Give Jim Goodwin time and he can establish Dundee United in top flight again

Jim Goodwin can establish Dundee United as a force in the Premiership once more if he is given time to do so, according to former Tannadice striker, Billy Dodds.

Dodds was delighted to see Goodwin steer his old club to promotion from The Championship over the weekend, particularly as he had come in for some criticism over the course of the campaign as his side toiled to shake off the challenge of Raith Rovers at the top of the table.

They eventually got over the line comfortably, bouncing back to the top flight at the first time of asking, and Dodds believes Goodwin can now stabilise United and keep them where he believes they belong, rebuilding his reputation – which took a bit of a battering after his firing as Aberdeen manager – in the process.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for Jim, I’m delighted for him,” Dodds said.

“I’ve got a lot of time for him.

“When I was in the game myself, we picked up the phone regularly to each other.

“It’s a brilliant chance for him to show that what happened at Aberdeen was a one-off.

“In the Championship, with a club like Dundee United, you just need to get the job done. It’s such a hard league.

READ MORE: Jim Goodwin wants Dundee United to win Championship title 'in style'

“You look across the city at Dundee and the way they have really pushed on and stabilised after winning promotion.

“It’ll be important for Jim to make sure Dundee United stay in the league first and foremost next season. If you can do that, you can then start looking to push on towards mid-table and the top six.

“I’m trying to be realistic with Dundee United. You can’t just click your fingers and expect everything to happen too quickly.

“Jim has shown he’s a good manager by winning the league. But most people will obviously judge him by what they do in the Premiership.

“In terms of what happened at Aberdeen, he’ll take that on the chin. He’s a good manager. He was brilliant at St Mirren, never happened for him at Aberdeen, but he’s got Dundee United back into the top league again and it’s about stability next season.

“Patience is a word that gets thrown around at times. With fans, it’s win or lose. You’re either hated or you’re loved. That’s just the way it is. Management can be a tough gig. It’s that policy of hire-and-fire now which we see all the time.

“That never used to be the case in Scottish football, but it’s getting like that now.”

Dodds believes that the bruising experience Goodwin went through at Pittodrie before taking the reins at Tannadice shouldn’t define him, particularly given the way that Aberdeen have gone through bosses over the past few seasons, and he hopes that the United hierarchy will want to avoid gaining a similar reputation.

“It’s not good when a club is turning over managers,” he said.

“It shows you what can happen when you don’t have the right man in place and you need to keep turning things over. Jim has done well to rebuild things for himself on the back of that.

“I’ve been out the game now for six months. You can lose your profile quite quickly as a manager. Jim would have been grateful for Dundee United giving him the opportunity again fairly quickly.

“Derek [McInnes] actually got a bit of stick at Kilmarnock when they were in the Championship. It wasn’t always straightforward. Now look at them. They have been flying this season.”

Another team who have been flying this season reside across the road from Goodwin’s United, with Tony Docherty steering city rivals Dundee into the top six in the Premiership.

Dodds is looking forward to seeing the old foes lock horns again in the top division, saying that the restoration of regular hostilities between the pair is a fillip for both the city and the league.

“It’s good all round,” he said.

“It’s the old cliche, but you need your biggest clubs, your biggest rivals, you get plenty of derbies and it is only going to enhance the league.

READ MORE: Dundee Utd 2 Raith Rovers 0: Massive win in title race

“It’s brilliant for my old club to get up. It’s been a long struggle and you have tended to find that in the last couple of years with being in the Championship.

“Every city will benefit, especially if there is a derby and it thrives. A lot of cities, one side of the divide will want the other side to stay down, but I think the realistic ones realise the importance of having both if you are a two-club city.”

Billy Dodds was speaking at The Kris Boyd Charity Golf Day Trump Turnberry. Kris has been raising awareness of Mental Health and funds to help people in need for seven years.