Jim Goodwin wants his Dundee United players to be inspired by the magnitude of the occasion when relegation rivals Ross County visit a packed Tannadice on Saturday.
A crowd of more than 10,000 is expected for a critical showdown between two sides separated by just a point at the foot of the cinch Premiership.
Adding to the “emotion” of the match will be the fact it falls on the weekend of the 40th anniversary of their only top-flight title win under Jim McLean in 1983.
“We’re all looking forward to a terrific game on Saturday in front of what is expected to be one of the biggest home attendances of the season,” said manager Goodwin.
“I think not only does it illustrate the magnitude of the game but it also illustrates the size of this club and how well-supported it is. That was one of the biggest factors in me wanting to come here, to be a part of a big club with a great history.
“It’s a very important weekend in the calendar, the 40th anniversary of when the old boys won the league so that kind of adds to the emotion of the day from the supporters.
“The players are aware of the significance of that albeit we are fighting for our lives whereas those guys 40 years ago were competing up the top end to go and win championships which is something we could only dream of at this moment in time!
“But it does give you an understanding of what kind of football club you are at.
“For those players, I think it’s a really good message to them to realise they are at one of the biggest clubs in the country that have a great history and probably adds to the importance of the game in terms of why we need to keep this team in the Premiership.”
United looked to have hauled themselves towards safety after a run of three wins in a row took them four points clear of County but their defeat at St Johnstone last weekend allowed Malky Mackay’s Staggies to close the gap to just a point. Kilmarnock are also level on points with United.
“We have to be realistic about the situation,” said Goodwin.
“We know we’re in a relegation dogfight. We know we’re up against some good, competitive teams in Kilmarnock and Ross County.
“There’s nobody here who had assumed Ross County were out of it (before last weekend). We have always tried to keep our feet on the ground and stay level-headed.
“Winning three games on the spin can bring confidence and belief but it was never a case of us thinking we had turned a corner and that we were all of a sudden going to pull ourselves away from the bottom.
“There’s certainly no hangover from last weekend though, the lads are still very much where they need to be psychologically.”
Glenmuir outclass STETHS 5-2 to maintain daCosta Cup dominance; McGrath, Garvey Maceo, Ocho Rios also into semis
Glenmuir High continued their dominant march in the ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup with an emphatic 5-2 victory over St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) in their final Group A quarterfinal match on Saturday.
In a display of clinical finishing and cohesive play, Glenmuir, through goals from Orel Miller (12th), Conroy Nicely (32nd), Orane Watson (45th and 67th), and Ricardo Binns (90+1), overwhelmed their opponents at home in Santa Cruz to further solidify their status as title favourites. Justin McPherson (80th) and Shemmar Smith (83rd) got STETHS consolation.
The win saw Glenmuir finish atop the group with maximum nine points, five points ahead of McGrath High, who blanked Frome Technical 4-0 to also book a semi-final berth. They finished ahead of STETHS on goal difference after both ended on four points each.
Glenmuir’s Head coach, Andrew Peart, was again pleased with how his team went about business.
“Every game you play, you try not to concede but we can live with it. We were 4-0 up when we conceded so we can work on those. I thought today was one of the displays that you’re really proud of; at the start we weren’t really in control but we managed to settle and play our game and score some goals so again, I am really proud of them,” Peart said in a post-game interview.
Though a bit slow out the blocks, Glenmuir quickly gathered momentum and broke the deadlock inside 15 minutes when Miller capitalized on a perfectly weighted cross from Tajaun Cummings, rising above defenders to power a header into the net.
STETHS had a chance to respond shortly after but Deandre Barnett’s header struck the upright.
That was all STETHS would get at that point as Glenmuir extended their lead two minutes past the half-hour mark with a goal that showcased their set-piece prowess. A weighted corner kick from O’Neil Headly was cleverly flicked on by Dusting Cohen, allowing Nicely to tap in at the far post.
Watson added his name to the scoresheet just before halftime, when he slotted into an empty net after STETHS’ goalkeeper Johnoi Steadman advanced and failed to get a hand on Okeem Saunders’ perfectly measured cross. caused confusion in the STETHS defense, with misjudging the delivery as Glenmuir went 3-0 up at the interval.
