Dundee United manager Robbie Neilson has raised the ghost of winters past as a reason for the Tangerines to crack on over Christmas.
United head to Gayfield on Saturday to face Arbroath on a run of seven successive victories in the Championship.
That has catapulted them into a commanding 10-point lead at the top of the table and the feelgood factor is coursing through the corridors at Tannadice.
However, the Tangerines have had winter wobbles in each of the three previous campaigns so don’t want another one.
In season 2016-17, they won just three league matches out of eight over December and January, four out of eight the next year and then only two out of seven last time.
The good news is that they are already two wins to the good this month and another bleak midwinter slump looks extremely unlikely.
Nevertheless, Neilson warned: “We have had a really good start to the season but for the last three years this has been the period where the team has struggled.
“After coming down from the Premiership that first year, the first 16 games were great but then from the next 20 games they only won five. The following year it was only eight.
“I don’t know the ins and outs as I wasn’t at the club back then,” added Neilson.
“Games do come thick and fast and it’s a different type of football you have to play during the winter compared to the start of the season when the pitches are nice and everyone is fit.
“Therefore, it is important you find a different way of winning at this time of the season – like we did down at Morton – and it will be the same at Arbroath.
“I think we understand that this is the time of the year when the league will be won and lost so it’s up to us to continue this good form and not get too carried away.
“From my perspective, it is quite easy just to stay focused but it is my job to make sure they players are the same.
“It’s all got to be about the next game and we can’t start looking into February or March time.
“We are in a great position just now and the reason for that is the fact we have focused on things game-by-game.
“I am delighted to be in this position but I would rather be in it come the end of the season.”
United have received a fitness boost going into their clash against the fifth-placed Lichties.
Paul McMullan, who missed the 2-1 win over Morton at Cappielow on Tuesday night with a groin injury, will be available.
Neilson said: “Paul will be fine and we are hopeful he will be able to do a full day’s training ahead of the game.
“He had a problem in the match against Alloa, and he’d had it for a month or two before that.”
On the negative side, Peter Pawlett will be sidelined for a while yet.
The United manager confirmed: “Pawlett is going to be out for another couple of weeks.
“He rolled his ankle in training and the scan has come back indicating that will be the time period.
“We are disappointed with that but one positive is that Cammy Smith is back after he missed the Morton game.”
That trip to a wet and windy Greenock proved to be hugely satisfying for the Tangerines thanks to goals from Louis Appere and the returning Lawrence Shankland.
Neilson is expecting a similar test at Gayfield, saying: “Morton have been very strong at home so it was just good to get back up the road with the three points.
“It’s another tough venue at Arbroath on Saturday.
“Dick Campbell has done a phenomenal job there over the past couple of years.
“They kept the majority of the squad over the summer so they had good continuity coming up.
“If you look at the last two games, they have had two great draws against Dundee and then Ayr United.
“I really enjoyed it when Dick was here with Arbroath earlier in the season.
“Obviously, they were winning 1-0 and then we turned it round late on (Shankland scored twice).
“To be honest, I have not been surprised with how well they have done this season.
“They’ve got great experience, a strong back-four, good midfield and then the likes of Bobby Linn up front.”
