Goodwin laments missed chances despite Dundee United's Conference League win
Zac Sapsford scored a debut goal early in the second half of the match at Tannadice but failure to add to his goal means Goodwin accepts it's 'still very much game on' for the return game in Luxembourg next week.
United have been busy in the market this summer and have seven debutants, and the manager took positives from how they were cohesive defensively, but he still feels they have plenty of improvement in them.
'My instant thought is that obviously we're pleased with the clean sheet and that we scored a really good goal,' the United manager said.
'Saps showed a bit of individual quality with a fantastic turn to create the space and then a wonderful strike.
'I think there's certain elements that we need to do better. We turned over possession far too cheaply at times tonight, which led to some counter-attacks for the opposition.
'I thought defensively we were very, very good but certainly there's moments in the game where we need to improve.
'When we did move the ball quickly and found good pockets of space, I thought we looked a threat and looked dangerous. But we've left a couple of goals out there at least.
'I would rather be sitting here with a 3-0 advantage but as it stands at 1-0 it's still very much game on.'
Goodwin said that it was still 'early days' with a new-look squad and that they would aim to cut out what he saw as sloppiness in possession and a failure to move the ball quickly. He sees plenty to work on ahead of the second leg but said that there had been a little adjustment for his team to make as they moved into competitive games.
'It's obviously been the first chance for the players to play in front of near enough a full house here at Tannadice,' he said. 'We've had a terrific pre-season and played some good football in all of the games that we've been involved in but there's a real difference between friendlies and competitive football.
'There's that little bit more pressure.
'We'll learn from tonight's fixture.
'I don't mean to sound all doom and gloom. I'm just disappointed we didn't make the tie a little bit more comfortable for ourselves by taking one or two more of those good chances that we created.'
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Ruben Amorim given unlikely boost to solve Man Utd issue after private transfer talks
Manchester United are considering signing a new goalkeeper before the end of the summer transfer window and their chances of getting one of the world's best have just increased Manchester United are weighing up a move for Gianluigi Donnarumma after Paris Saint-Germain agreed a £34.9million deal to sign a new goalkeeper. Donnarumma, 26, has seen his future plunged into uncertainty after failing to agree a new contract. The Italy international's current deal with PSG expires next summer and the European champions don't want to lose him for nothing. Luis Enrique's side will therefore listen to offers for Donnarumma after striking an agreement with Lille to sign Lucas Chevalier. PSG's move could spring United into action, with Ruben Amorim keen on a new goalkeeper of his own. The Red Devils are understood to be interested in Royal Antwerp's Senne Lammens, who'd provide competition for Andre Onana. Although Onana has no plans to leave Old Trafford, the Cameroonian's form has been an issue for Amorim. The United manager even took the 29-year-old out of the firing line towards the end of last season after a string of mistakes. But instead of signing an up-and-coming shot-stopper like Lammens, the vastly experienced Donnarumma could be an option after privately discussing a move to England with his Italy team-mates. French outlet L'Equipe report that as PSG prepare to welcome Chevalier, both United and rivals Manchester City have registered their interest in Donnarumma. Chelsea have also been linked with a move while Galatasaray are said to have gone a step further by making a formal approach. It'd be a surprise if City put their hat in the ring after they struck a £27m deal with Burnley to re-sign James Trafford. The topic of Donnarumma's future was bubbling under the surface as the ex-AC Milan wonderkid helped PSG finally get their hands on the Champions League in May. As recently as last month, Donnarumma confirmed that it was his priority to stay in Paris. "My priority is to stay at PSG, I don't think there will be any problems in the negotiations," Donnarumma told Sky Italia on June 9. "We're a great team." Should Manchester United bid for Gianluigi Donnarumma? Have your say in the comments section. Napoli have also been linked with Donnarumma but his agent, Enzo Raiola - cousin of the late super agent, Mino - dismissed the speculation by labelling it 'pure fantasy'. "I've an excellent relationship with Director Giovanni Manna at [Napoli], but we've never discussed Gigio," Raiola told Radio CRC via Calciomercato. "He feels good in Paris, we're at the European champion club, so we have no complaints. We are working on a renewal. I have never ruled out interest from the top Italian clubs, but there has never been a negotiation, let's see. "He is still young, I have to squeeze him for at least another 10 years. At the moment, however, it is very difficult to see Donnarumma in the Italian championship, I'm not just talking about numbers but also about the sporting project. "In Italy, beyond Inter who reached the Champions League final, there are Milan and Juventus who are struggling, they are in the process of reorganising: these factors are fundamental."
