Well that’s been a roller coaster of a couple of years. From the high of AZ Alkmaar at Tannadice and the rich promise it tantalised to the abject mediocrity of Poppadom against Stevie May (amongst others) and the subsequent disastrous relegation to the recovery this season. In many ways it feels like it’s flown by, particularly this season. That opening game against Arbroath feels like only yesterday somehow.
It’s had it’s ups and at times it’s definitely had it’s downs, but overall you have to give this season a solid 8 out of 10. The points haul is high, the goals scored is high, the goals against is low and to get up in one season has to be given enormous credit given the carnage that was left behind following last season. Were it not for Raith Rovers we would have won this league by 10 points plus easy but the simple fact is that we couldn’t do anything about them acquiring a points total which would have won the league for both the previous seasons. That in itself put extra pressure on a team and management which already had huge pressure on it to deliver. And that pressure wasn’t just sporting in nature. As we all fully well know, the financial consequences of failing to do a one-er were too much to contemplate and it’s hard to imagine any other Club in the division operating under that sort of burden. So massive credit where it’s due - when it mattered, really mattered, they delivered and got us over the line.
In that sense, and yes he has (and still has) his critics, but Goodwin has to get enormous plaudits. What happened last season happened and in many ways he was starting the season off already labelled as a loser so to have got the job done is highly commendable. Remember that this season he has not had anywhere near the resources of his immediate predecessors. Analytical, scouting, recruitment teams all slashed to the core or gone completely for reasons of financial necessity so it’s been all on him. Literally. I can only imagine the strain he must have been under over the last year. ‘Loser’, ‘Rattled’, ‘Bottler’ - he’s been labelled the lot at times. Combine this with the fact that his Assistant Manager was dealing with the tragic illness and ultimately untimely passing of his spouse then the strain must have been enormous. With that in mind, I think that’s where Raith’s social media spilled over completely unnecessarily and distastefully - one of his best mate’s wife is dying and they’re coming out with schite about ‘sliding’ and ‘rattled’. Yep, I think it’s fair to say he’ll take satisfaction from this but of course wish none of it had happened at all.
Key points this season -
1. Keeping a ‘core’ from the previous season. In 2016 there was a mass clear out which did us no benefit whatsoever. Chucking the baby out with the bath water helps no one and keeping the likes of McMann, Graham, Sibbald, Watt, Middleton and adding to it was so important. Continuity is important.
2. Bar Watt ( and of course the Aussie Imposter), the clearance of the previous wage bill I thought was remarkable and critical. Relegation is a financial disaster but the dealings 12 months ago, combined with continued high season ticket sales, high attendances and of course the total bonus of the Harry Souttar money may keep losses to the minimal we can get away with.
3. Thrashing Arbroath first time out - this was massive. It set the tone, put a signal out to the rest of the League that we meant business but also, critically got the punters onside quickly after the previous season’s disaster. If there’d been any phuck ups in that one, it could have got ugly. And quickly.
4. Recruitment has been spot on. The only one that really went wrong was Denholm but obviously that was identified quickly with firstly Gallagher coming in, then McClelland in the January. And the thing is it had to be spot on. The financials meant there was no room for error whatsoever. If even another one of the new recruits had failed I think we were rubber ducked. This is where Goodwin has to get massive credit. As above, it’s been him and ALL on him. The recruitment and scouting teams had been slashed - he had to get it right. And of course, now we’re sitting where we are, he clearly did.
Has it been all plain sailing? No, of course not. There have been two particular occasions where I genuinely thought we might not do this. Raith at home, but particularly Dunfermline away. We dodged a bullet with that last one. But given how they responded after that you have to give them credit ultimately. However, over the piece they were given one job and one job only. And they’ve done it.
Next season is obviously a completely different ball game again but right this minute that’s for then. For at least a short time we should all enjoy this and once again stepping up to the plate as support - we really have been magnificent in terms of numbers and backing both home and away. Absolutely tremendous stuff.
But one final point - much as Friday was ‘enjoyable’ please United from next season onward and each one thereafter can we not have a repeat of having to win the Championship? We’d really appreciate it.
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