Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United future up in the air despite ‘positive talks’

Jim Goodwin held “positive” talks with Dundee United chairman Mark Ogren but is waiting to see if he will be given an extended chance to lead the club’s attempts at revival.

Goodwin led United to three consecutive wins to get them out of the cinch Premiership danger zone after being appointed on an interim basis but a fourth loss on the bounce on Wednesday all but consigned them to automatic relegation.

A 3-0 home defeat by Kilmarnock means United need to win at Motherwell on Saturday and hope the Ayrshire side beat Ross County while achieving an eight-goal swing on the Staggies.

Goodwin has made it clear he would “love” to stay on as United boss beyond the end of the season but his future remains unclear.

The Irishman said: “I have just met the chairman for the first time face to face over the last couple of days. I spent hours with him just giving him my overview on what I have experienced during my time here.

“He has made a hell of an investment financially from his own personal wealth into the club.

“He is a man that in business is used to succeeding and he certainly didn’t come to Dundee United to be having this kind of experience.

“So whatever the outcome is on Sunday, he is fully behind supporting the club in trying to make sure this kind of thing doesn’t happen again in the future.

“He is determined to put things right, from his own point of view but also for the supporters as well.

“We had good, positive talks but there has been nothing decided with regards to my long-term future.

“I have explained to him that I have loved my time at the club, I have met some great people here. There are some fantastic people behind the scenes doing some great things in a lot of the other departments.

“But unfortunately a club is always going to be recognised on what happens on the pitch and unfortunately as a team we haven’t been good enough and all the other good things have been brushed under the carpet.”

Goodwin wants his players to restore a modicum of pride at Fir Park.

“Although we are not mathematically down, we need a minor miracle to happen on Sunday to get that play-off place,” he said.

“We are not going to throw the towel in, of course, but I don’t want to sound silly and look silly by sitting here saying to you guys that we are going to achieve it.

“But we have to put a team on the park that is going to play with pride and try and finish the season on a positive note.

“It’s an eight-goal difference, we would need to score a hell of a lot of goals and hope Kilmarnock do similar to Ross County, but look, there is a one per cent chance possibly, but we know how difficult that task is going to be.

“We have to go and give a good account of ourselves as a group and not go down to Motherwell waving the white flag.

“There is personal pride at stake for the players, myself and the rest of the group. We owe it to ourselves first and foremost but more importantly we owe it to the supporters, because what has happened in the last four games has been unacceptable.”

United might have to aim for a glut of goals without their only experienced striker. Steven Fletcher played through a torn groin muscle during Wednesday’s defeat.

Goodwin said: “Steven is playing through the pain barrier for the club, whether he is going to be able to do the same on Sunday, we will wait and see.”