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd transfer news: Red Devils on ‘alert' for major hijack as bombshell move made
Manchester United have already spent heavily this summer but the Red Devils' work in the transfer market looks far from finished with deals for Gianluigi Donnarumma and Idrissa Gueye Manchester United have spent heavily this summer as Ruben Amorim attempts to get the side back on track. Matheus Cunha became the Red Devils' first summer signing a few months ago. And he was very quickly followed by another big-name arrival as United chiefs finally got a £71m deal for Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo over the line. But Amorim's side might not be totally finished there. A striker and a new goalkeeper are among the players that they could move for in the remainder of the window. But with three weeks to go until their Premier League opener against Arsenal, they need to get a move on. Away from incomings, a few more exits might also be on the agenda. Marcus Rashford has already completed a loan move to Barcelona, while Antony, Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho could all still leave. With all of that being said, take a look at all of the latest transfer news and rumours from Old Trafford. United on 'alert' for Donnarumma Manchester United are keeping a close eye on developments surrounding Gianluigi Donnarumma's future at PSG. Talks over a new contract for the Italian goalkeeper have come to a standstill over recent weeks, and it appears that the French giants are ready to move on. According to L'Equipe, they are in talks with Ligue 1 rivals Lille regarding a deal for Lucas Chevalier, who is seen as a replacement for Donnarumma. And that has seen a couple of Premier League sides sit up and take notice. Manchester United have a long-term interest in the former AC Milan man, while Manchester City are also eyeing him as a possible replacement for Ederson should he decide to leave the Etihad. Red Devils plot Brentford hijack Manchester United could be set to frustrate Brentford more after their protracted move for Bryan Mbeumo. According to The Sun, they are going head-to-head with the Bees for the signing of Metz teenager Idrissa Gueye. The youngster caught the eye in Ligue 2 last season, scoring five goals in 17 appearances. United see him as one for the future, while Brentford would offer him first-team football straight away. Man United have already been left annoyed by Brentford's actions this summer during their talks regarding forward Bryan Mbeumo. Amorim confirms Mbeumo plan Speaking of United's recent signing, boss Ruben Amorim has confirmed that Mbeumo is not quite ready to make his debut for the Red Devils yet. He said: 'Bryan is starting slowly. "He is not going to play in the next one. We hope to have Bryan in the last game [in the United States]. He's training now, so we'll see." Mbeumo's £71m move to Old Trafford was finally confirmed last week. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Times
8 hours ago
- Times
Taxpayer appears to fund footballers' salaries for ‘R&D'
Taxpayers appear to have funded player salaries at a top-flight football club on the grounds they were working on cutting-edge research. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) demanded repayment from the Scottish Premier League team Dundee United last year after it claimed £1.27 million under the research and development tax credit scheme. The scheme, which is meant to support innovations for the public good in science and technology, has been subject to a high degree of fraud and error thanks to lax checks by the tax authority. Under HMRC's rules a company can apply for the public money only if it has attempted a genuine advance in science or technology to benefit the overall field, not just its own business. A report was prepared by Dundee United's tax consultant ZLX before the club's claim, which stated that its players spent 24 per cent of their time directly conducting research and development activities, across nutrition and data collection projects. This meant, the report claimed, this portion of their salaries could be partially recouped from the taxpayer as a research and development (R&D) tax credit under the scheme. The report also stated that 80 per cent of the club chef's time was spent on nutrition science research, which could also be used to make a tax credit claim. Eligible research under the scheme must deal with an issue of genuine scientific uncertainty, which an expert in the field would not easily be able to resolve. • HMRC overhaul: £8bn tax credit scheme faces reform For one of Dundee's projects, the document claimed that the eligible uncertainty was that 'league involvement, challenge in European competition, playing style and management are all likely to change'. Simon Brundish, a conditioning coach at Strength:Lab who has worked with Premier League football clubs as well as with the English and Belgian national teams, reviewed the details of the research projects set out in the document. 