Jim Goodwin insists Aberdeen Tannadice tanking couldn't be fixed from the stand as ban effect bites

Jim Goodwin admits the most frustrating element of his dugout ban last weekend was his inability to sort out his Aberdeen team at half-time after they lost two goals to Dundee United just before the break.

The Dons boss watched in horror from the Tannadice stand as his players eventually lost 4-0 – a result and performance for which he made a fulsome apology to the 4,000 fans who had travelled from the Granite City. And he admits the only way the club can make it up to them is by beating Hearts in Sunday’s clash at Pittodrie.

Goodwin said: “It was extremely disappointing and we tried something new. Both clubs were trying a different approach to the game with the evening kick-off. We had brought a huge travelling support to the game and we let them down, it’s as simple as that. We were coming into that game off the back of a very good result and performance against Kilmarnock.

“For whatever reason we were just not able to break Dundee United down. I thought we were in control of possession for large periods at 0-0 but we didn’t do a great deal with it.

“That’s the frustrating bit from our point of view. I don’t think it was a 4-0 game. I don’t think we deserved to be on the end of a 4-0 drubbing.

“But certainly at 2-0 United we felt we were still in the game. At half-time that is the challenging part of it [the ban].

“Losing the one with a few minutes to go before half-time was fair enough as you can talk about it at half-time and get it sorted. But to lose a second one so quickly after that and go in 2-0 down at half-time in a game we weren’t really troubled a great deal was a difficult one to take.

“The difficulty is trying to get that message across when you are trying to implement changes. To be there to support