Hindsight is always 20/20.
Crisp, clear and unforgiving.
As a frustrated Kevin Holt whipped his jersey and GPS monitor vest off in the Dundee United dugout – caught by the Sky Sports cameras – he was left to reflect on a miserable 34 minutes.
Not just for him.
Barely any man in Tangerine earned pass marks in that period.
United were off the pace in the opening exchanges against Rangers, with the gulf particularly stark in midfield, where the Glasgow giants continually found spaces between the lines.
The hosts neither pressed nor kept a watertight low block.
An initial switch to three players in the engine room – David Babunski brought more centrally – steadied the ship, before Holt was replaced by Ross Docherty, further enhancing the Terrors’ performance.
Naturally, those Arabs who felt the Holt midfield experiment should have been ended earlier feel vindicated this week, albeit any satisfaction will be Pyrrhic.
After all, it was supposed to be a temporary fix for one game against St Mirren, in which Docherty, Vicko Sevelj and Richard Odada were all either unavailable or not sufficiently match fit.
The numbers, as well as the results, underlined Holt’s value
However, that argument is slightly reductive, given Holt had been very solid in three consecutive clean sheets and victories against Premiership opposition.
He didn’t just play well for a defender. He played well, full stop.
In five Premiership games this season – a small sample size, it should be noted – Holt has won seven tackles, the joint-highest in the United team along with Will Ferry.
His six interceptions is more than anyone else in the Tannadice dressing room.
The former Dundee and Queen of the South man is a provably effective destroyer and with Goodwin seemingly seeking to keep things tight and spring on the break, his selection on Sunday was perfectly understandable.
And, in the spirit of “keeping the shirt until you lose it”, Holt had done nothing to merit being dropped.
Evidently, it didn’t work – but the suggestion that it was a foolhardy or an obvious error is disingenuous.
Ross Docherty made the difference
“Ross Docherty made a big difference for Dundee United after he came on. Very composed in the middle of the park he showed why Goodwin rates him so highly.
“I think he will start against Motherwell on Friday night, he made such a difference to the way United went about things against the Gers.”
As outlined above by Courier Sport columnist Lee Wilkie, Docherty made a huge difference when he entered they fray.
He was far more comfortable on the ball and, crucially, with the support of an extra man in the heart of midfield, was able to help United gradually make that battle a more even contest.
While plenty of statistics –from results to defensive actions – show Holt’s efficacy, his pass accuracy stands at 64.4%. For context, that is lower than Babunski (77.3%) Craig Sibbald (73.3%), Docherty (67.7%) and Sevelj (66.3%).
Midfield stint was admirable and crucial – regardless of Rangers display
If United are to be more pro-active and creative (with an average xG of 1.1 per league game, that should be an aim), then time will probably be called on Holt’s brief stint as a midfielder.
However, it should not be remembered for the forlorn sight of him after leaving the pitch on Sunday.
It should be remembered for the versatility and tactical intelligence he showcased when asked to tackle an unfamiliar task and, in doing so, helping the Tangerines to a crucial six points and a place in the quarter-final of the Premier Sports Cup.
- (Statistics provided by Opta.)
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