Dundee United Manager Jim Goodwin spoke to the broadcast media to preview our William Hill Premiership clash with Livingston on Matchday 33.

The boss reflected on a successful March which saw him named the Glen’s Scottish Premiership Manager of the Month, before looking ahead to our battle with the Lions on home turf and offering an update on the fitness of his squad

Watch the full press conference below!

ON BEING NAMED THE SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP’S TOP BOSS

It’s a little bit strange to get it when you've only played three league games, but that's the way the fixtures fell and our performances and results were good. Obviously, we were disappointed with the draw against Dundee, but I think anybody watching the game saw that we should have won it. 

It's always nice to get a little bit of recognition. However, individual awards in team games are not something that I wholeheartedly agree with because it's very much a collective effort. I've got a great backroom team here who work tirelessly and then you rely on the players going out and putting on the performances. 

We picked up seven points in the three games that we played. We had a big result against Celtic, which maybe just swayed it in my direction! But we'll put that behind us now and look forward to the game on Saturday against Livingston.

ON THE VISIT OF RELEGATION-BATTLING LIVINGSTON

They are fighting for their lives at the bottom end of the table. I still think that they will believe that they've got enough in the group to close the gap on Kilmarnock above them. In the last half a dozen games, I think they've only lost one of them.

They've had five draws in that period, but they've come very close in a few of those draws and were unlucky not to have won a couple of those games.

Marvin Bartley's done a terrific job. Stepping in after David Martindale is not an easy task, given the success that he enjoyed, but Marvin's changed the shape a little bit, changed personnel and it's given us something a little bit different to think about.

ON MISSING OUT ON A PLACE IN THE TOP HALF

It is a major frustration - it’s not what we set out for at the beginning of the campaign. After finishing fourth last season, the level of expectation around the club raises with that. 

We always knew it was going to be difficult to emulate that, but to have not managed to get into the top six is a big disappointment.  Credit to those teams who have finished above us, in particular, Motherwell and Falkirk, who have had fantastic seasons. 

We know where we went wrong and we’re aware of the mistakes that we've made. We've conceded far too many goals and that's something that we will look to fix between now and the end of this season, but of course in the summer when we're doing our recruitment.

A big part of our success last year was the defensive record that we had. We had one of the best defences in the league and it goes without saying that you have to get both elements of the game right, in terms of being creative and scoring at one end, and then you've got to be strong and resilient at the other end. Unfortunately, this year, we haven't been good enough defensively.

It's quite an honest group with the players understanding that needs to improve next season. We've still got half a dozen games this season to do better, but we've had different situations within it. We've had three keepers in the one season, which is a little bit strange as well. There's been individual errors and collectively, as a group, we need to improve.

ON REMAINING MOTIVATED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE CAMPAIGN

It's not going to be easy. You're playing against some difficult opponents and the teams down the bottom are all fighting and scrapping - every point means a lot to them.

But it has to mean just as much to us as well because there's players here that are playing for contracts and to be involved in internationals in the summer. There's always something at stake.

ON ASHLEY MAYNARD-BREWER’S DISLOCATED SHOULDER

He's had x-rays and an MRI scan - then he's due to see a specialist at the early part of next week to decide whether it needs a surgical procedure or not. 

There’s limited time now between now and the end of the season, so whether he makes it back onto the pitch or not will remain to be seen, but the most important thing is that we get Ash to the best of care.

It's disappointing for everybody. Firstly, your heart always goes out to the player because they're the ones that are suffering the most, especially at this time of the season where there's so little time to get fit and to get playing again. Nobody wants to be going into the summer with an injury and not quite knowing what the recovery period is going to be like.

From our perspective as a team, you never want to lose your good players, but then in saying that, it's an opportunity for somebody else and Dave Richards is more than capable.

ON DAVE RICHARDS DEPUTISING ONCE AGAIN

I've had the conversations with Dave that need to be had and that's always the difficulty as a manager. You're going to have to make some big decisions that you know are going to be extremely disappointing to the individuals that you're talking to. Dave's been in the game long enough. He knows how it works, particularly in the goalkeeping position, but he's remained ever professional.

He's got a fantastic attitude. He's a real bubbly character in the dressing room as well and so well liked. The players will be delighted to have him back in the goals tomorrow and they'll do all they can to make sure he has a good game.

ON TEAM NEWS AND CONTRACT TALKS

Kristijan Trapanovski, Isaac Pappoe and Ashley Maynard-Brewer will all miss out. Apart from that, we should be okay.

There have been one or two conversations with players and their representatives - those conversations will continue in the weeks ahead.

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