Dundee United must live up to the increased level of expectation sparked by their strong campaign to date, admits Jim Goodwin.
After coming up from the Championship, the Tangerines began the campaign with the intention of simply cementing their place in the top flight.
However, with four games to go until the split, they are in the top six and in contention for a European place.
That, admits their manager, has changed the picture at Tannadice.
And ahead of a huge weekend derby clash, Goodwin accepts that United fans are now hoping for a glory campaign.
““I think we’re in a good place mentally as a group,” he said.
“We’ve come through some difficult periods and are still in contention for those European places, which, I think, for a newly promoted team, is very positive.
“The natural instinct of people is that they get greedy. I think it’s just human nature.
“I think people at the beginning of the season, Dundee United supporters would have been delighted if we’d just stayed in the league, because that’s the obvious goal for a newly promoted team.
“That level of expectation changes as the season progresses and we’ve got to live up to that now.”
Asked if he too was getting “greedy” as United boss, Goodwin said: “As a manager, you always are. You always want more. I think that’s the bottom line.
“I do need to be pragmatic at times as well and be realistic about the situation.
“A number of this group that’s here with us now came up with us from last season in the Championship and have done ever so well.
“We’ve put ourselves in a great position.
“Sometimes you’ve got to take a step back and think if you could have offered us the position that we’re in right now, with four games to go before the split, I’m not sure there’s too many people out there that would have said we’d be in the position we’re in.
“We’ve got to be pleased with what we’ve done up to now, but understanding of the fact that we haven’t achieved anything yet.”
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