Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has outlined his plan for new signing Mehdi Merghem, stating that the Algerian international needs to build up his fitness before being unleashed in the Premier Sports Cup. Merghem, who joined the club on a two-year deal from Bastia, will not feature in Tuesday's match against Montrose but could be involved against Arbroath or in the final group game against The Spartans.
Merghem's Fitness and Integration
Goodwin confirmed that Merghem is behind the rest of the squad in terms of fitness due to the stage of pre-season he has arrived at. “He is a little behind the group, given the stage he has come in at. We’ll spend a little time on his fitness and get him up to speed. Hopefully, not in this one but maybe the next couple of League Cup games, we might see him in the squad,” the manager said.
United are still looking to add another winger, but Goodwin is confident that Merghem will bring creativity and goals to the team. “He is a fantastic signing for the club. He adds a bit of experience and has played at a very high level. He is an Algerian international as well. He has real technical quality. Those wide areas are parts of the squad that we need to try and strengthen. We are looking pretty solid in every other area of the pitch,” Goodwin added.
Merghem's Qualities and Background
Goodwin praised Merghem's abilities, saying he will excite the fans. “Mehdi is a player who will excite the fans. He is positive in one-v-one situations. He can play wide, drop into pockets and he has a fantastic left foot. He will score goals from distance, I am sure of that and he has dead-ball qualities as well. He will be a great addition and I still think he can progress,” the manager stated.
Merghem had a challenging time in Algeria before returning to France, but Goodwin believes he is hungry to make up for lost time. “He had a good end to the season with Bastia, just going back there to get regular game time. He had some contractual issues with his previous club. He had a really successful spells in France prior to those spells he had that didn’t work out. That is the player we are signing. That is the player we know we are getting and we look forward to seeing how he progresses,” Goodwin explained.
Metsoko Set for Debut
The travelling United supporters could get their first view of new striker Idjesso Metsoko at Links Park. Goodwin confirmed: “Metsoko will come into the squad and other than that it will be the same squad.” United made a winning start away to Stirling Albion in the Premier Sports Cup and want to back that up with another three points from this visit to Angus.
Reflecting on the opening win, Goodwin said: “I thought the overall performance on Saturday was good. All that was lacking was a few more goals. Games like that, the longer it goes on without us breaking the deadlock then it gives the opposition a bit of hope that they can sit in there and defend the box. I thought Stirling did defend the ball well, but I have to say there were really positive parts of our play as well. There is plenty there to work on and to improve on. In terms, of working together for three weeks, the patterns of play we saw were really, really positive.”
