The midfield trio of Zidane Iqbal, Lyall Cameron and Dylan Tait controlled the first half for United before the half-time introduction of wingers Jota and Haissem Hassan turned the game in Celtic’s favour.
On BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound, chief sports writer Tom English asked “whether Dundee United have the best midfield three in Scotland right now”.
Former United wing-back Allan Preston enthused: “[Zac] Sapsford on the goal trail again and the guys in the middle of the park are great,” he said. “Iqbal in that first half especially was pulling the strings and Celtic couldn’t get near him.
“Iqbal is like a watch battery. He keeps everything ticking. He sits off and just passes it from side to side. Very rarely gives the ball way. I was actually surprised when they took him off.”
Goodwin hailed his side’s “composure” and former United midfielder Scott Allan suggested Iraq international Iqbal – a former Manchester United youth signed from Utrecht – is “at the heart of that”, along with Tait and on-loan Rangers man Cameron.
“They have three footballers in there all on the same wavelength,” Allan said on Sportscene.
“When you’re at Celtic Park, you have to have guys who can stay on the ball and what I like about them all is they are not in a hurry to move the ball.
“They are happy just to wait for the pressure to come and move it from one side to the other. They were really brave with great quality in that first half.
“They were just so fluid in the middle of the park. They are as good as anything in the league at this moment in time and it just comes down to that word – composure.
“Willing to stay on the ball, attract pressure, give each other the ball under pressure and that allows you, when teams come out, to spin it in behind because they have a bit of pace there.”