eric nicolson

They may have fallen at the final hurdle but that doesn’t make the season a total write-off for Dundee United.

Automatic promotion was always going to be a long shot and would have required Hibs to do a Hibs.

With a settled squad, a commonsense manager and Scottish Cupwinning confidence, the odds were stacked in the Easter Road side’s favour.

Contrast it with the rip it up and start again process Ray McKinnon was forced to go through in the close season. The play-offs were a realistic target. They should have got there and they did. And, after that, reaching the final was par for the course.

It was at this point that the scales were weighted against them.

Remember how this time last year Falkirk ran out of steam at Kilmarnock? The format isn’t supposed to favour a Championship side, certainly not one that has to play six games. It’s stating the obvious, but the second bottom side in the top flight should expect to beat the third top one in the second tier over two legs.

Despite the inevitable deflation that the heroics of the Morton quarterfinal and the come from behind win at Falkirk haven’t resulted in promotion, United are not back to square one.

The rebuilding for next season will not need to be as extensive – and it has already begun with the recruitment of Billy King and James Keatings, the latter being a proven game-changer at this level.

The fact that Stephen Thompson has sanctioned these deals without knowing which league United would be playing in next season is also positive. It would suggest that the belttightening of a second year outside the Premiership might not dig in as many notches as had been feared.

The best part of a million pounds Andy Robertson sell-on money will surely be banked this summer.

And United have a manager whose optimism and drive should continue to be an asset, leading a team who will now be the big boys in a league without a Hibs, Rangers or Hearts for the first time in four seasons.

It won’t feel like it for United fans today but 2016-17 has been a year of progress. Build on it and the next campaign will be their last in the Championship.