Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin fumes at ‘completely unacceptable performance’

Raging Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin branded his side’s performance in their 3-0 defeat to Falkirk “completely unacceptable” and “embarrassing”.

John McGlynn’s brilliant Bairns battered the Terrors at Tannadice and were worthy winners, with strikes from Calvin Miller and Brian Graham either side of an inexplicable own goal from goalkeeper Yevhenii Kucherenko.

A furious Goodwin insisted no-one’s place in his team was safe for next week’s game at Kilmarnock.

Goodwin said: “The manner of the goals we’ve conceded today are quite embarrassing at the level we’re playing at.

“I’m not going to get into that now at this moment in time, with emotions as raw as they are, but nobody’s position in the team is guaranteed.

“Everybody has to perform consistently well and we have to stop making these individual errors.

“When you look at the goals we’ve lost and the type of goals we’ve lost, you could probably point your finger at 75 per cent of them and say there’s a few individual errors there.

“It’s something we will sit down and talk about next week then make a decision nearer to the Kilmarnock game with regards to what the team selection looks like.

“The hard bit is, when you keep going behind in games you almost have to have a plan B and change things.

“To have to do that so early in the game, after just three minutes, because we’re set up to be a counter-attacking team using the pace at the top end of the pitch.

“But when you concede a goal like we did in the first three minutes it becomes very, very difficult.

“It was a completely unacceptable performance from us from start to finish.”

Kucherenko cut a forlorn figure at the final whistle after punching a corner into his own net, but Goodwin insisted everyone at the club would rally round him.

The Irishman added: “He’s a strong character and playing in that position, when you make a mistake it’s highlighted even more so than an outfield player.

“As a manager, group of staff and team-mates we will get round him and try to help him at this time.”

Bairns boss John McGlynn was full of praise for his side.

He said: “I’d have to say this is the best performance of the season from us.

“It’s not like we have scraped over the line with our backs to the wall.

“It was well-deserved, it was outstanding from start to finish.

“We started on the front foot and created opportunity after opportunity.

“It was the most complete performance, we were outstanding against Kilmarnock in the first half a few weeks ago, but in the second half they scored and it could have been edgy.

“But today it was complete.

“We defended well and were a threat, so it was all round our best performance of the season.”