Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
So far so good wins keep on
IT’S too early to be counting any chickens but, even in a league as cutthroat as the Championship, Dundee United fans have reason to feel good about the way their team have started the season.
They could have hoped for a better performance than was served up in Saturday’s single-goal win over Brechin City at Tannadice, but nine points from nine in the first three games represents a perfect beginning to the campaign.
Added to the satisfaction to be taken from that is the fact results for other teams have shown this is again going to be a second tier where everyone takes points from everyone else.
That’s the general way over the course of a Championship season, though every rule has an exception.
Three seasons ago, Hearts were just that as they ran away from the rest in the promotion race. Two years ago, Rangers, with tighter results, managed the same.
And last year the more games that passed, the longer automatic promotion winners Hibs were able to go without being beaten.
Early indications this term are United can be that one team who bucks the trend and doesn’t fall to a defeat every few weeks or so.
It’s not just a perfect record which points to this, it’s the fact that, in every outing so far, Ray McKinnon’s team have faced a different kind of test and proved more than equal to it.
The opening day saw them deal with a hazardous trip to Inverness Caley Thistle, the team out to prove a point after their relegation from the Premiership.
United came through with flying colours because, although as the 1-0 final score in their favour suggested it was a close game, it was one in which they deserved to take all three points.
As any team visiting the Highland capital and comes away with a result must, they had to stand up and be strong to beat back the physical threat of ICT.
The following week against Queen of the South at Tannadice they were expected to take the points from the first home game of the season.
They did, but not in the smooth fashion anticipated, largely because of the sending off of winger Paul McMullan. His early bath meant the game became a test of character for the players — one they passed.