing four consecutive home league games against Kilmarnock from November 2000 to August 2002, Dundee United have only lost three of their past 26 at home to Killie in the top flight (W12 D11).

• Kilmarnock have lost just one of their past nine Scottish Premiership meetings with Dundee United (W4 D4), and none of their latest five (W3 D2) since going down 4-0 in November 2022.

• Dundee United have lost just one of their past six league games (W3 D2), recording as many wins in that period (three) as in their previous 10 matches (D1 L6).

• Kilmarnock have won just one of their past 15 away games in the Scottish Premiership (D4 L10), a 2-0 victory at eventually relegated St Johnstone in May.

Vicko Sevelj jokes he wants to be club-mate Ivan Dolcek's "agent" after playing a part in the latter's move to Dundee United. (Record), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

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Ivan Dolcek stretched his early lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership scoring charts by finding the net in Dundee United's 2-0 win over Aberdeen, but manager Jim Goodwin is demanding even more productivity from the summer signing.

The 25-year-old made it five goals from five league games since arriving on loan from Slovakian club Dunajská Streda when he fired home a first-time volley on the bounce from 18 yards at Tannadice on Tuesday.

But Goodwin suggested: "He sometimes drifts in and out of games.

"I am constantly on at him to be a little bit more involved and to go and get on the ball a little bit more and find those pockets of space.

"But you find it very hard to criticise him when he has had the kind of impact he has had in such a short period of time."

Indeed, Dolcek is one of the main reasons United now sit third in the Scottish top flight.

He has already surpassed the four goals he scored in 51 games on loan to Slaven Belupo back in his homeland last season and is one behind his career-best six in 33 for Šibenik on loan from Hajduk Split three years ago.

Dolcek has provided nearly half of United's 11 league goals this season, in addition to one assist - and he also set up a goal in Conference League qualifying.

His scoring rate of 85.2 minutes per goal is the best in the Premiership and he is also top of the table for fast breaks.

Only Hibs striker Kieron Bowie has more attempts on target, while Dolcek is third for touches inside the penalty box behind Bowie and Hearts' Claudio Braga, and only Motherwell's Elijah Just has completed more dribbles.

"It is some return," Goodwin added. Especially so for someone previously viewed as a left-back as much as a winger.

"He's got the knack of being in the right place at the right moment."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Bert Esselink says Dundee United's new-look squad have "showed we can compete with the bigger teams in the league".

The Dutch defender scored United's second goal in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Aberdeen at Tannadice, a result that lifted his side up to third in the Scottish Premiership.

"I think we are performing well," Esselink said. "We showed that we can compete with the bigger teams in the league and now we have played Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen.

"In the end, consistency is the key in a season. The season is long and we have just started well and we have to keep going like that."

Esselink knows all about competing at the other end of the table, having left Stal Mielec after their relegation from the Polish top flight to become one of 14 new faces to arrive at Tannadice this summer.

However, United's statistics suggest the 26-year-old could be in a top-six side this season.

So far, Jim Goodwin's side are second top in the Premiership scoring stakes with 11, one behind Hearts, top of the table with seven assists, while only Celtic have more clean sheets than their two.

"We have played 10 games so far, loads of new guys, but I feel like I have known them longer than just these months, because we are working well together," Esselink added.

"And I think that starts from our training and the way we set standards on the training and that shows off in a game."