Jim Goodwin silences Celtic supporting friends as Dundee United boss details key factors in battling draw

Jim Goodwin provided Dundee United fans with some pre-Christmas cheer - after silencing his Celtic supporting family and friends in the away end at Tannadice.

The Waterford man saw his side battle to a scoreless draw with the Scottish champions that consolidates fifth spot for the Tangerines and means they have now drawn with both Celtic and Rangers this season. And the manager insists nobody should use Celtic missing stars including Nicolas Kuhn and Cameron Carter-Vickers as an excuse for the Hoops drawing a blank, reports The Daily Record.

Goodwin - who came through the ranks at Parkhead two decades ago - said: “Listen, there was probably far too many people connected to me in the opposition end so I'm glad that my phone is not going to be buzzing with people having a pop because they managed to trounce us.

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“The pleasing thing for us is that we can go and enjoy Christmas now, off the back of a really positive result. The supporters were outstanding again today, great numbers here to get behind the team and hopefully they can enjoy their Christmas as well.

“The strength and depth that Celtic have got, it's quite remarkable in terms of the like-for-like changes that they can make. I know guys in the media and pundits and that will talk about the players that Celtic were missing, and we'll talk about the conditions.

“No doubt those two things possibly played a part, but we're missing players of our own. We had to play in the same conditions as they did today. I think our players deserve a huge amount of credit for what they put into it.”

Goodwin admitted the six added minutes felt like a lifetime as Jack Walton denied Arne Engels and United were forced to defend their box. But he said: “They're champions for a reason. They keep going right until the final whistle. I was disappointed to see six minutes going up at the end.

“It felt like an eternity trying to get through that particular period. Obviously, the changes that Brendan is making as well, real quality players in Palma and Engels and Bernardo and Idah going on to support Kyogo at the top end.

“You've just got to really compliment the players for their concentration levels throughout, because there was a lot of cramp setting in, a lot of fatigue. They put their bodies on the line.

“There was a couple of goalmouth scrambles at the end. We did actually have a couple of half chances ourselves in that second half as well, so we could have possibly nicked a 1-0 win.

“I’m not saying it would have been justified, but had the break of the ball fallen a little bit kinder to us in and around the Celtic goal, then you just never know. But we would have taken this before the game.”

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