One Win In 10 - Should Dundee Utd Fans Be Worried?

One triumph successful 10 games and nary wins successful six - but conscionable really worried should Dundee United fans beryllium astir their team's existent tally of form?

Following defeat astatine St Mirren past Saturday, head Jim Goodwin conceded his broadside are "going done a really difficult period" astatine present.

After an awesome fourth-placed decorativeness connected their return to nan Scottish Premiership past term, a new-look squad started this run pinch promising displays.

But early-season optimism has turned to dread that nan Tannadice nine could beryllium dragged into different scrap astatine nan incorrect extremity of nan table.

With 3 consecutive location games against Motherwell, Celtic and Hibernian connected nan way, BBC Scotland analyses nan severity of their existent predicament.

Runs of shape for illustration nan 1 United are presently enduring will people trigger fearfulness among nan support.

However, they stay 8 points of nan ft of nan array and person a four-point cushion betwixt themselves and metropolis rivals Dundee successful 11th.

It is surely not nan clip to beryllium hitting immoderate panic buttons. In a congested apical flight, nan complexion of United's play could again alteration quickly.

Had Goodwin's broadside not conceded a 98th-minute punishment to draw 2-2 pinch Rangers past week, you would not beryllium reference this correct now.

"The only measurement retired of it is for america to instrumentality together," erstwhile Aberdeen leader Goodwin told BBC Scotland connected Saturday. "We merit each nan disapproval that comes our way."

That disapproval has intensified complete nan people of United's existent six-game winless tally that includes a 3-0 location nonaccomplishment to Premiership newcomers Falkirk.

Goodwin's defence has looked vulnerable, failing to support a cleanable expanse successful their past 10 matches, and nan shaky shape of goalkeeper Yevhen Kucherenko, who has travel retired of nan squad since a calamitous show successful that conclusion by Falkirk, has not helped.

"They are uncovering it difficult to replicate nan shape they had past play and a batch of it is down to nan defending," said Sportscene big and erstwhile United guardant Steven Thompson.

"They look vulnerable and they are gifting goals to teams."

There person been calls from immoderate fans for Goodwin to steer distant from his backmost 3 set-up, which has featured Krisztian Keresztes, Iurie Iovu and Bert Esselink for almost each of this season.

On a per-90 basis, Keresztes and Iovu rank precocious for blocks, pinch nan erstwhile besides precocious for clearances, but that suggests they are having to do excessively overmuch defending.

The truth only Dundee and Falkirk's goalkeepers are tested much would besides connote that, truthful location is activity to do to tighten United up retired of possession.

Their underlying numbers erstwhile it comes to goals per crippled and expected goals (xG) propose they are not successful a mendacious position of eighth successful nan Premiership table.

It is nan aforesaid communicative for their goals-against-per-game mean and their xG against tally.

They besides rank eighth for large chance creation and seventh for touches successful nan guidance box.

Summer signings Zach Sapsford and Ivan Dolcek person shown encouraging signs, but nan shape of nan second has fallen disconnected sharply aft an awesome start.

The attacking duo were portion of a bold summertime transportation strategy that excited fans successful nan infancy of nan campaign, but they are now starting to inquire questions.

Jenny: Goodwin should person nan adjacent fewer matches to move it round. If he doesn't it's clip for United to look elsewhere. Almost immoderate different head successful nan Premiership could do much pinch immoderate of nan players he has.

Kieran: Goodwin is connected borrowed clip now and games coming up are not getting easier. St Mirren didn't request to do thing typical to get their goals - our play truthful acold has a whiff of deja vu from 2022.

Philip: Goodwin has to spell now earlier we get dragged into a relegation battle. No width, nary pace. A striker pinch bully touches but offers thing wrong nan box. Ryan Strain is not a wing-back. I deliberation Ferry has gone backwards aliases carrying an injury. Goodwin out.

Gary: Pathetic. You cannot beryllium this inconsistent week in, week out. The strategy Goodwin is sticking to doesn't activity either. The 3 astatine nan backmost needs changing to a coagulated backmost 4 - 4-4-2 aliases 4-3-3. Ditch this obsession pinch nan backmost three.