Louis Moult has paid tribute to the man management of Jim Goodwin following a heart to heart with the Dundee United boss prior to his double against Arbroath.
The 31-year-old had endured a maddening spell in front of goal, going eight matches without rippling the net – and he concedes that he was feeling the frustration.
However, Goodwin was quick to put his mind at ease, assuring Moult that he remains a pivotal cog in the Tangerine machine, regardless of whether his name is on the score-sheet.
And Moult repaid his gaffer’s faith on Tuesday evening, scoring twice as the Lichties were swept aside 3-0.
He said: “I’d be lying if I said it (goal drought) wasn’t playing on my mind. It was. You only need to ask my missus. I’ve been a bit ratty with her, a bit short!
“But the gaffer spoke to me last week and again on Monday and said: “Look keep your head; you are massive for us and really important to the way we play”.
“He told me he had no doubt in his mind that the goals would come – and they did against Arbroath.
“Having a manager that has that level of confidence in you is exactly what I needed. It was a big part of me coming back up the road.”
Moult added: “When you are out there, you need to think to yourself “keep believing, keep believing”. That’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot over the last few days, since I spoke to the gaffer.
“I told myself to stop feeling down in the dumps. I’m very lucky to be in this position as a footballer and a human being and I need to keep my head up.”
Vocal support
And the support of the United fans has been a constant source of motivation, with his name – to the tune of Spandau Ballet’s Gold – sung in every match.
He let out a cathartic roar towards the 3,200 travelling Arabs after scoring his second of the game against Arbroath, at the packed Pleasureland end.
🎶 "Always believe in…"
Louis Moult taking his tally to 8⃣ league goals#cinchChamp | @dundeeunitedfc pic.twitter.com/k3FWNeVoE6
— SPFL (@spfl) January 3, 2024
“In the last game (against Partick Thistle) I got in behind the defence and hit one over the bar,” recalled Moult. “And soon as I did, they started singing my song. That really hit home with me.
“The supporters were great again at Arbroath; sold their allocation out and got right behind us all day.”
Despite the discourse surrounding his recent barren run, it should be noted that Moult is now on double-figures for the season – a feat he has not achieved since 2017/18.
He continued: “As a striker you always want to get to double figures as quickly as possible. I wanted to do it before Christmas or the New Year – but I wasn’t too far behind my target!”
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