JIM SPENCE: Ross Docherty concerns give Goodwin a dilemma

Jim Goodwin’s concern over the fitness issues which have plagued Ross Docherty this season is a dilemma faced by many managers who have a player who brings great value to the team, but whose availability is regularly curtailed through injury.

Solid performers who struggle with fitness issues -hamstring, groin, and calf problems in Docherty’s case – are tough managerial challenges.

A fit Docherty is a great asset to United and I’d like to see him perform in the Premiership because I think he has the skills and combativeness to succeed there.

The quandary for the United boss though is one which all managers will be familiar with – balancing risk against reward.

Weighing the uncertainty of availability against the benefits of an undoubted asset when a player is fit is a gamble.

A manager requires some reasonable certainty of the regular levels of players’ fitness.

This is where sports science and physiotherapists departments earn their corn.

Ross Docherty celebrates a crucial goal against Ayr United earlier this season. Image: SNS

Some players are prone to certain injuries but with sound advice and correctly tailored personal exercise and fitness plans, they can hopefully adapt and overcome those persistent niggles.

As I said here last week the Premiership is an altogether more taxing physical playing environment than the Championship.

The constant demands on a body if unaddressed will guarantee physical breakdown.

With a proper close-season of rest and recuperation, and the correct fitness regime, hopefully next season will prove that a fit Docherty is a very valuable resource in the United midfield.

I’ve always been a fan of great headed goals.

This week I’ve seen two terrific efforts which will have whetted the appetite of those who appreciate the special skills involved in dispatching the ball with the napper.

Fans of a certain vintage of Dundee and United have watched real artists of the headed ball.

Alan Gilzean’s legendary ability to ghost into space and leap powerfully to plant the ball beyond goalies was honed in the dark blue and further refined at Spurs.

At Tannadice, striker Andy Gray and Paul Hegarty as a central defender, both perfected the art of dispatching the ball powerfully net-wards with the forehead.

I was reminded of those players in midweek with two exquisite nodded goals in the English Premier League.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s towering header against Liverpool was a classic old fashioned centre forward’s goal.

Rising unchallenged at the far post on Wednesday with an athletically powerful leap and an equally vigorous thrust of the head, he bulleted the ball home to badly damage Liverpool’s title hopes.

And the following night Kevin de Bruyne opened Manchester City’s account at Brighton with a perfectly weighted precision diving header, glancing only briefly to locate his target as he dived low to loop the ball over the keeper with perfect accuracy.