Jim Goodwin has challenged Dundee United to play with “no fear” against Rangers on Friday night, insisting the Scottish Premiership curtain-raiser at Tannadice is a chance for his side to “lay down a marker”.
The Tangerines host the Ibrox club in the Scottish Premiership season opener, live on Sky Sports, with Goodwin keen to see an immediate response after what he described as a disappointing end to last season.
“What they have got is very talented players within their squad but our approach to the game has got to be one of no fear,” Goodwin told Sky Sports News. “We’ve got to go and set the tone nice and early… it’s a really good opportunity for us to go and lay down a marker.”
Goodwin: Expecting familiar McInnes blueprint at Rangers
Friday’s match will be Derek McInnes’ first competitive game in charge of Rangers, but Goodwin says he is not expecting a tactical surprise from a coach he has faced repeatedly during spells in management in Scotland.
Goodwin told Sky Sports he has managed against McInnes’ teams “numerous times” and pointed to the consistency of the Rangers boss’ approach across previous jobs.
“Derek’s had great success at all of the clubs that he’s managed at playing a certain way,” Goodwin said. “I’m not expecting Rangers to be a great deal different from his Hearts team or even the way his Aberdeen team set up a few years ago.”
For United, that clarity cuts both ways. Rangers may be bedding in a new regime, but Goodwin’s view is that the fundamentals will remain: a strong structure, familiar patterns, and a squad he described as full of “very talented players”. United’s task, then, is not to wait for Rangers to show their hand, but to impose themselves early in front of their own supporters.
Nine signings and a clear target: top six, then Europe
Goodwin also confirmed the scale of United’s summer work, revealing the club have made nine signings as he aims to lift them from last season’s seventh-place finish.
The manager framed the campaign in two stages: first, secure a place in the top six as early as possible; then, turn that platform into a genuine push for European qualification.
“The objective at the start of any league campaign for a club like Dundee United is to try and secure top six as early as possible and then to try and give ourselves a chance of going and competing for those European places,” he said.
Goodwin also referenced a previous high point in his tenure, pointing to a season in which United finished fourth and enjoyed a European run—an experience he wants to replicate, not just for the squad but for a support he said travelled in big numbers.
“In my second season here, we enjoyed a fourth-place finish. We had a good run at it in Europe, we enjoyed the travelling and the support has certainly travelled in great numbers,” Goodwin added. “That’s what we’re hoping to try and achieve again this season.”
Last season’s outcome still appears to sting. Goodwin said seventh “was a disappointing finish”, arguing he believed his group had enough to make the top six but ultimately “fell a little bit short”. The emphasis now is on applying those lessons immediately—starting with a high-profile opener that offers both risk and opportunity.
Infographic-style match facts
Fixture: Dundee United vs Rangers
Competition: Scottish Premiership
Venue: Tannadice Park
Occasion: 2026/27 season opener
Rangers manager: Derek McInnes (first competitive match in charge)
Dundee United summer business: Nine signings (per Jim Goodwin)
Dundee United 2025/26 finish: 7th
Why Friday matters: a tone-setter for both teams
Season openers rarely define a campaign, but they can define the mood. For Dundee United, Goodwin is clearly treating the occasion as an early referendum on his rebuild: nine additions, a renewed push for the top six, and a home crowd to energise the message.
For Rangers, the spotlight is sharpened by the reality that this is McInnes’ first competitive outing in the job. Even if Goodwin expects a familiar approach, there will inevitably be scrutiny on how quickly Rangers’ talented squad translates a new manager’s ideas into points.
What happens next is straightforward: United get the chance to turn “no fear” into a measurable performance, while Rangers begin the league season with the pressure that comes with being Rangers—immediate results, immediate authority, immediate momentum.
Source: Sky Sports Football