Jim Goodwin defies Dundee Utd sack favourite status as no fear approach sees boss outlast rivals

The Tannadice boss was the pre-season favourite to be axed after promotion from the Championship

Top flight management is becoming more and more ruthless but Jim Goodwin insists you can’t work in fear of the sack.

The Irishman was favourite for the Premiership sack race at the start of the season but Craig Levein and Stevie Naismith have since become the first top-flight gaffers to lose their jobs. The Dundee United boss admitted he has every sympathy for Levein who was sacked by St Johnstone’s American owner Adam Webb last week.

Goodwin also recently won at Hearts and urged their board to stick by Naismith but their patience snapped after an eight-game winless run and he paid the price with his job at the weekend. Dundee United’s boss knows all about the pitfalls of management as he paid the price at Aberdeen. He has just led United back to the top-flight at the first time of asking but when the opening odds came out he was the bookmaker’s tip to be axed first.

“I think I was everybody’s favourite at one point,” Goodwin said. “It is part and parcel of the job.

“At the end of the day, you are two wins from being the hero and two from being the villain. We have to understand what we are trying to do here, in particular, at this club.

“I’ve a brilliant relationship with the owner and the rest of the board. They are all on-board with what we are trying to do. We’ve got a long way to go in the season and we need to keep trying to improve.

“You can’t work in fear of the sack coming. You have to believe in your ability and trust in what you do day in and day out and hope you get the results you need.”

Everything is scrutinised more now, through social media and fans having more of a say. Managerial stays are becoming shorter and shorter. Killie’s Derek McInnes and St Mirren’s Stephen Robinson are the longest-serving bosses with stints of just over two and a half years.

Goodwin is actually the fourth longest-serving boss in the top flight and he has been at the Tannadice helm for just over a year and a half. The likes of Philippe Clement, unbeaten Jimmy Thelin, Don Cowie and David Gray are all still to make their first year in the job.

Football is big business now. Goodwin knows you can talk about philosophies and long-term plans but the be all and end all is winning games. He said: “There’s a market there for everything. Every manager in a job, regardless of what league you are in or country, we all understand we need to get results and to win games of football.

“You can talk about style of play or this and that and the next thing but ultimately supporters pay good money to come and watch their team be successful, win games and go far in cup competitions.”

Goodwin was disappointed to see Levein go in Perth. He came in and kept them up last season but an underwhelming start this time saw the veteran boss pay the ultimate price. He said: “I like Craig and I have a decent relationship with him. I don’t speak to him regularly but I have had the odd WhatsApp exchange.

“I also had a good catch-up with him when we played last time around. Like any manager out there you are always disappointed to see one of your colleagues lose their job.

“There are new owners in at St Johnstone and they might have their own ideas on how they see the club going forward. Craig has been in the business long enough and knows results dictate. The change in personnel at the top of the club has led to that happening sooner.”

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