BOYS KNOW IT’S TIME TO GET A SHIFT ON
Goodwin says United group ‘determined to put things right’ after latest title slip
JIM GOODWIN believes there is a real determination within his squad to put things right and send dundee United clear in the Championship.
United were left reeling after their 3-1 defeat by Dunfermline last Friday, which allowed raith to draw level at the top.
But their rivals are not in action tomorrow and if United can beat Inverness, they would gain some wriggle room at the summit.
rovers then make the trip to Tannadice the following week.
But Terrors gaffer Goodwin said: “We are solely focusing on the Inverness game, first and foremost.
“Inverness are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table and are a good team.
“Every match we’ve been involved in with them has been a difficult, close one.
“But we’ve had a positive reaction to a disappointing result last Friday.
“The boys are all in a good place and are determined to put things right. The biggest carrot of all is the challenge to accumulate enough points to win the league. That’s been the main driver, all season.
“The boys have been very good in the main, although there have been inconsistencies over the campaign. That is only natural in the position we are in.”
Duncan Ferguson’s Caley Thistle are looking to drag themselves away from the play-off place and Goodwin knows they’re a threat.
He added: “Am I surprised by Inverness’ position? I am, with the quality of players they have in the group. When Duncan came in initially, there was a really positive reaction – a new manager bounce that people talk about. He got that.
“But for whatever reason, things haven’t quite gone the way they would have wanted over the last 10 to 12 games. We still have to show them all the respect they deserve.
“They are coming to Tannadice and there’s not a great deal of pressure on them, I suppose.
“People will look at this on paper and expect an easy win for us. But we certainly aren’t approaching it like that.”
Kai Fotheringham pulled out of the Scotland Under-21s and is a doubt. Goodwin said: “Kai had a wee niggle in the build-up to the Dunfermline game and we were just managing that afterwards.
“We felt he wouldn’t be able to meet up with the Scotland squad on the Monday. He wouldn’t have been able to play a game on Thursday and will be touch-and-go for the weekend, so we didn’t want to risk him.
“It’s disappointing for Kai because he has worked hard to get the recognition from Scot Gemmill and, by all accounts, did well in the last gathering. It’s a sore one for him but hopefully we still have a decision to make on him for the weekend.”
raith have sold out their 1342 tickets for next week’s Tannadice clash but remain upset United have not upped their allocation.
rovers posted on social media that as they wouldn’t receive any more tickets it would leave “the Carling Stand 30 per cent empty”.
Steering clear of the rammy, Goodwin said: “That one is out of my department – I don’t know anything about that.”