Centre-half Mark Durnan has issued an eve-of-season warning Dundee United must treat every team in the Championship as potential promotion rivals.
The league campaign kicks off against the defender’s former club Queen of the South today with many pundits billing the race to the Premiership as a two-horse event between the Tangerines and Hibs.
His experience of the second tier, though, tells him viewing it that way would prove fatal.
And he uses his time as a Doonhamer to illustrate why.
“You can’t rule out any teams in this league,” said the 23-year-old.
“When I was at Queens we beat Rangers twice in one season — but lost to Cowdenbeath twice as well.
“That’s the kind of league it is and you have to treat every game properly.
“You need to be aware you can’t just be up for the big games, you need to be up for the Dumbartons and Ayr Uniteds as well. It’s about being professional.”
And much as he is looking forward to facing his old side, he knows United will have to be on top form to take full points from their opener.
“I had three good years there winning promotion and then making the play-offs two years in a row.
“We won the Challenge Cup as well, so they were good times for me and the club. I really enjoyed it and it will be good to see a few familiar faces, though there have been a lot of changes since I left.
“A few of us moved on last summer and now a new manager (Gavin Skelton) has come in and brought his own players with him.
“The team is quite different to what it was when I was there but there’s a core of good players — excellent professionals who have served the club really well — and I think they’ll have a decent season.”
He believes the same applies to United and, while no one at Tannadice is making any bold predictions, it’s quite clear there is a quiet determination to make sure the time out of the Premiership does not extend beyond a single season.
The first step towards that has been putting the disaster that was last term where it belongs — firmly in the past.
“One thing the manager did as soon as he came in the door was drill into the boys heads that last season is done, we can’t do anything about it.
“It’s all been about being positive and looking to what’s ahead — and that’s what we’ve done from day one.”
United go in boosted by a respectable performance in the Betfred Cup group stages that’s seen them progress to a last-16 tie against Partick Thistle at Tannadice this coming Tuesday.
Durnan is delighted about that but nothing will deflect his attention from the importance of Championship League business.
“Our bread and butter is the league, that’s where we want to be successful,” he added.
“Obviously, the cups are important as well — and why wouldn’t you want to go on a good cup run?
“I did really enjoy the group games and found them quite exciting.
“The big thing was we were getting competitive games early on and that has to be a good way to prepare for the league season.
“We wanted to do well in these games and set ourselves up for the league campaign and we have done.
“Now we’re ready to get started and this is our priority, everybody knows that.
“We’re a new team but it’s been a good pre-season for us.
“The boys have gelled well and it’s a good dressing-room to be in.
“We feel we are ready for what lies ahead.”
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