Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin believes his side can “cause Rangers problems” at Tannadice tomorrow night, insisting that the Tangerines will approach Danny Röhl’s Rangers team with aggression, bravery and no shortage of belief.
Speaking ahead of the match, Goodwin offered a detailed assessment of Rangers evolution under Röhl, while outlining how United intend to approach a fixture he believes is far from a foregone conclusion.
Goodwin, reflecting on the reverse meeting earlier in the season, noted how different Rangers look following Danny Röhl’s arrival.
He said “[Rangers play] a different style of football - I think the new manager, Röhl, has got a more pragmatic approach to the game compared to Russell Martin’s possession-based football.”
He highlighted one key change: Rangers being more willing to play forward earlier when pressed.
He said: “The players are now encouraged to go a little bit more direct at times when they feel that pressure from the opposition.”
Despite Rangers’ inconsistent run of form, Goodwin made clear that the Ibrox side remain a major threat.
He explained: “We know they’ve got good pace at the top end of the pitch and some very talented individuals within their squad.”
Even as he acknowledged Rangers have players missing, he emphasised respect: “They’re not on a particularly great run - but they do have some very, very good players within their ranks and we have to show them the respect they’re due.”
This is despite Rangers collecting 13 points from the 15 available since the German boss took control of the team.
Goodwin confirmed that United will not sit deep for 90 minutes. Instead, they will press high and look to disrupt Rangers’ rhythm.
“We’ll certainly be setting our stall out to try and win the game,” he revealed.
“We have to get that balance right between being aggressive in our press and showing bravery in possession,” he added.
Goodwin even referenced United’s previous performance at Ibrox, a 2-2 draw during Stevie Smith’s interim spell in charge, as a source of confidence.
He said: “We performed really well at Ibrox - we were 2–1 up with five minutes to go.
“We’ll take good confidence from that regardless of who the manager is.”
In short - United believe they’ve already shown they can unsettle Rangers.
Perhaps the most revealing line for Rangers supporters came when Goodwin was asked why teams seem more willing to attack Rangers this season.
His answer was blunt: “Teams are having a bit more of a go at Rangers because of their frailties at the back and because of the number of players out.”
Goodwin stopped short of suggesting Rangers are weak - but made clear that opponents no longer fear attacking them.
Still, he quickly tempered that assessment with a warning: “Confidence plays a big part but we have to be respectful because they have very good players.”
Goodwin’s closing remarks on Rangers were revealing in their confidence: “We know that we can cause them problems and we have to try and do that tomorrow night.”