Dundee United Manager Jim Goodwin spoke to the broadcast media to preview our William Hill Premiership clash with Celtic on Matchday 34.

The boss discussed delaying the Hoops' title celebrations, flying under the radar, maintaining motivation and eyeing European adventures! 

ON PREVENTING CELTIC’S TITLE PARTY

We’re very determined to put on a good performance and try to get another positive result. We're coming into the game off the back of three really good, important victories and three clean sheets. The defensive structure and solidity that we've had in the previous three games is going to be called into question on Saturday against real quality opposition. 

Celtic have shown in the last couple of fixtures, after the disappointment of the performance against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park, that they’ve really bounced back. Brendan Rodgers has made a few changes to the starting XI and those players have grabbed their opportunity. You saw that with their high-scoring victories against St Johnstone and Kilmarnock in the last couple of games. 

ON THE MEDIA’S FOCUS BEING ON OUR OPPOSITION 

It's only natural that, in the build-up to this game, given what's at stake for Celtic, you would imagine all of the press attention will be on them. But it's our job as the opposition to try and make life as difficult as possible. If that means trying to delay those celebrations for the Celtic fans by another week, then we would be absolutely delighted with that. 

Our last game against Celtic at Tannadice was a really positive performance from us where we were able to take a really valuable point, so we have to maintain the high standards that we've shown recently.

ON HIBERNIAN AND ABERDEEN FACING OFF GIVING US THE CHANCE TO GAIN GROUND

Something's got to give at Pittodrie - there's going to be points dropped by one of the two teams and we've got to try and capitalise on it. We understand that we're going to be huge underdogs going into the game, but teams have proven already that if you get your tactics right on the day, if you defend properly and you take those one or two opportunities that you get, then you can cause an upset. That's what we're aiming to do.

ON CELTIC’S DOMINANCE AND THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE TOP-FLIGHT

The league as a whole has been really exciting and competitive from second place down to bottom of the table. There's still so much at stake for everyone, even the fight there for the top six, three or four teams were going for it right down to the last day before the split and you can see what's happening at the bottom of the league.

Of course, we want it to be more competitive at the top end as well, but that's a difficult one to balance for clubs like ourselves, given the financial resources that the likes of Celtic and Rangers have got.

It does, unfortunately, come down to that a lot of the time. So unless they can change the prize money a little bit and teams like ourselves, Hibs, Hearts and Aberdeen can start qualifying for Europe on a regular basis, then that's the only time we're going to be able to compete. 

It would certainly make it a far more exciting league if it was more competitive at the top end. If you take Celtic and Rangers out of the Premiership right now, it's really tight from third place right down to sixth or seventh at the moment, so that would be a hell of a title challenge. But look, it's not where our focus is right now. Short-term, medium-term and long-term, our focus is on trying to make sure that we become a regular top-six team, then a regular European team - then we'll see what happens after that. 

ON THE PRESSURE BEING OFF GIVEN TOP SIX HAS BEEN ACHIEVED

I don't accept that, to be honest. I've been trying to make sure that the players don't have that kind of mindset going into the last five games either. Of course, there was a sigh of relief when the top-six was secured, but at no stage have we taken our foot off the pedal and relaxed in training. The guys aren't getting any extra days off either! 

There are still five huge games with a lot of points at stake. The five teams that we're going to face in these last few weeks are all teams that we've had relative success against in the past. We've taken points off every one of them over the course of the campaign, and we have to believe that we're capable of doing that in the next five fixtures.

We're not just satisfied with the position that we're in right now - fifth place is not guaranteed. St Mirren have had a great few weeks and got themselves into the top six, they'll believe that they can catch us. On the flip side we have to believe that we're capable of catching Hibs above us. 

