Dundee United

Paul McNicoll
Fan writer

Now the international break is out the way we can get back to the 'proper' football this weekend. And what a fixture to whet the appetite us United fans have to look forward to.

We welcome Rangers to Tannadice on Sunday and they are a team we have done relatively well against at times, certainly more so than our efforts against their rivals over in the east end of Glasgow.

Past successes, though, are no guarantee of future results and regardless of the state of play at Ibrox this season, or Hampden if you will, we need to remind ourselves we are only just back feeding at the top football table.

That being said, do I feel we have a chance in this one? Yes I do. Does it feel like Rangers are going through a particularly turbulent time, on and off the pitch? Again, yes it does.

Let's make no mistake though. To get anything from this game the team will have to perform as well as they can. As silly as this may sound, we cannot take this fixture lightly, and I'm sure we won't.

Jim Goodwin has, so far this season, managed to have all the players pulling in the same direction and this has resulted in the particularly good start to the season. But that's all it is, a start.

I would like to think United can go into Sunday full of confidence. The players who weren’t away with their countries will likely have had a couple of days off to rest, recover and reflect.

And hopefully by the time the ref blows the whistle to start the match, the men in Tangerine will all be fired up and chomping at the bit to put on a show for the live TV audience and more importantly, the vocal Arabs in the stands.

Bring on the Rangers!

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

Dundee United striker Jort van der Sande was unaware that he could play for Bonaire until an appearance on a podcast led to a Facebook message that revealed the 28-year-old qualified because he went to school there while he and his parents lived there for five years. (The Courier), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

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Dundee United have shared their condolences after the passing of former player Ron Yeats at the age of 86.

The defender began his career at Dundee United before joining Liverpool in 1961.

A Scotland international, Yeats won two caps for the side in 1964 and 1965.

"We are saddened to hear of the passing of our former player Ron Yeats," United said on social media, external.

"The thoughts of everyone at Dundee United Football Club are with Ron’s family and friends at this time."

BBC Sport Scotland chief sportswriter Tom English has been answering your questions.

Chris asked: After United's good start, do you think they could make top six? Or do you see weaknesses compared to other teams in the league?

Tom answered: Chris, I think places fifth and sixth are wide open. Right now, I'd be going Celtic, Rangers, Aberdeen, Hearts and beyond that, I’m really not sure. Killie, St Mirren, Dundee and Dundee United are all in the mix. Maybe Motherwell as well.

United have kept three clean sheets in a row, including the League Cup, and have conceded only one goal in four. Solid foundations so far. You don’t need to score buckets of goals to finish top six in this league if your defence is good. And Jim Goodwin must be delighted with that side of it.

Is squad depth going to prove a challenge in the long run? Maybe, but the fact is they've already played three of last season's top six - albeit one of them in the League Cup - and they've won two and drawn the other. Early signs are very good.

Malcolm asked: The signings this year look the best overall of any Premiership club. Would you agree? (Proof will be in the results obviously. Last time I said that United got relegated!)

Tom answered: It's practically a new team, Malcolm, and Goodwin certainly seems to have signed astutely. As you say, the proof will be in the results over the course of months rather than weeks, but it's been a really good start. A couple of good Irish boys in there, you can't go wrong.

I'm surprised at how quickly everybody appears to have bedded in. That's impressive work from the manager. He's built a pretty strong starting team in quick order. You could probably do with another option up front but the defence looks resolute and that's the secret of making the top six. Solidity at the back can get you there.

Karl asked: Hi Tom, I'm quite sad that we are letting our young players leave after bringing them through the academy. It would never have happened in the Jim McLean era, he would playing them. What are your thoughts?

Tom answered: It's different times, isn't it? Jim McLean would have had them locked in on long contracts and there wasn't the movement then that there is now. When you look at the young players that McLean brought through - Wow!

The whole issue of playing young players is a massive thing and we've had a few chats about it on the radio.

It's a multi-layered thing, but the upshot is the number of minutes afforded to young Scots in the Premiership is miniscule. And, sadly, I can't see it changing unless the SFA put their foot down regarding quotas, which they won't do.

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin fears Scottish clubs will continue to lose academy players to England unless the game north of the border changes course. (Record), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

Charlotte Cohen
BBC Sport Scotland

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Dundee United have made a fine start on their return to the top flight.

With eight points from four games, Jim Goodwin's side head into the international break third and still unbeaten.