'There is nothing groundbreaking going on here,' he said. 'A radar profile for each player and each position using arbitrary thresholds created by coaches' 'expertise' is simply standard practice in professional team sport.' He said that if the club had been paying an external consultant large sums for these kinds of services on the grounds that it was revolutionary research, it was effectively 'buying snake oil'. The tax expert Dan Neidle said: 'Football players are not scientific researchers.' He added that if Dundee United had claimed a quarter of the players' salaries as R&D expenditure, it was a 'scandal'. 'It is no surprise HMRC are investigating,' he said. Stephen McCallion, the owner of ZLX, based in Glasgow, said that the claim briefing had not been submitted to HMRC and that ZLX had never been interviewed by HMRC in relation to the Dundee claim. When asked if he disputed that the Dundee claim included a claim for player salaries, he declined to comment, citing client confidentiality. • Specialist agents under scrutiny in crackdown on tax credit fraud There has been controversy around whether it is within the spirit of the scheme for football clubs to make large claims. In February The Times revealed that Premiership teams including Chelsea, Fulham and Nottingham Forest had made claims. After the story, disclosures under freedom of information by HMRC revealed that at least 33 professional football clubs were under investigation into whether £17 million had been wrongly claimed. Chelsea was paid more than £3 million in R&D tax relief and payments by HMRC between 2020 and last year, according to its accounts. Nottingham Forest claimed a tax credit of £607,000 in the 2021-22 financial year, while Fulham claimed £758,000 in credits between 2019 and 2024. After the reporting, it emerged that Brentford had also made a claim, worth more than £3 million. Chelsea, Nottingham Forest, Fulham and Brentford were asked if player salaries had been included in any way in their claims under the scheme. Brentford declined to comment. The other clubs were approached for comment. HMRC has not disclosed the identity of which 33 clubs were under investigation. Dundee separately declared HMRC's repayment demand in its most recent accounts. Concerns have also been raised about the role of tax advisers encouraging companies to make claims that skirt the border of eligibility, with at least one adviser promoting the scheme as 'free money from HMRC'. ZLX described itself on its website as having the 'know-how' to navigate R&D tax credits. It previously stated on its website that it could assist clubs in making claims under the scheme for research into 'stadiums-spectator interaction', 'media and multimedia' and 'Covid compliance measures'. The page including this information has been taken down from its website. The company was criticised in a recent Scottish court case for what the sheriff found was a proposal to make an R&D claim on behalf of a fruit and vegetable company for installing a fridge. HMRC has faced repeated criticisms for its handling of the R&D scheme as its cost ballooned from £1.1 billion in 2010 to £7.5 billion in 2023. Officials have been accused of failing properly to check claims being made, leading to a high rate of fraud and error, with resulting losses totalling £4.1 billion since 2020. Freedom of information litigation last year forced HMRC to reveal it had failed to take sustained action to crack down on misuse of the scheme for five years, despite being warned by officials as early as 2017 that the scheme was being extensively defrauded. McCallion has previously said that the sheriff repeated comments made by the defendant — which had not been taken seriously by the ZLX legal team — that it was 'not impossible for a football club to claim R&D tax credits'. He also said that 'those who have started this witch hunt on football clubs have little or no technical experience but instead are using this platform to further their own endeavours'. Dundee United was approached for comment. The club's accounts state that it is appealing against HMRC's repayment demand.