Glenmuir maintained their attacking intensity at the restart, with Watson again proving troublesome.
In the 67th, Saunders once again played provider, delivering a precise pass that Watson controlled expertly before unleashing a powerful drive from the edge of the box. With that, his second goal of the game, Watson took his tally to 31 for the season, a testament to his exceptional form.
Despite trailing by four goals, STETHS showed resilience in the final 10 minutes. McPherson pulled one back in the 80th minute, finishing from close range to bring the home crowd to life.
Just three minutes later, McPherson turned provider, delivering a pinpoint cross that Stewart headed home for his fifth goal of the season.
However, Glenmuir had the final say as Binns found himself unmarked in the penalty area and easily headed home a perfectly floated cross from Cohen to complete the rout. It was Binns’ seventh goal of the season and a fitting end to a commanding performance.
STETHS’ Head coach Omar Wedderburn and his troops will now have to look to the Ben Francis Cup for redemption.
“We weren’t focused enough in the first half and three goals scored from the service. We tried to make some adjustments in the second half but it barely bore fruit but that’s how it is; it is a hard one to digest and we just have to do what we have to do,” he noted.
Saturday’s Results
Glenmuir 5, STETHS 2
McGrath 4, Frome Technical 0
Munro College 3, Central High 1
Ocho Rios 2, Garvey Maceo 0
Germany 7-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina: Nagelsmann's side thump visitors to confirm top spot
Germany posted a commanding 7-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in their penultimate fixture in Freiburg to secure top spot in Group A3 of the Nations League.
Florian Wirtz and Tim Kleindienst scored two goals each while Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and Leroy Sane were also on the scoresheet as the Germans posted their fourth win and maintained a five-point lead over the Netherlands in second place.
Julian Nagelsmann's side made a blistering start as Musiala headed home with just 78 seconds on the clock.
Borussia Monchengladbach striker Kleindienst then opened his account for Germany as Robert Andrich's effort deflected off him on its way into the goal in the 23rd minute.
Havertz ensured the hosts went into the interval with a three-goal lead, while Wirtz added two more, including a superb free-kick, before the clock struck the hour mark, effectively ending Bosnia's hopes of a comeback.
Sane joined the party in the 66th minute with Germany's sixth before Kleindienst sealed the victory with his second of the night, a close-range finish, 11 minutes later.
The hosts will wrap up their group stage campaign with a trip to Budapest to face Hungary on Tuesday, while Bosnia, sitting bottom with one point, will host group runners-up Netherlands.
Netherlands 4-0 Hungary: Hosts cruise into Nations League quarter-finals
The Netherlands booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Nations League with a comfortable 4-0 victory over Hungary on Saturday.
Two first-half penalties had put the hosts in control before Denzel Dumfries and Teun Koopmeiners secured second place in Group A3 at the Johan Cruijff ArenA.
A medical emergency on the Hungary bench saw the game suspended after eight minutes, but play resumed with a Netherlands penalty after a Tamas Nikitscher handball, and Wout Weghorst confidently converted.
Cody Gakpo then doubled their lead from the spot in first-half stoppage time when Zsolt Nagy tripped Donyell Malen in the box, and Denes Dibusz was sent the wrong way once more.
Weghorst whipped a delightful, long-range curler against the crossbar shortly after the restart, but Dumfries would get their third in the 64th minute with a drilled finish across goal into the far-bottom corner.
Koopmeiners rounded off the scoring late on, meeting Dumfries' inch-perfect cross to power a header past Dibusz and in at the far post, and was denied a second moments later by the post.
Data Debrief: Oranje march on
The Netherlands knew they needed to avoid defeat to make it to the last eight in the Nations League, but Ronald Koeman's side were not going to settle.
They were on the attack from the very start, registering 22 shots as they created 2.92 expected goals.
Dumfries was at the heart of both goals after half-time, and he became the second player in history to score each of his first nine international goals for the Netherlands in the second half, after Pierre van Hooijdonk (also nine).
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