So far, United have slightly outperformed their xG of 5.2, netting six goals.

Backing that up, of the eight big chances Goodwin's side have manufactured, 37.5% have been converted - that's the same as Rangers.

On the goalscoring front five different players have found the back of the net, joint third highest in the division.

Goodwin has honed a pretty solid backline too. Only Celtic and Aberdeen have conceded fewer than United's tally of three goals.

Of the 12 shots on target United have faced, only three have gone in the net. Of those, two have come from open play and one from a set-piece.

Goalkeeper Jack Walton has a 75% save rate, the fourth highest in the top flight so far, and has made nine saves.

The new arrivals have made an immediate impact too. Striker Kristijan Trapanovski ranks in the Premiership top five for shots on target (12), five of which have been on target. Having netted once from an xG of 1.72, the Macedonian will look to up that scoring rate.

Wide player Will Ferry has been a revelation in Tangerine and the stats bear that out. Ferry has won possession 29 times - bettered only by Celtic's Callum McGregor - and also ranks highly for tackles made (10).

United have looked threatening on the dead-ball front, with two of their four goals resulting from a set-piece, and Ferry is joint fifth in the league for successful open play crosses (three).

Get your questions ready.

Tom English, BBC Sport Scotland's chief sportswriter, is in the hotseat and ready to offer his insight and opinion on your club.

Four games into the Premiership campaign, what would you like to ask?

Put your questions to our man here, external.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Jim Goodwin has certainly experienced ups and downs on the Scottish football rollercoaster.

He cultivated an impressive reputation as an up-and-coming young manager at Alloa and St Mirren, before his upward trajectory stalled during a disappointing, and often bruising, spell in charge at Aberdeen.

But far from shying away, he jumped at the chance to get right back under the spotlight again, this time at Dundee United.

A lot of eyes have been on him after what happened at Pittodrie, but Goodwin has again proved his dugout mettle.

It was job done in the Championship last year, and while it is still early days in the top flight, the signs point towards it being another good campaign for the Tangerines.

Goodwin appears to have recruited well during what was a very busy transfer window at Tannadice.

And United go into the international break unbeaten in their four Premiership games and third in the table, as well as having a League Cup quarter-final with Motherwell to look forward to,

Part of football management, in fact any walk of life, is learning from past experiences – good and bad – dusting yourself down and moving on.

Goodwin certainly appears to have done that, and few would grudge him the plaudits he is receiving for the solid job he is doing in the City of Discovery.

Ronny Costello
Fan writer

We're only four games into the Premiership season, but Dundee United fans can already feel pretty good as we head into the international break.

Let's round up the summer at Tannadice. It was like a whirlwind clearance sale: 18 players out the door, 13 new faces in by the time the transfer window did that classic 'slam shut' on Friday night. A much-needed overhaul, to be honest.

Sure, it's still early days to judge the new arrivals, but first impressions? Not bad at all. Kristijan Trapanovski, David Babunski and Jort van der Sande have shown real promise - but Will Ferry? He's been absolutely unreal! Jim Goodwin and the recruitment team deserve a pat on the back for that one.

After THAT disaster at Falkirk, where we were rightfully hammered, the team's response has been impressive. Full credit to the players, the staff, and especially the manager for turning things around.

We kicked off with a tricky set of fixtures - Dundee, Ross County, St Johnstone, and Hearts - and guess what? Not a single loss. Eight points from 12 and sitting pretty in third place. Feels good, doesn't it?

Tynecastle has been a fortress we hadn't breached in a decade - since Nadir Ciftci last ran riot there - so we were due a win and let's not nitpick that it came after Trapanovski, Babunski and van der Sande had already made their exits.

The cherry on top? A boyhood United fan scoring the winner to seal the points. Ross Graham, aka 'The Blairgowrie Maldini', decided to take a break from being a defensive rock to latch on to a cheeky backheel from Ferry, took it on his right, and left Craig Gordon looking dazed and confused.

A very good start to the league campaign for United and it's over to Scotland to get some points on the board.

Ronny Costello can be found at The Dode Fox podcast, external

United fans, we asked for your views after Sunday's victory over Hearts.

Here's what some of you had to say:

Calum: Obviously really happy to remain unbeaten until the international break. The recruitment has been very good, I think Jim Goodwin needs to figure out a way to get the best out of David Babunski as sticking him out wide right isn't working. The team is still getting to know each other but there looks to be a togetherness about the squad.

