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Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin has urged supporters and observers to show patience with summer signing Idjessi Metsoko as he adapts to life at the club.
The Togolese striker arrived at Tannadice on loan from Czech side Viktoria Plzen, and expectations around his role in the team have been building steadily since his arrival.
Metsoko has been identified as the type of physical presence who could serve as a focal point for Dundee United’s attacking play throughout the season.
Questions have been raised about whether he can hold the ball up effectively and bring teammates into the game in and around the opposition penalty area.
His ability to link play and act as a target man gives Goodwin a different dimension to work with compared to other options available in the squad.
Goodwin’s message has been clear that the club’s summer recruitment takes time to bed in, and that snap judgements on new arrivals are rarely fair or accurate.
Metsoko is among a group of new faces who joined Dundee United during the summer transfer window as the club looked to strengthen across multiple positions.
Building cohesion within a squad that has seen significant change is a process that typically takes weeks rather than days, and Goodwin appears fully aware of that reality.
The Dundee United manager has shown a willingness to take a long-term view on his squad, prioritising development and integration over short-term results from individual players.
Supporters will be hoping that the patience Goodwin is asking for will be rewarded as the season progresses and his new signings hit their stride.
Metsoko’s physical profile and his background in European football suggest he has the tools to make a meaningful contribution once fully settled into Scottish football.
The pressure on Goodwin himself to deliver results means the timeline for patience has its limits, but for now the message from the manager is one of calm and measured expectation.
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