Football Season Guide

Dundee United are coming off a 7th-placed finish last season, which reflected exactly where they deserved to end the season. They were never a side in any danger of being sucked into the relegation dogfight, yet equally they never threatened to finish top six. Jim Goodwin’s side had the capacity to be stuffy at the back but were too one-dimensional going forward as they were overly reliant on a direct style of football. In some ways, they were also aided by the dreadful state of their pitch, which played into their hands and often worked against more technical rivals. The League Cup group stage was a slog for United in the early stages as they struggled past Stirling due to a late penalty and lost to Montrose, but convincing wins over Arbroath and Spartans followed. Ultimately, there were some promising signs. Lachlan Rose scored 3 goals in 4 starts in attack while playing off the left wing Zak Sapsford scored 3. There was rarely a sense that Goodwin was able to get the best out of Sapsford last season. And the attacking line has recently been reinforced, with Idjessi Metsoko beginning with some promise while Mehdi Merghem should add some technicality to United on the wing. The midfield is the area that has been least touched in the summer. Dylan Tait has arrived to bring more of a goal threat through the centre, which they lost with Craig Sibbald leaving. Pan Camara and Emmanuel Agyei were solid customers last term. Across the back line, there is not too much chance. Joshua Rawlins is one of a number of arrivals from the A-League, where United believe they can find competitive players. Centre-back Michael Forbes has already distinguished himself with his long throws, which will likely be a weapon that Goodwin fully utilises. Dundee United’s biggest downfall last season was the lack of a consistent goalkeeper. That part of the squad has been totally gutted over the summer, with Jack Walton returning to the club for another spell having been highly successful in the past. They are looking much better in this area if he hits those heights again.