If there’s a group of fans in the country who don’t need warned about false dawns, it has to be those at Dundee United.
Since their team was relegated the best part of two-and-a-half years ago, Arabs have seen things look good for a time under Ray McKinnon and the same thing repeated under Csaba Laszlo.
In the months that followed, however, optimism turned to frustration as the Tangerines went reasonably close to promotion back to the Premiership, but ultimately failed to secure it.
Particularly in the case of McKinnon, that was not all his fault, and with hindsight he should probably have been given more time to get United back up to the top division.
That’s a story for another day as now the focus among fans is very much on how Robbie Neilson, their club’s fifth manager in three years, is going to do.
Past early promise that led to heartache, however, is why, despite an excellent opening victory against Partick Thistle at Firhill on Saturday, many will remain cautious and not yet be getting carried away about what the new gaffer is going to achieve.
That’s understandable and right, because never mind once, this is a case of twice bitten, third time shy.
Fans have the right to wait for events of the coming months to unfold before deciding if Neilson, while without question the obvious choice as manager, is indeed the man to lead United back to the Premiership.
What they can be is encouraged by the start he made at Thistle. For the first time in a while, there was a spark and energy about the team that suggests they have the quality to mount a strong and successful promotion challenge.
Having suggested that, through no fault of Neilson or his players, this was maybe not the best game on which to judge them.
While United’s play for most of the proceedings was excellent, there is no doubt in Thistle they were facing a beleaguered outfit that looks to still be coming to terms with a relegation.
Two games against the Tangerines this season have seen them well-beaten and fortunate the margin of their defeats were not considerably greater. They are in the process of finding a new manager to replace Alan Archibald and it’s clear the man who comes in has a very big job on his hands.
As the old adage goes, however, Neilson and his players could only beat what was put in front of them and in his first game in charge victory was achieved in some style.
And aspects of the performance mean Arabs do have good reason to feel optimistic about their team’s prospects.
After just a few days working with the new boss, Saturday saw a United team that looked reinvigorated and one that, apparently, had a clear idea of what the game plan was. Too often that was not the case under his predecessor Laszlo.
That produced a top performance and fine individual displays, not least from man-of-the-match Paul McMullan.
Less than two months ago it appeared his time at Tannadice could be up. On the evidence of his display at Thistle, the former Scotland U/21 could now be ready to show why McKinnon battled so hard to get him.
And if the work he, and others, did on the ball gave plenty of reason to look forward to the games that lie ahead, so too did the ferocious way the entire team battled to get it back when Partick had possession.
Particularly under Laszlo, opposing teams were given too much time in possession, but now United look like a side that will get the ball back quickly.
It’s why, while not getting ahead of themselves, United fans can again feel hopeful about their team.
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