When Jim Goodwin walks in front of a sold-out Pittodrie tonight, he might give himself a brief moment to wonder what might have been.
It’s almost two years since he stood in the home dugout, fists raised in celebration as summer signing Bojan Miovski smashed home a 37th-minute penalty to put the Dons ahead against their Tayside opponents.
The North Macedonian’s strike proved to be all the home side needed to secure an eighth league win of the season and rise to third spot when the season hit the pause button due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar .
After overseeing a solid if unspectacular start to life as a leader in the Granite City, belief grew that Goodwin might be the man to restore pride to the city after the disastrous period under his predecessor Stephen Glass.
But the wheels came off in spectacular fashion when the season resumed a month later. Goodwin’s side lost four during the Premier League jump to end the year, before a catastrophic Scottish Cup exit at the hands of Darvel left the Pittodrie faithful thirsting for the manager’s blood.
A 6-0 defeat at Easter Road the following week sealed his fate. He was last seen walking the billboards within twenty minutes of the final whistle, his reputation and ego in tatters.
Jim Goodwin returns to Pittodrie for the first time as Dundee United boss tonight
He suffered a humiliating defeat in the Scottish Cup at the hands of Darvel while at Aberdeen
He was relieved of his duties after a 6-0 defeat at Easter Road in January 2023
However, it wasn’t long before he got the managerial itch again and joined Dundee United just a few months later. Although he could not prevent relegation, he did exactly what was necessary in the Championship adventure that followed, bringing the club back to the top level from the first time he asked.
He will now take his side on the stage at his former club tonight, looking to secure a first defeat in Scottish football for his counterpart Jimmy Thelin.
The Swede has done wonders since leaving Scandinavia for Scotland. Last weekend’s 2-2 draw against champions Celtic suggested they intend to stay at the top of the table for some time to come.
Thelin certainly deserves all the praise coming his way these days, but Goodwin may be building something special for himself along the way.
And he has reason to be optimistic. A narrow defeat to Rangers remains their only loss of what has been an excellent start to their return to the top flight. Even then they were a little unhappy because they did not deserve a share of the loot.
Aberdeen maintained their excellent start to the season with a deserved draw against Celtic last Saturday
Solid at the back and dynamic going forward, Goodwin has built a team that is more than capable of going toe-to-toe with anyone on the day.
Last weekend’s dramatic win over Hibernian was their fourth league win of the season. As fans went wild in the stands to celebrate Meshak Ubochioma’s 99th-minute winner, Goodwin fell on his backside.
But he would happily settle for making a fool of himself for the second time in seven days if his party can take care of business tonight.
Jimmy Thelin has yet to suffer a defeat as Don’s boss since he took over last summer
Things are starting to click for Killie
It’s taken a while, but it looks like Kilmarnock have finally found their feet.
Last Sunday’s deserved win over Rangers was only their second of the season, following a stunning comeback win over Dundee the week before.
Killie put in a performance that typified everything we have come to expect from Derek McInnes’ side and looked every bit the team that finished fourth last time out.
It is true that they have received a huge amount of support from their Glasgow counterparts, but a win over either half of the Old Firm, regardless of the circumstances, is something to savour.
Marley Watkins scored the only goal in the win over Rangers at Rugby Park last weekend
They travel to Dingwall this afternoon to take on Ross County in the hunt for a third league win. Alex Dyer was the man in the dugout the last time that happened.
The Highlanders have only achieved maximum points once in their 12 previous league matches, but the results do not necessarily reflect their performances.
Apart from a 6-0 skelping at Ibrox last month, they have been competitive in every game this season. Summer signing Ronan Hale has hit half of their top eight goals so far and is proving to be an excellent replacement for the departed Simon Murray.
But therein lies County’s biggest problem. When the former Cliftonville man can’t find the net, it’s hard to understand where the goals come from.
With Hibernian and Hearts meeting tomorrow, this would be a perfect opportunity for County to find their shooting boots and fire themselves clear of danger.
Angry, no further than progressive Pars
Falkirk v Dunfermline take top spot in the Championship this afternoon, with a large crowd expected to watch the action take place.
Dunfermline manager James McPake will be hoping to come away with a positive result at Falkirk today
Despite their long unbeaten run being ended at the hands of Raith Rovers last month, they showed no signs of a hangover and have collected eight points from the four games since.
But Dunfermline – despite their lowly position in the league – will be quietly confident they will upset the odds.
Remarkably, it has been seven years since Pars suffered defeat at Falkirk Stadium, and considering they are a point above bottom place going into this match, an extension of that run would provide a much-needed boost.