Jim Goodwin says his Dundee United team will be in and around the European spots come May if they continue their excellent start to the season.
The newly-promoted side delivered a stunning stoppage time winner against Aberdeen on Sunday to snatch all three points in the New Firm derby.
Kevin Holt’s 94th-minute header was the difference in the end as United moved to within three points of the Dons and five off Rangers.
Goodwin spoke to Premier Sports after the clash and hailed his squad for always being able to carry out the instructions needed to win games of football, while also praising match-winner Holt.
Jim Goodwin hails Dundee United and Kevin Holt
The Dundee United manager said: “One thing about this group of players, I just said to them in the dressing room, it’s so easy for me as a manager and my analysts to sit down and analyse opposition and come up with a system, a game plan and a formation that we think works.
“The hard part is for the players to carry out those instructions. And it doesn’t matter what system or instructions I give them, they just carry the message out to a tee.
“To win it in the fashion we did, Kevin Holt was outstanding all day and I know he got man of the match.
“But his desire to get on the end of that throw, to win it like that in that moment of the game, it’s just absolutely magnificent.”
Goodwin eyes European qualification
United are now four points clear in fourth spot with a game in hand over fifth-placed St Mirren and consistency now is key for them, says Goodwin.
He said: “Well if we have as good a second-half to the campaign as what we’ve had to the first half, then we’ll be right up there competing for these European spaces.
“But we don’t to get carried away. You can see how congested the league is now with a lot of teams below us picking up points – it’s a very competitive league.
“We’ll enjoy the moment but we certainly won’t allow us to get too far ahead of ourselves. We focus on the next one now which is the derby game and we’ll march up that street with our chests out with pride ready to go to battle.”