Jim Goodwin’s top priority was creating a solid unit to spearhead a Dundee United promotion push.
Given the Tangerines’ porous failings as the crashed to relegation from the Premiership last term, a vast improvement was required.
A matter of months later, United now boast the joint-best defensive record in the entirety of British league football. Only Hearts are able to match their meagre tally of three conceded.
Here, Courier Sport takes a deep dive into how the Terrors have made their back-line the bedrock for a title charge.
A dominating duo
Declan Gallagher and Kevin Holt have been inspired captures, striking up an immediate partnership at centre-half. As well as performing admirably, they are both vocal and assured.
Gallagher has won 84% of his aerial duels, the joint-best in the Championship along with Raith Rovers’ Liam Dick.
Holt is in third spot with 81%.
Both players are in the top 10 in the Championship for possession adjusted (PAdj) clearances, where “PAdj” indicates the statistic has been adjusted to a team’s possession volume, giving a more accurate context.
Holt’s 0.15 blocked shots per match is league leading, while he is the club’s second-top scorer behind Louis Moult, having rippled the net four times.
The radar above compares Holt and Gallagher, with barely anything between the duo as they both rank among the top performers in the Championship.
Safe pair of hands
Jack Walton has been relatively underworked, but the on-loan Luton Town goalkeeper exudes composure and calmness.
Even in the face of an uncharacteristic error against Morton — for which the blame can be shared with Gallagher — Walton was quick to front up after the match, discuss the moment with the assembled media and move on. Maturity.
When called upon, he has been excellent.
Walton boasts the best Goals Saved Above Average in the division (1.01), which effectively measures how many goals the goalkeeper’s saves have prevented — calculated based on xG (expected goals) faced.
His 80% save percentage is the joint-best in the Championship.
Unsung heroes
Scott McMann is a player reborn.
Saturday saw him net his first EVER goal for United; a fitting reward for a splendid start to the season.
Speaking to Courier Sport in August, McMann discussed his renewed confidence and he is undeniably back to being the solid, reliable professional that made his name with Hamilton — with an added adventurous streak.
The radar below compares his form this term with how he fared as United crashed to relegation in 2022/23. Although the difference in divisions is clearly a massive mitigating factor, his output is night and day.
He boasts the most PAdj interceptions (2.93 per game) in the Championship, of players who have played at least 300 minutes.
The full-back is also in the 91st percentile or above for deep progressions (passes and dribbles into the opposition final third) and aerial duels won.
If McMann’s efforts sometimes go under-appreciated, then the same can certainly be said for Liam Grimshaw.
Yet, his defensive efforts and judicious use of the ball have made him a fine signing.
He has quietly enjoyed a good campaign at right-back and his versatility is invaluable.
Grimshaw’s combined 4.99 PAdj tackles and interceptions per game is only behind Queen’s Park duo Jack Spong (7.68) and Ben McPherson (5.54), and teammate Craig Sibbald (5.09).
His successful passing percentage of 86% puts him in the 96th percentile for the division.
Team effort
United have conceded the lowest xG in the Championship, have allowed the fewest clear shots (0.57 per game) and are one of three sides yet to ship a goal to a set piece.
All of which is a team effort, rather than solely attributable to the excellent defensive performers.
Mathew Cudjoe is deceptively combative, with his 3.40 PAdj tackles per game the second-highest in the division.
Ross Docherty wins possession in the opposition half, on average, 7.66 times per game; third in the Championship behind Shaun Byrne (7.88) and Alan Power (8.20). In-form Declan Glass is sixth in that metric with 6.73.
Tony Watt (3.7 per game) and Louis Moult (3.23 per game) both make the top ten of counter-pressures in the final third, which measures pressing within five seconds of possession being lost.
United are defending from the front, and as a unit — and that must continue this weekend when they travel to face a very dangerous Raith Rovers side.
Conversation