Dundee United are emerging as one of the stories of the season as Jim Goodwin’s side continue to thrive following a radical change in style from their manager.
As a coach, and certainly as a player, expansive, continental-inspired football was never really something associated with Goodwin, a Scottish football veteran who has been part of the furniture for more than 16 years.
But the former Aberdeen and St Mirren boss has said he has taken inspiration from Jens Berthel Askou’s work at Motherwell last season to reshape himself, and his side are lighting up the league after overcoming a difficult start.
An exhilarating 3-2 victory over Aberdeen in chaotic weather at Tannadice extended United’s unbeaten run to five matches, moving them up to fourth.
Now they face the Premiership’s acid test: a trip to Celtic Park.
Goodwin has got the better of the champions in two of his past three encounters with them, but both of those victories came at Tannadice last season.
Staggeringly, Celtic are unbeaten in 51 home games against United in all competitions since a 1-0 league defeat in December 1992.
Goodwin will be wary of the way Martin O’Neill’s men dismantled a bold Hearts side at Parkhead last time out, but the reinvented Irishman is urging his players to embrace a trip to the venue where his life in the Scottish game began.
