Aberdeen experience 'definitely' improved Goodwin as manager

Yahoo

2 days ago

Jim Goodwin was sacked by Aberdeen in 2023 before moving on to Dundee United [SNS]
Jim Goodwin's difficult Aberdeen experience has "definitely" improved him as a manager, says the Dundee United boss.
After moving from St Mirren to Pittodrie, the 43-year-old was sacked by the Dons board in January 2023 following an 11-month spell in charge.
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Goodwin was back in work quickly, becoming United manager two months later, but he was unable to prevent the Tannadice side suffering relegation.
However, he guided the club back to the top flight at the first attempt and led them to a fourth-placed finish last term, beating Aberdeen on the final day to finish above Jimmy Thelin's side.
Asked if he is a better manager as a result of his time at Pittodrie, Goodwin told BBC Scotland: "Yeah, I think I definitely am. I've definitely learned a lot about myself in terms of how I approach certain situations and how I handle certain individuals.
"You have to always try to learn and get better. The past two seasons [at United] have been some of the most enjoyable seasons I've had, certainly as a manager."
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Having enjoyed an impressive return to the top tier last season, Goodwin is out to emulate that success next term.
"The fact we finished fourth, everybody, from a Dundee United perspective, would want us to be at least in that top six and competing for those European places," he added.
"We're not stupid. We understand how difficult that's going to be, especially when you see the kind of investment that's been made in some of the other clubs."