The alarming numbers behind United turmoil

[BBC] When a manager says "ultimately, it's all about results" and "I know the buck stops with me it is generally a sign things aren't going well. Those are quotes from Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin after his side's home derby defeat to Dundee on Saturday night. The result continues a worrying start to the campaign for United. Goodwin spoke about "key metrics" after the match - a quick look at some of them tells a strange story. The positive aspect is in their last three games - against Dundee, Celtic and Hearts - United have mustered a healthy-looking 50 shots at goal. Now comes the worrying part – only five of them have been on target. So they have been creating chances, which is encouraging, but have massively struggled to work the opposition keeper. Alarmingly, there are issues in defence too, with United conceding 10 goals in those three fixtures. So there is clearly work to do at both ends of the park, a combination that will be of big concern to the United support. In among all this, it should be noted Goodwin's side have been dealt a tough hand with their opening games. It is also worth highlighting they kicked off their Premiership campaign with an impressive 1-1 draw against Rangers. So we know the level of performance this United team is capable of reaching – the challenge is getting back to it, and soon. After three straight defeats, this weekend's trip to struggling Kilmarnock would be the perfect time to start.