DESPITE it not being the best of starts to 2025 for Dundee United, Jim Goodwin’s men still remain third in the Premier League table mainly due the remarkable loss of form of Aberdeen which has seen the Dons fail to record a win in an incredible 14 games now.
United ended off 2024 in good form with a 0-0 draw against Celtic at Tannadice where
stubborn defending and a huge slice of luck favoured the Tangerines on the day. With statistics showing the away side had almost 80 per cent of the play, United nonetheless had as many shots on target in the match. Late chances went begging for Kyogo and Arne Engels for the Celts, with United keeper Jack Walton counting his blessings on both occasions and this went a long way to United being the first side to stop the Parkhead men finding the net this season.
With just one defeat in eight games, United went on to face Aberdeen over the holidays. A sold out Tannadice and a pulsating North East derby ensued with United emerging as victors with an injury-time winner via the head of centre-half Kevin Holt after Aberdeen failed to cope with a long throw in from United’s Will Ferry. United have made a habit of scoring late this season and its Goodwin’s old school strategy to ‘get the big men up’ which worked to a tee here and brought the year to a good end for the Arabs.
To kick off 2025, United made the short trip across the road to Dens Park where they fell behind to a Simon Murray penalty on the hour before Croatian midfielder Vicko Sevelj equalised with a close range header. With just two minutes left on the clock though, a late run combined with a great ball across the box from veteran Holt saw on from striker Sam Dalby seal the derby deal and hand the bragging rights to the Tangerine half of the city for a 2-1 victory.
Dundee, however, would reap their revenge in the Scottish Cup a few weeks later recording their first victory over the Tangerines since a League Cup win in 2017. A goal in the first minute from Murray caught the United defence napping and it proved to be the only goal of the game. United stepped it up big time second- half, but found Dundee keeper Trevor Carson on top form with a string of fine saves as well as a vital goal-line clearance from a defender late on helping them to hold on. One of those nights where it’s just not meant to be saw United exit the competition and the bragging rights reversed for now.
January would also bring league defeats at home to a resurgent Hearts (0-1) and Rangers (1-3) as well as a 2-0 reverse at Celtic Park where this time the dominance of the champions proved too much for Goodwin’s side, with goals in either half from Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate being the difference. Walton in the United goal was kept busy throughout and late on managed to keep the scoreline respectable. United will meet Celtic again in their next league fixture and with the Hoops on fire at the moment after putting six past our city neighbours, it’s already looking like backs to the wall stuff for ourselves and the rest of the sides travelling to the east end of Glasgow this season.
United had a disappointing result at Kilmarnock with a highly contentious winning goal being the difference between the sides. Marley Watkins’ controversial header gave Kilmarnock victory after the striker collided heavily with goalkeeper Walton as they
challenged for a high ball in the six-yard box. The goal stood though and United’s bad run of form and unfortunate relationship with VAR continued in Ayrshire.
On a brighter note, an away win at St Mirren saw Louis Moult score a spectacular overhead kick in the 88th minute to give the Tangerines their third win over the Buddies this season.
Good news also came that the league’s top scorer Dalby, will be hanging around until the end of the season after it was confirmed the big striker will see out the rest of the season in Tangerine. This came as a huge relief to his adoring band of Arabs, but in reality United will face stiff competition for his signature from elsewhere if his parent club Wrexham decide to move him on.
Motherwell and Hibs will visit Tannadice to see out February where Goodwin’s side will be looking to get back to winning ways and keep up the challenge of securing a top six berth which is reality is beyond most people’s expectations for the season when it kicked off in August.
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