Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Bumps in the road despite success for Neilson & Co
disappointing to say the least but performances have been as concerning.
Gone are the free-scoring days of 6-0 and 6-2 wins over Morton and city rivals Dundee and hard-fought successes at Arbroath and Queen of the South.
At their peak, which for me came at Firhill in early January, where a makeshift side saw off Partick Thistle 4-1, it seemed like there was no stopping United.
Star man Lawrence Shankland scored a magnificent hat-trick that day but, in recent times, Arabs have had to make do with some rather turgid fare with the free-flowing football and goals less forthcoming.
They have stood by their team in huge numbers, though.
That is to be expected as, when on a run-in to a championship, crowds naturally swell, but it should never be taken for granted.
The coronavirus has, obviously, put paid to anyone attending matches any time soon but, prior to the outbreak, it felt like interest was dissipating in the Terrors’ tale.
United were, and perhaps still are, in danger of limping over the line when they should have been wrapping things up in style and planning a title party by now.
And the reasons for their form hitting the skids are easy to see when you scratch beneath the surface.
There is a natural tendency for teams so far ahead at the top of a division to take their foot off the gas and I do think, despite the noises coming from inside the camp, the Terrors have been guilty of that. Certainly, post-Inverness.
The 2-1 home win over secondplaced ICT last month was hailed as the title-clincher as United seemed to step it up and move a huge 21 points clear.
Two points and just the one goal have followed in three matches since, as Robbie and his players remain bullish in the press.
However, it seems all the talk of the title, fatigue and persistent injury problems for key men like Nicky Clark, Calum Butcher, Louis Appere and Paul McMullan, has affected the Tangerines.
From that point of view, this rarest of enforced breaks comes at a good time for United, had we been in “peacetime”.
However, knowing what we know, and after the season they’ve had, you can’t help but feel for a Dundee United who deserve their D-Day and victory on the Championship battleground.