Hamish McAlpine reckons if Jim Goodwin can keep Dundee United in the Premiership then he will quickly become the toast of Tannadice.
The Irishman has been named as United’s new manager for the rest of the season. The pending appointment hasn’t been met with universal backing from the Tannadice faithful so far. Many look at the way his time at rivals, Aberdeen, ended, earlier this season with the team in free fall and leaking goals. It is a similar predicament to the current United side.
A return for former boss Craig Levein was the preferred choice for a lot of United fans and now Goodwin will need to try and win those doubters over. McAlpine believes Goodwin can do that by dragging off of the bottom of the table and keeping them in the Premiership. “He will be coming in with a point to prove,” the title-winning keeper insisted.
“It is a big job. It is short-term but if he was to keep them up then I would say 99 per cent he will get the job long-term. It is a big job for any manager going into the Dundee United job just now, but you see it all the time in football.
“Managers get sacked and go somewhere else, it is a different environment and they can do well elsewhere. A lot of the fans might not be happy but if he was to keep Dundee United in the Premiership then I know we would all be happy.”
United have lost their last six games and that run cost Liam Fox his job and saw sporting director Tony Asghar step down earlier this week. Ironically, it looks like Goodwin’s first game will be against his ex-club Aberdeen at Tannadice on Saturday. McAlpine wouldn’t be surprised if United ripped up the form book and gave their new boss the perfect start.
McAlpine stated: “It is likely that Jim’s first game will be Aberdeen on Saturday. “I might even put a bet on Dundee United to win because the amount of times that a new manager comes in and the next game they win it. It seems to be a regular theme. “Jim would love that but so would I and all the Dundee United fans.”
United started the season in the Europa Conference League but since then their campaign has spiralled the wrong way. They are now on to their third manager and find themselves bottom of the table. McAlpine hopes with Asghar stepping down that everyone can get behind the club and play their part in keeping them in the top-flight.
“We have to be United,” the Tannadice legend stated. “It takes everybody at the club to be pulling in the one direction but you need the players on the pitch to be doing the business. “Wee Jim (McLean) said to us: ‘I’m not asking for 100 percent because I need 110 percent all the time’. Boys can have bad games but you need to keep trying and that was what United’s success was built on.”
Goodwin started off at Alloa Athletic before he moved on to St Mirren, where he did a solid job. He then moved on to Aberdeen last season but despite going into the World Cup break in third, results crashed and he was punted from Pittodrie. That included the embarrassing Scottish Cup exit to Darvel and some heavy hidings in the capital to Hibs and Hearts.
McAlpine reckons Goodwin will have learned from those experiences. He said: “He has experience, there is no doubt about that. His appointment is as good as any. “He is an experienced manager, knows the Scottish game inside and out. He was unlucky in his time at Aberdeen but he certainly did well at St Mirren. Hopefully, he will come in and help United’s players to get their fingers out. It isn’t even about performances, we just need points and results.”
McAlpine is a Tannadice regular but thinks they lack a bit of steel and that is something Goodwin will need to try and bring to the table. “There are a lot of good players and Goodwin will hopefully get more out of them.
“Unfortunately, he is not playing. “They don’t have enough battlers on the park. “There don’t look like there are enough leaders on the pitch. “They also look quite soft in the midfield. “There are a lot of good footballers in the side but you need a lot more in the situation Dundee United find themselves in. “It is dog eat dog and every challenge has to be won.”
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