Key metrics, laws of averages, touches in the opponents’ box, possession, shots, dangerous attacks. Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin made reference to them all as he put up a spirited defence of his team and his reign in the wake of a desperately disappointing derby loss at Tannadice.Unfortunately, in yesterday evening’s 2-0 defeat, his side lacked one thing altogether more difficult to measure when putting together the data analysis – hunger.Neither side played terribly well in this largely scrappy affair. The difference was that the visitors looked like they were ready to leave their hearts out on the pitch to get the three points from this one and United simply didn’t.Yes, the statistics were in the home side’s favour. They had more than two-thirds of the possession over the 90 minutes. They had 24 shots to Dundee’s 14, five on target. They had double the amount of touches in the opponents’ box as their neighbours. In terms of total passes, it was a no-contest.When you watched the game, though, it was impossible to leave with the view that Goodwin’s side deserved something. And going by the reaction from the home support at time-up, it certainly didn’t feel like they believed their team had been the victims of a great injustice.It’s still early in the season, of course. Despite a recent run of three losses with 10 goals conceded and none scored, United haven’t been terrible. They hit the frame of the goal five times, after all, when going down to Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup and forced Dundee keeper Owen Goodman into a couple of decent saves here. Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin needs a victory before the supporters’ patience runs out Dundee’s Drey Wright scores a long-range opener in their 2-0 derby triumph at Tannadice Centre-back Owen Bevan celebrates scoring Dundee’s second goal against city rivals UnitedIt isn’t enough, though. Nowhere near it. And if Goodwin really wants to get the heat off, he desperately needs to put out a side capable of sticking the ball in the net and getting something away to Kilmarnock on Saturday, while keeping it out at the other end.These are the basics. The elements of football a million miles away from life down the rabbit-hole of data and AI and all the rest of it. And in this game, the team who wanted it more were the team who got it.The epitome of that was centre-back Ryan Astley. He was just fantastic, getting in the way of everything at the back and then popping up at a key moment just before the hour-mark to help set up his equally impressive defensive partner Owen Bevan to add to Drey Wright’s thunderbolt of an opener.These two look like they are developing a real kind of bromance at the back and Dens manager Steven Pressley will hope Bevan, who has had his share of injuries in the past, can just stay fit and build on what looks to have the raw elements of an excellent partnership.Goalkeeper Owen Goodman, on loan from Crystal Palace, looked right in the mood too. He just gave the impression of a bloke who wasn’t prepared to be beaten – making two good saves from Vicko Sevelj and Abdoulaye Yoro either side of the break – and was never going to be put off by being struck with a missile that appeared to be thrown from the United supporters behind his goal on 50 minutes.From all reports, he has already been spoken to by Police Scotland and it is to be imagined the game’s authorities will be involved too. United must be part of the investigation into finding the culprit, with their silence in the immediate aftermath of the match not reflecting well upon them at all.In truth, Dundee, to a man, battled for this result. When Goodwin rang the changes late on, bringing on Zac Sapsford and Lachlan Rose up front, the Dark Blues had to dig in and resist a late flurry, but the points never really looked like being in danger.It was amusing afterwards to see Pressley almost chortle when discussing how his team absolutely failed to follow any part of the tactical plan he had painstakingly put together. There was one other element of his post-match interviews that stood out, though.‘It is amazing the power of a group when they get together and are united in everything they do,’ he stated. And, in fairness, that’s the way his players looked.United, of course, have thrown together another load of new signings this year – which is an issue all too common at Tannadice when summertime comes round – and that makes it trickier to develop bonds and understanding. These things take time, but professional football doesn’t offer that when results aren’t going well.The fact Goodwin is trying to impose a completely different style of play as well as knit in the 12 guys who have arrived so far is an issue as well. It just adds to the fear that the whole operation at Tannadice is built on shifting sands to some degree.The manager says the recruitment has been ‘excellent’, so there’s no backing down on that front. He also made six changes at the weekend in a bid to get goals, but United were just nowhere near good enough at the top end of the park. Idjessi Metsoko didn’t get a look-in. Jesse Randall was played out of the game by Wright on the left flank and Mehdi Merghem wasn’t a whole lot better on the other.By the hour mark, all three had been taken off. Right now, it doesn’t look like Goodwin is even close to working out the best blend that works up there.Panutche Camara had been in the headlines pre-match over a cryptic social media post that gave the distinct impression he might be looking to get out. Goodwin was disappointed with him. He still played him, though, and it didn’t work out.What rang so many alarm bells, though, was the way they conceded that opening goal just a couple of minutes before the end of the first half. They way they put themselves behind the eight-ball.They were on a promising counter when Yoro just played a weak ball out towards Randall that Wright gleefully stepped onto midway inside his own half. The problem is that Yoro just let his head drop and took himself out of the game afterwards.Wright, meanwhile, was allowed to advance and advance and advance to within about 30 yards of goal before releasing an absolute rocket from his right boot that gave keeper Jack Walton no chance.No one got to him. No one closed him down. There was just no urgency about United. No sense of the danger emerging. None of that hunger we talked about.Just players standing around, standing off, jogging back, barely moving at all. It was incredibly frustrating to watch.On this evidence, it just wouldn’t have happened with the guys in the dark blue shirts.Listen, all the things Goodwin said about the metrics were undoubtedly valid. He uttered one other great truth during his post-match observations, though.That the buck stops with him.Until he gets this new style and all this latest batch of new players licked into shape and looking like an outfit ready to win games, United fans are not going to let him forget it. Their patience already feels like it’s running out.Dundee United (4-3-3): Walton 6; Sevelj 6, Esselink 6, Forbes 6, Ferry 7; Tait 6, Camara 6, Yoro 5 (Rose 68); Merghem 5 (Farrugia 60), Metsoko 4 (Sapsford 60), Randall 4 (Bennie 46). Manager: Jim Goodwin 5.Booked: Yoro, Sevelj, Tait, Bennie.Dundee (4-2-3-1): Goodman 8; Wright 8, Astley 9, O Bevan 8, Odutayo 6; Finnigan 6, Hamilton 7; J Bevan 4 (Fink 68), Reilly 6 (Robertson 46), Forrest 7 (Wales 80); Westley 6 (Halliday 90). Manager: Steven Pressley 6.Booked: Finnigan, O. Bevan, Hamilton.Referee: David Dickinson.