Following four wins in as many games to open their league campaign, many, this writer included, had Dundee United down as strong favourites for the Championship title.
Oh how folly that opinion now seems as things have unravelled slightly since then and United’s title credentials are under question.
I was looking forward to a season of following a team as they cantered to the league championship but that certainly will not be the case now.
United remain towards the top, however, and are still considered the team to beat.
Although, with no one club taking advantage or looking significantly stronger than the rest, this tightest of second-tier opening quarters looks set to continue for the whole campaign.
A frontrunner will no doubt emerge but, right now, there are no real favourites.
That should raise alarm bells for the Terrors and they must know it is now up to them to flex their promotion muscles once again and show why they should be competing in the Premiership next term.
Starting a fresh winning run with victory against Dunfermline at Tannadice this afternoon would go a long way to doing so.
Although, make no bones about it, the Pars are in a rich vein of form themselves and will see today’s clash as a chance to push up the table towards the promotion play-offs as they attempt to end their even-longer wait for top-flight football.
Unbeaten in their last four, Stevie Crawford’s men will be a tough nut to crack as the Tangerines look to put recent defeats away to Queen of the South and Alloa behind them.
Those results, the mauling in Dumfries in particular, have placed Robbie Neilson’s side under the spotlight even more so than usual.
Their struggles on the road are a concern and something which has reared its head already this season.
The Terrors must deal with that but being at home surely gives them an edge most teams in this division don’t have.
Perfect at Tannadice so far this season, with four wins from four and a brilliant 18 goals scored, keeping that kind of form up all season means they won’t be far away if they can sort out their travel sickness.
Three of their wins, against Inverness, Dundee and Morton, have been straightforward.
The late 2-1 success against Arbroath was more hard-fought, and that could be the case again today,
What is for certain, though, is three points are already a must.
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