JIM SPENCE: Dundee United fans have gone from talking about a squad rebuild AFTER a title win to having genuine promotion doubts

If Dundee United blow automatic promotion many of the current squad may not be at Tannadice next season.

Indeed, manager Jim Goodwin might also be looking for a new berth because fans currently disenchanted with the team’s performances will be unforgiving.

And that will give owner Mark Ogren serious food for thought.

I don’t think it will come to that.

But the manager has to sort the team out pronto, and his big name players have to step up their efforts to get them over the line in the title battle with Raith.

United’s wage budget blows the Starks Parks side’s out of the water and with that huge advantage should have put clear blue water between the team already.

Goodwin’s stewardship is under serious scrutiny from some supporters who have witnessed relegation, dismissal from cup competitions by lower league sides Spartans, Falkirk and Queen of the South, and seen just six wins in 13 home games with defeats by Morton, Raith and Airdrie, who have a fraction of United’s resources.

One criticism from fans is that the team are pedestrian to watch.

They lack intensity in their passing and build-up play, operate at too low a tempo and don’t have creativity to break down defences.

The talk a few weeks ago was whether major rebuilding would be required when they won promotion.

Now their worry is whether they will win promotion at all after the recent lacklustre performances.

I was at Dens Park in 1971 when a decent Dundee side was hammered 8-1 by Celtic.

I was also there when the relegation-bound Dark Blues thumped the Hoops 5-1 in 1980.

So football, as the famous Jimmy Greaves once said, is a funny old game.

In the wake of their midweek 7-1 mauling at Parkhead, Dundee, despite their dire defending on the night, must not allow that result to knock them out of their stride.

Tony Docherty knew his side needed to be cuter defensively with the soft goals they have been conceding but that doesn’t detract from the all round fine work they have exhibited this season.

It would be great if the rest of Scottish football could seriously compete with the two Glasgow giants but the brutal economic realities are that they have far superior players.

Aggravating though it is, results against either half of them have to be discarded from players’ minds.  

St Johnstone needed their win in Aberdeen like a man lost in the desert needs water.

Saints’ well had run dry and, amid real relegation fears, the 2-0 victory was a huge boost.

Now they must repeat the performance against Livingston to ease their basement battle worries.

Their set-up worked very well at Pittodrie, with the Dons’ wide threat nullified and Saints showing much-improved movement in midfield and on the flanks.

Its taken time for Craig Levein to find the system best suited to staff at his disposal.

But, with the players showing the right desire and spirit, the Pittodrie win must be capitalised on to create against Livingston an unbridgeable gap for the bottom side, and pile pressure on second bottom Ross County.

Liverpool’s cup win last week, with almost half the squad coming from the youth system, pointed out how well grounded and managed the young players are at the club.

Each morning the players are given tasks before training; there is a maximum wage of £50,000 a year – still nice work if you can get it but nowhere near the sums that can throw a lot of young footballers off kilter in life.

Mobile phones aren’t permitted during the working day and they are not allowed cars with an engine bigger than 1300cc, nipping in the bud any dangerous rallying instincts that teenagers might have.

Jurgen Klopp’s success in rearing the next generation of Anfield greats is worthy of close attention by clubs everywhere.

Keeping young players grounded produces mature and rounded individuals who know the value of hard graft and an honest approach to their tradecraft.