Jim Goodwin has insisted there is no crisis at Dundee United, despite the Tannadice side failing to score in their last three games and conceding 10 goals following Sunday's Dundee derby defeat.
The under-fire boss accepts the recent run of results has not been good enough, but he is not ready to hit the panic button. Goodwin has assembled a new-look squad with a more attacking and expansive style of play in mind, and he is confident things will come good for United.
Outside noise dismissed
Goodwin said: "The players are well used to it. Most of the players in our squad have played at a decent level and they've all been at clubs where there's a level of expectation. When you don't achieve the results that you're meant to, or that the fans want, then there's going to be criticism.
"There's a lot of outside noise just now, but we certainly haven't allowed it to affect the group or what we're trying to do here. It's business as usual, as far as we're concerned. We understand the supporters' frustration and their reaction after the game. That's natural.
"The fans pay good money to come and watch their team – and they want to see them win. We haven't been able to do that over the last three weeks. But it's not a crisis, as far as I'm concerned. It's not the start we wanted, but I don't think we were played off the park last weekend. I don't think we were beaten by the better team, if I'm being perfectly honest.
"There were just key moments in the game that we've been sucker-punched with. In the world we live in right now. Everybody is very quick to jump on the bandwagon. I understand, journalists have jobs to do and supporters have the right to criticise their team when they're not happy. That's part of the job that we're in.
"We're all thick-skinned. At the level that we're all at, you've got to be made differently to most people in terms of that strength and character. We've got that in abundance here."
Confidence in front of goal
United have failed to score and shipped 10 goals in their last three games, and Goodwin is determined to change that against Kilmarnock this weekend.
He explained: "The players have been very good with what we've asked them to do. We’ve had great preparation for the last eight or nine weeks of being together and nothing’s going to change as with regards to our approach to training and games.
"We just need to capitalise on some of the good play and big chances that we're having. We just lack a little bit of confidence in front of goal. But that’s natural just now. I’ve been here numerous times throughout my career and I'm sure the players have experienced these kinds of things as well.
"I look at all the stats from the games – and people don't like you talking about it because the adage is that the stats other than the scoreline don't matter – but I do also need to acknowledge the fact that we've played quite well in a number of the games, even in defeat.
"We've been very strong in a lot of areas, but ultimately the hardest thing in football is to put the ball in the back of the net. That's why you see strikers all over the world going for hundreds of millions of pounds and getting paid the big salaries.
"But we've got proven goal scorers in this group. Lachie Rose scored a handful of goals last year. Zac Sapsford is the same; 11 goals in his debut season in Scotland. They've all had big moments in their careers.
"You want the guys to get up and running and get off the mark in the league as early as possible. We haven't been able to do that yet. But there's no panicking here at my end."
Goodwin hopes Emmanuel Agyei will be back for the Kilmarnock match, after missing the Dundee defeat.
