Match Preview | Heart of Midlothian (A) | Dundee United Football Club
· unknown author · 2026-08-09 · nguồn gốc
A return to William Hill Premiership action awaits this afternoon and another full house at Tynecastle Park, looking to build on an encouraging opening-day performance against Rangers.
Following that spirited display at The CalForth Construction Arena, where a hard fought point was claimed, Jim Goodwin's side head to the capital full of confidence ahead of another demanding test against one of last season's form sides. The manager has been handed a timely boost, with those players who missed out on last week's fixture as a precaution back in training and available for selection, while competition for places continues to grow throughout the squad.
Speaking to the media ahead of the clash in Gorgie, the Irishman believes replicating the intensity and organisation shown against Rangers will give United every chance of getting another positive result: "Tynecastle is always a tough place to go. They are a very good side with real strength in depth, and it'll be another fantastic atmosphere for our players, particularly those experiencing it for the first time.
“If we can play the way we did against Rangers, with the same organisation, intensity and quality, then I think we will give ourselves a chance in any game we go into. The most important thing for us is being competitive every time we take to the pitch and, ultimately, we always want to win."
Australian defender Joshua Rawlins has made an impressive start to life in tangerine and believes both the dressing room environment and the work carried out throughout pre-season have helped the squad hit the ground running: "Since I first came over, I've tried to embrace the culture and the boys have made the transition really easy.
“Moving to a new country is always a challenge, but everyone has helped me settle in and having a few other Australians around the place has definitely made it feel a bit more like home."
The 21-year-old says the draw with Rangers demonstrated the potential within the group and believes there is plenty more to come: “We put a lot of work into our style of play during pre-season and I thought we really implemented that against Rangers. It was a great game to start the season with in front of a packed Tannadice and I think the supporters enjoyed what they saw.
“If we can keep producing performances like that, build on them week by week and stay consistent across the season, then the results will follow."
Neil Farrugia could also return to contention after completing his recovery from injury. The midfielder, who represented the Republic of Ireland at youth and under 21 level, has spent recent weeks rebuilding his fitness and says the increased competition throughout the squad can only benefit the team: "I'm back in normal training now and building my workload. The last session was probably one of the toughest I've had since returning, but I came through it feeling really good. My body is adapting well, and I'm happy with where I am at the moment."
Having made his Dundee United debut against Hearts last season, Farrugia is eager for another opportunity against the Edinburgh side in the capital: "Competition is healthy and that's exactly what you need if you want to have a successful team. We've got a really strong group, good organisation, a great dressing room and a really positive team spirit.
“Hearts will be another tough challenge, especially away from home, but they're the sort of games you look forward to playing, and we're excited to test ourselves again.”
New signing Kevin Ciubotaru is unlikely to make the matchday squad, with the midfielder only just arriving at the club ahead of beginning work with his new teammates.
The gaffer provided a positive update on the squad's fitness ahead of Sunday's journey south, with the majority of his players returning to training following last week's opening league fixture. While Dario Naamo remains unavailable, the United boss is pleased to have almost a full squad to choose from as competition for places continues to grow.
"The boys are fine. The players who missed out last Friday were more precautionary than anything else, and they've all trained well this week, so it's great to have them back available again.
"Dario is the only one still missing. We were hopeful he might make this weekend, but he just needs a little bit longer. Other than that, we're in a really good place, and it's healthy to have so much competition for places."
With confidence high following an impressive start to the campaign, the first team squad head to Tynecastle aiming to produce another disciplined, energetic performance as we look to secure the first victory of the new William Hill Premiership campaign.