ON LOUIS MOULT AND DECLAN GALLAGHER’S TIME AT TANNADICE APPROACHING IT’S CONCLUSION

 

It's the not-so-enjoyable part of being the manager, when you've got to make those difficult decisions on players' futures, but I can't speak any higher of them in terms of what they've done for Dundee United over the last couple of seasons. They’ve been hugely influential figures over the last couple of seasons in helping us get promoted back into the Premiership, then playing a considerable part in putting us in the position that we're in right now.

Those decisions are not taken lightly, there's a lot weighed up and there's always an argument about when you break the news to the players. Some people think you should wait until the end of the season, but personally I don't think that's fair to those players. They've got wives, kids and mortgages just like the rest of us, and I think you've got to be fair to the lads by giving them enough time to try and sort out their futures at other clubs. 

They're on board with what we have to do over the next five weeks. They've been extremely professional since we've had those conversations, and they both want to play a part in the next five fixtures. They want to leave Dundee United with their head held high, and I know they'll leave with the greatest of respect from the supporters and all the staff here as well. 

ON JACK WALTON’S LONG-TERM FUTURE

Jack's a terrific goalkeeper - he's had another brilliant season. We've had 12 clean sheets this season in the Premiership, and Jack has played a huge part in that. The guys in front of him have contributed, but Jack's made some big saves at key moments.

That's not one that we're in control of, unfortunately, because Luton Town have got the option to keep Jack for next season , but he knows my thoughts on him. He's also still got room for improvement, working closely with Paul Mathers, Dave Richards and the guys in that department. 

He's been a really influential figure for us. Of course, you want to hold on to your better players and Jack is certainly one of those, but it's not one that we've got control of at this moment in time. 

ON TEAM NEWS

It’s just the usual at this time of season. There are lads carrying knocks and niggles, but we’re just trying to get them through the next five weeks. We’re modifying one or two training sessions for a few, just to make sure that they're available for the big games. We're relatively strong going into the game at the weekend, but Ross Graham, unfortunately, will miss out. Other than that, we should have a clear bill of health. 

ON THE POTENTIAL OF EUROPEAN FOOTBALL AFFECTING RECRUITMENT PLANS

I can't imagine I'm too different to any other manager out there. You try and plan and prepare well in advance of the transfer window opening. There's a lot of players out of contract and, as of January, we've been allowed to speak to those players.

There are conversations ongoing with numerous players and agents at the moment. That's my job as the manager, to try and continue to drive the club forward, not to stand still. It's something that we've been working tirelessly on. We have the change in the recruitment department with our Head of Recruitment, Michael Cairney, leaving to go back to England, but we're well down the line in terms of finding a replacement for him. 

My job on a daily basis is to look at players, see who's becoming available and identify good targets. 

ON SETTING THE TONE FOR THE POST-SPLIT FIXTURES WITH A POSITIVE RESULT

The message to the players and to the staff has been that we don't drop our standards over the next five weeks. Players are playing for a number of different things, whether that's contracts here or contracts elsewhere and there’s going to be international squads announced in the summer. 

We've also got a huge amount of fans that come to Tannadice to watch us and travel on the road with us, and they pay a lot of money to come and see their team. We owe it to them to keep going, to keep fighting and to put on a performance. 

In the next five games, anything can happen - I think that's the beauty of the split. You see

teams going on fantastic runs with four or five games to go, and it can really make an impact on the league table. We have to believe that we're capable of beating all five teams in the top half of the table. 

ON CONTINENTAL AMBITIONS HELPING FOCUS THE PLAYERS

There's a number of our players within the squad and a number of members of the staff, myself included, that have never experienced European football at club level - that is an added incentive for the group. 

We don't think for one moment that we've guaranteed it yet. There is a healthy points difference between ourselves and St Mirren at the moment but with the form that St Mirren are in and some of their results and performances against teams in the top half, I know Steven Robinson and his players certainly won't give up the fight.

If we could finish in fifth, I think that would be a fantastic achievement but we're not satisfied with that. We want to try and get third and we're still very much in the fight for that.

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