Dundee United lost their mojo just as the Championship season started on Saturday.
Over 7,000 fans turned up at Tannadice for the opener against Queen of the South, with all but a couple of dozen of them hoping for a United win.
That they didn’t get what they wanted was largely due to a flat display from the Tangerines in a first half that ended with them deservedly behind.
The performance from Ray McKinnon’s men improved markedly after the break and they equalised thanks to Nick van der Velden’s fabulous goal, a strike that left you wondering if there will be a better one seen at the stadium all season.
Overall, though, the result has to be seen as a disappointment.
This just wasn’t the bright start to a long and demanding campaign the United fans craved.
However, the Tangerines are better than they showed in that first half or even in the second.
They need to keep the tempo up for the 90 minutes, something they did in the Betfred Cup game against Dunfermline the previous weekend.
The Tangerines now face Premiership opposition tomorrow at Tannadice when Partick Thistle come calling in the cup.
It is the league that matters more than anything else for United but a good night against the Jags can maybe restore some of the spark that deserted them for much of the Queens game.
