Jim Goodwin: European experiences are driving Dundee United’s league form

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin claims their European experiences are already driving their league form.

United pulled off an impressive result in Austria on Thursday to take Rapid Vienna back to Tannadice for the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round second leg next Thursday with the score at 2-2.

Goodwin’s side will have to summon the energy to take on in-form Hearts in the William Hill Premiership on Sunday but they have been motivated by the enjoyment of their victories over UNA Strassen and their night in Vienna.

Goodwin told DUTV: “I loved the atmosphere all night. I thought the Rapid Vienna fans were terrific, but equally I thought our own supporters were outstanding, even in the warm-up.

“The players came in after the warm-up with a real buzz of excitement and they were desperate to go and put a performance on for all of those guys who have spent a fortune to come and watch us the last couple of weeks.

“I loved it. I really did. It’s where you want to be as a manager, competing at these kind of levels.

“It’s been hard work to get here, a lot of hard work last season, which has given us the reward to go and play on nights like that.

“It’s a great experience for the group and I think once you do experience it for that first time, it makes you even more desperate to make sure that you get the opportunity to do it again next season.”

Goodwin started with eight summer signings and a ninth, Ivan Dolcek, came on in the 18th minute following an injury to Isaac Pappoe.

“We’re all still getting to know each other,” said Goodwin, who saw strikers Max Watters and Zac Sapsford both hit their second goals for the club.

“You don’t really know the characters of the players deep down yet, but I thought I found out a lot about that group.

“When the going got tough, when we went behind for the second time, I think it’s very easy for that game to get away from us.

“It can become three and four-one, but testament to the boys, lots of leaders in the group, lots of big characters and those types of things are non-negotiables for me as a manager, for my backroom team as well.

“We can accept bad performances, we can accept mistakes in games, but we’ll never accept a player representing this club that’s going to throw in the towel and not give everything for it.

“I thought we saw that in abundance from the starting XI, from all the substitutes that came on. A real collective effort.

“It was just real guts and determination that got us the positive result to take home with us.”

Pappoe was struggling with mobility in his knee – while being carried off on a stretcher – and Goodwin fears he may be facing another lengthy lay-off following previous blows for Ross Graham, Ryan Strain and Kristijan Trapanovski.

“It doesn’t look great,” he said. “Anytime a player needs to go off on a stretcher, obviously you fear the worst, but I’m not going to jump the gun.

“We have to organise a scan and then we’ll see what the specialists and the surgeons say about it. Hopefully it’s not as bad as first feared, but it doesn’t look great.”