Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has labeled the club's failure to secure a top-six finish in the Scottish Premiership a "major frustration and a real disappointment," setting the stage for a crucial summer transfer window. The Tannadice side, who impressed with a fourth-place finish last season, saw their ambitions curtailed this term, officially confirming their bottom-half status last week.

"It wasn't what we set out for at the beginning of the campaign," Goodwin stated. "The level of expectation raises with a finish like last season's, and while we knew emulating it would be difficult, to not get into the top six is a real letdown." The 44-year-old manager pinpointed a glaring issue: a leaky defense. "We've conceded far too many goals," he admitted, highlighting the primary target for improvement.

Goodwin confirmed that addressing these weaknesses will be a dual focus, starting with the remaining fixtures and extending into the summer recruitment drive. "It's something we'll look to fix between now and the end of the season but also in our summer recruitment," he said, signaling an active off-season ahead for the club.

First, United must navigate their post-split schedule, beginning with a home match against a desperate Livingston side. Despite Livingston's precarious position at the bottom of the table with just one win all season, Goodwin is wary of a team fighting for survival. "They are fighting for their lives," he cautioned, noting their recent resilience. "I still think they'll believe they've got enough to close the gap. They've been unlucky not to win a few of their recent games."

For Dundee United, the immediate task is to finish the season strongly, but the larger project of rebuilding a competitive squad for next season is already firmly on Goodwin's agenda.