Ally: An excellent start to the season. I would definitely have taken eight points before the international break if offered it at the start of the season. The new signings are looking good, we look decent at the back. If I had to fault us, maybe we just need to be more ruthless up top - but that’s being picky! Good to see the natural football order in Dundee restored.

Stephen: I have been saying it since pre-season but I'm optimistic about this squad. A team that can play, fight and score! It was all about the result but United were strong in defence and carried a threat. Not the goalscorer many would have expected but it's three points from Gorgie for the first time in years!

Gary: An excellent performance against a poor Hearts side. Ross Graham was outstanding again as were all the United players. United are working hard as a team. Well done to Jim Goodwin on the tactics . A great travelling support yet again.

Eddie: Great start to the season. The defence is looking stronger week by week. It will be a big test against Rangers though.

Kenny: What a fantastic performance for the whole team, well done everyone.

Dimitar Mitov (Aberdeen): Outstanding penalty save was as invaluable to Aberdeen continuing their perfect start to the season.

Alistair Johnston (Celtic): Standout performer every week. Brings so much energy, power and invention to this Celtic side in defence and attack.

Liam Scales (Celtic): Outstanding at the back. Shames the doubters continually by never putting a foot wrong.

Dan Casey (Motherwell): Constant menace in the St Johnstone box, always committed. Plays with fire in his belly.

Ross Graham (Dundee United): Slotting in as a square peg in a round hole at left-back, the centre-back has become one of United's most solid performers in recent weeks and scored the winner at Hearts.

Topi Keskinen (Aberdeen): Direct and impactful performance against Ross County. Looks to have really exciting potential.

Callum McGregor (Celtic): Could have pencilled him in before the match even started. The commander-in-chief of a team in full command of every match they play right now. Another superb performance and another great goal.

Lyall Cameron (Dundee): Plenty of life after Luke McCowan with this young man in the Dundee midfield. An assist and always full of guile.

Daizen Maeda (Celtic): Gave Rangers captain James Tavernier another torrid time. His energy and pace on the left gives Celtic such an advantage over Rangers.

Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic): Have run out of superlatives for his movement. Phenomenal to have a player like this in Scottish football. Lighting up the game for Celtic in the final third.

Kevin Nisbet (Aberdeen): What a way to win over the Dons fans. Felt like a statement moment when he struck home the winner deep in injury time in Dingwall. Bojan who?

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Until the weekend, Dundee United's Ross Graham had only ever scored with his head.

But that changed at Tynecastle on Sunday when the centre-back's strike from the edge of the Hearts area bounced past an unsighted Craig Gordon.

It was the only goal of the game as United extended their unbeaten Premiership start and piled on more misery on Steven Naismith.

"I'd only ever scored with my head, that is the first goal with my feet," Graham said.

"I'm happy to pitch in with a goal. It wasn't my best strike but sometimes they go in.

"We knew we were getting [Hearts] at a good time as they have not been in good form lately, but we also know that will change sometime.

"Thankfully it wasn't today."

Watch highlights as Dundee United win away to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.

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Hearts suffered their sixth defeat in a row as Dundee United maintained their strong Scottish Premiership return to move up to third going into the international break.

Both sides missed chances at Tynecastle, breaking forward freely but looking blunt in the final third, before Ross Graham's trundling effort in the 77th minute caught out the unsighted Craig Gordon.

What did you make of that, United fans? Ever in doubt of a result at Tynecastle?

Who impressed you most, and where was that game won?

Let us know your thoughts, external.

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Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin tells BBC Scotland: "Really pleased with the overall performance.

"We're aware of the fact that Hearts were on a difficult run and that makes the challenge more difficult because you expect a reaction.

"Thankfully today it didn't happen against us. Defensively the shape of the team was excellent and we had dangerous attacks throughout the 90 minutes on the counter.

"But for better decision-making, we might have have got the goal earlier. It's another clean sheet for us. That's three in a row against stiff opposition.

"We can enjoy the next 10 days or so, relax a wee bit.

"Considering we brought 13 new faces in over the summer, for them to have gelled so quickly together and have such a good team culture, it's a credit to the backroom staff."

Andrew Petrie
BBC Sport Scotland

Eight points in the first four games, and unbeaten at the first international break. Jim Goodwin would have bitten your hand off for that at the start of the year.

On paper, they started for the third week in a row with two full-backs and four centre-backs in the starting XI - although that's because Kevin Holt is being deployed in midfield.

