Dundee United manager Jackie McNamara wanted three tough tests in the Netherlands and that’s exactly what he got.
The Tangerines lost the third and final match of their Dutch tour as they went down 4-0 to FC Utrecht at Sportclub Woerden last night.
That added to earlier defeats to Vitesse Arnhem and AZ Alkmaar 4-0 and 3-1 respectively so they haven’t exactly had it easy in Holland.
However, pre-season is all about preparing for the new campaign and they should be judged on how they look in the opening league game against Aberdeen on August 2.
Perhaps the real positive from last night was midfielder Rodney Sneijder showing up well once again in his second match as a trialist.
United, captained for the night by 18-year-old John Souttar, were on the attack on two minutes but Aidan Connolly missed with his header.
Utrecht came closer than that on seven minutes when frontman Nacer Barazite headed past the post.
There was a scare for the Tannadice men when Coll Donaldson stayed down injured on 23 minutes but the new signing was quickly back on the park.
Connolly looked to be in on goal but the flag went up for offside.
The hosts took the lead on 29 minutes. Scott Smith got caught in possession inside United’s half and it proved costly because Barazite nipped in and scored with a low shot from 20 yards to make it 1-0.
The Dutchmen got their second on 38 minutes when scorer Yannick Cortie was given too much space and time and shot home from 25 yards. Szromnik didn’t cover himself in glory as the ball seemed to go over his outstretched arm and into the net.
Barazite then slammed a shot wide when he just had the goalie to beat.
John Rankin and Mario Bilate replaced Smith and Robbie Muirhead at the break, while Donaldson lasted only five minutes of the second half before going off injured, with Sean Dillon coming on.
United had a chance to get back into it when Blair Spittal picked out Connolly at the near post but the wee man’s shot was blocked.
Yassin Ayoub made it 3-0 on 60 minutes when he drilled another low shot past Szromnik from just outside the box.
Sneijder’s last contribution was a freekick into the side-netting before he was replaced by Charlie Telfer on 69 minutes.
In stoppage time, Utrecht added to United’s agony by grabbing a fourth when Cortie tapped in the rebound after Szromnik had saved Timo Letchert’s shot.
FC Utrecht (starting line-up): Ruiter, Van der Maarel, Kum, Ayoub, Janssen, Barazite, Ludwig, Klaiber, Rubin, Nganioni, Cortie.
United: Szromnik, Dixon, McGowan, Donaldson (Dillon 50), Durnan, Souttar, Smith (Rankin 46), Connolly (Murray 69), Sneijder (Telfer 69), Spittal (Fraser 81), Muirhead (Bilate 46). Subs not used: Zwick, McCallum, Anier.