United 'not fit enough' after 'unacceptable' League Cup defeat

Jim Goodwin admits his Dundee United side are "not quite fit enough" after they were beaten 1-0 by Scottish League One side Montrose in Tuesday's League Cup group stage game. A defensive lapse for United's Ross Graham allowed Montrose's Graham Webster to score the only goal of the game at Links Park. The defeat comes after a stoppage time penalty helped the Tangerines to a narrow 1-0 win against Stirling Albion at the weekend. The result on Tuesday means Stirling Albion, Arbroath, Montrose and United all sit on three points in Group B but Arbroath and Montrose have a game in hand. "We lacked that bit of creativity that we spoke about on Saturday," Goodwin told club media. "I think it's normal for such a new group of players to not quite have that understanding and not quite gelling the way that we would like at this early stage, but I would still expect us as the Premiership team with the quality of players that we have to have at least scored a goal or two. "It's not acceptable. We know that and for me as the manager, I've got to accept the criticism that comes our way. "You're on a hiding to nothing in these games as the Premiership team, they come around too early, we know that, the team is not quite fit enough. "It's a group of players that have only been together for three weeks, it's only normal that they don't have that understanding that you would expect, but it'll come. "We're still in the competition, and that's the bottom line."