That consistency in selection has led to a consistency of performance at the back. They look very hard to break down, if a little uneasy going forward.

Kristijan Trapanovski started to tire, while Jort van der Sande was well dealt with by Frankie Kent. The goal came in rather fortuitous circumstances, but they didn't often look like conceding.

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Kristijan Trapanovski. This could have gone towards one of United's back three, who made sure that Jack Walton had very little to do, but Trapanovski was once again the best outball for the visitors.

Apart from his chance at the very start of his second-half, when he squandered a two-on-one, he impressed with a few brilliant crosses and a willingness to take his man on.

Image source, SNS

Hearts hope to have Lawrence Shankland back after a knee injury while Andres Salazar is available after not being registered for the Europa League. Liam Boyce will be assessed after going off injured against Plzen while Calem Nieuwenhof (hamstring) and Beni Baningime (knee) are still out.

Dundee United expect to have everyone available apart from Ryan Strain (hamstring).

Jane Lewis, Brian McLauchlin and Tyrone Smith round up all the deadline defying drama as the Scottish transfer window shuts.

From Celtic's record breaking signing to some high profile departures they discuss all the biggest moves in Scotland and cross to Italy to hear about the excitement as Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay move to Napoli.

Listen to the full episode here.

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Sam Dalby admits his first experience of deadline day was a "stressful" situation, but he is now "looking forward" to getting started at Dundee United.

The 24-year-old forward joins the club on a season-long loan after scoring five goals and assisting eight times in 40 appearances in League Two last season for AFC Wrexham.

"It feels great to be here," Dalby told club media. "I'm looking forward to it and looking forward to get training with the lads tomorrow before the game on Sunday.

"I didn't know if I was going to be available for loan throughout the transfer window. It came down to the last second today. It was a bit stressful."

Dalby says he still carries Marcelo Bielsa's influence - who he spent time with at Leeds United - with him to this day, however former United striker Steven Fletcher has been Dalby's most recent influence while playing together at Wrexham.

"I saw [Fletcher] this morning and he came in with a big smile on his face because he had heard the news. He said he was going to come and watch a few games, so we'll see him soon.

"Him coming into Wrexham last season was a big help for me, with little tips and tricks he would give me in training. Hopefully I can implement that in my game this season and help this club.

"A big part of my game is bringing teammates into the picture and putting them in good situations themselves. I want to be scoring goals as well, if I can help the team in any way possible then that’s good."

In: Richard Odada, midfielder (Philadelphia Union); Jort van der Sande, forward (Den Haag); Meshack Ubochioma, forward (Zalaegerszegi); David Babunski, midfielder (Mezokovesdi Sport Egyesulet); Ryan Strain, defender (St Mirren); Kristijan Trapanovski, forward (Shkupi); Vicko Sevelj, defender (Radomlje); Will Ferry, defender (Cheltenham Town); Dave Richards, goalkeeper (Crewe Alexandra).

Loan in: Luca Stephenson, defender (Liverpool); Emmanuel Adegboyega, defender (Norwich City); Jack Walton, goalkeeper (Luton Town, loan return); Sam Dalby, forward (Wrexham).

Out: Brandon Forbes, forward (Norwich City, undisclosed); Archie Meekison, defender (Bohemian); Scott McMann, defender (Ayr United); David Wotherspoon, midfielder (Dunfermline Athletic); Logan Chalmers, forward (Partick Thistle); Chris Mochrie, midfielder (Dundee United); Layton Bisland, defender (Arbroath); Declan Glass, midfielder (Cove Rangers); Flynn Duffy, defender (Inverness Caledonian Thistle); Keir Bertie, midfielder (Montrose); Kai Smith, midfielder (Elgin City); Liam Grimshaw, midfielder; Mark Birighitti, goalkeeper; Sadat Anaku, forward; Craig Moore, midfielder; Flynn Duffy, defender.

Loan ended: Alex Greive, forward (St Mirren); Jordan Tillson, midfielder (Ross County); Sam McClelland, defender (St Johnstone).

Loan out: Tony Watt, forward (Motherwell); Rory MacLeod, forward (Southampton); Jack Newman, goalkeeper (Inverness Caledonian Thistle); Lewis O’Donnell, midfielder (Queen of the South); Ruairidh Adams, goalkeeper (Kelty Hearts).

Read the Scottish Premiership ins & outs in full here.