Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin is demanding his squad channel the intensity of a derby match as they head into the final two games of the Scottish Premiership season. After a dominant 3-0 victory over local rivals Dundee, the Terrors looked poised to secure seventh place. However, back-to-back defeats—conceding five goals without reply against Kilmarnock and Aberdeen—have left the Dons just three points behind, reigniting the battle for a higher finish.

"The disappointment for me from the last two performances is that we didn't reach the levels of the Dundee derby a few weeks ago," Goodwin told Dundee United TV. "Those standards, that level of professionalism, that mindset—it needs to be a given every single week, every day in training. There's always something at stake."

With Livingston visiting on Tuesday, Goodwin is calling for a return to the grit and focus that defined their derby triumph. "Quite simply, the last couple of games haven't been good enough. Saturday was an opportunity to cement seventh place, with prize money on the line, but we allowed Aberdeen to close the gap," he added.

To shake things up, Goodwin confirmed there will be changes to the starting XI, offering minutes to players who have been waiting for their chance. "There is significance in the two fixtures coming up," he emphasized. "We need to treat every game like a derby—because in this league, every point matters."