'Goodwin more than worthy of manager of the year shout'

[ASFN Admin]

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[BBC]

I touched on this a week or so ago, but it feels pertinent to revisit Jim Goodwin's manager of the year credentials once again.

Whatever else Dundee United achieve this season, one thing we now know for sure is they have overachieved.

First of all, after spending last season in the Scottish Championship, survival was the main objective. Mission accomplished.

The next aim was securing top six. Mission accomplished.

Now it is securing European football - and chasing down third spot - and while it remains to be seen how they get on with that, they are very well placed in fourth.

All of the above reinforce the manager of the year argument in Goodwin's favour - and if they go on and turn their continental dream into reality, the case becomes even more compelling.

But there are two other elements worthy of note.

After finishing top of the Championship pile, Goodwin had to rebuild his squad last summer to put one together capable of holding its own in the top flight.

But what he has actually done is assemble one that is challenging among the big boys in the big league.

He has also managed to do this against a backdrop of having to cut his cloth accordingly, which perhaps makes an already impressive job even more so.

And then we come to the bigger picture. It would have been so easy for Goodwin to take some time away from the game after a scarring end to his time in charge at Aberdeen.

But he didn't. He took the United job and tackled it head on - and that courage and self determination is being rewarded on the park.

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[BBC]

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