Jim Goodwin urges Dundee United to keep showing commitment

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin will brush off his frustration over Sunday’s late defeat by Hearts and bid to ensure his players keep the fans behind them during one of the biggest recent games at Tannadice.

Goodwin was disappointed with the manner of his side’s first defeat of the season after conceding from a penalty and two set-pieces in a 3-2 reverse by Hearts in the William Hill Premiership.

But there is no time to dwell on disappointment as United get set to host Rapid Vienna in the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round on Thursday after securing a 2-2 draw in Austria in the first leg.

United are without the likes of Ross Graham, Kristijan Trapanovski and Ryan Strain through injury but Goodwin hopes to have Max Watters back from illness to face Rapid and will have Will Ferry back from suspension.

And he expects a full Tannadice to be right behind his players.

“The supporters in Vienna were incredible,” he told DUTV. “There weren’t many empty seats in the stadium (on Sunday).

“The supporters are with us and it’s important that us as a group we keep them with us throughout the course of the campaign, by showing the level of commitment that we showed (on Sunday) and on Thursday in Vienna.

“That’s all I think supporters ever want to see from their team. Thursday night will be no different.

“We have to work hard behind the scenes now to make sure that we get the boys recovered in time.

“It’s not going to be a great change to the squad that we have just now, I don’t think. Obviously, Watters hopefully will come back into it and Ferry will come back into it. But the longer-term ones, that’s going to remain the same.

“We have to work hard on the players. They’re all really excited and looking forward to the game, obviously.”

Goodwin added: “We know it’s going to be a sell-out. It’s got the opportunity to be a fantastic occasion for this club, one of the biggest games in the last probably 20 years.

“We have to make sure that we stand up and be counted. We have to take lots of hope and encouragement from the performance on Thursday night.”

Upsetting the odds against Rapid, who reached the quarter-finals of the competition last season, would put United into the play-offs to face either AIK Stockholm or ETO Gyor. The Swedes are 2-1 ahead on aggregate going into Thursday’s second leg in Hungary.