'I think Hibs had three shots on target' - Jim Goodwin blasts Dundee United's game management after Leith loss
The Dundee United boss has now lost four Scottish Premiership matches on the bounce.
An enraged Jim Goodwin struggled to find the words to vent his frustrations after his side’s capitulation at Easter Road.
In a fixture synonymous with high drama, last night’s Leith showdown didn’t disappoint. Martin Boyle put the hosts ahead in the first half before Ross Graham and Max Watters turned the match in United’s favour. In the 89th minute, the Arabs captain then put the ball in his own net, before Suto’s looping header gave Hibernian a much-needed three points.
The victory relieved some of the pressure that was mounting on David Gray in recent weeks, but on the other side of the coin, one league win in seven could now see Goodwin get some heat of his own. After his side clutched defeat from the jaws of victory, the United boss was understandably fuming.
‘It’s the best we’ve played for six or seven weeks’
According to The Courier, Goodwin said: “It’s very hard to analyse the game other than to talk about the anger that I feel for the way that my team capitulated in the dying moments. I don’t think anybody wants to hear me talking about the performance.
“Arguably, it’s the best we’ve played for six or seven weeks. But that’s irrelevant because we’ve dropped points yet again from a winning position. That’s what’s cost us in the league and that’s why we find ourselves in the position that we’re in.
“Defensively we’ve not been good enough. It’s embarrassing; that’s what it is. In the back line – the defenders, the goalkeeper – somebody needs to take responsibility in those moments. That’s what good defenders do. They put their bodies on the line. They make sure it’s them getting first contact on the header. That wasn’t the case for Hibs’ second goal. It wasn’t the case for the third goal.”
‘I think Hibs had three shots on target’
While the last two Hibs goals understandably angered the United boss, when asked about Boyle’s opener he also was far from impressed. It was a misplaced pass from Krisztian Keresztes which led to the goal, before which, the visitors had created the better chances.
He continued: “I think Hibs had three shots on target over the course of the game and all three of them have ended up in the back of our net. Defensively, it’s been pathetic at times – and that’s all season. I’m finding it really hard to bite my tongue and not say something that I might regret. I’m pretty sure the supporters are sick of hearing that we’ll work hard on the training pitch.
“That’s our job; to go back onto the training pitch and try to eradicate some of these mistakes. But you can do all the coaching in the world. There’s a mentality issue when you don’t want to go and take responsibility. It’s very hard to give players that. But we’ll keep working on it. We’ll keep doing the best we can.”