Amid a tumultuous week at Dundee United following the departure of manager Jack Ross, transfer deadline day was an oasis of calm for the Tangerines.
No fraught negotiations, no ducking and diving, no sneaking a ninth summer signing under the wire at 11.50pm.
That speaks to United’s satisfaction with their business.
Many will disagree. After all, the Tangerines are bottom of the Premiership with one point and a goal difference of -16 after five matches.
However, Tannadice chiefs are content with their eight signings; Dylan Levitt, Steven Fletcher, Jamie McGrath, Craig Sibbald, Mark Birighitti, Aziz Behich, Glenn Middleton and Sadat Anaku.
It is a group which contains 104 international caps and a swathe of top-level experience in Scotland and abroad. United have quite clearly snapped up several talented footballers.
Nevertheless, a few key questions remain regarding the balance and depth of the United squad — and Courier Sport tackles them here.
Can Mark Birighitti or Carljohan Eriksson excel as No1?
Replacing Benji Siegrist was always going to be an unenviable task.
Even so, the teething problems between the sticks have been perceptible.
Australian stopper Mark Birighitti was signed from Central Coast Mariners after being named A-League goalkeeper of the year for the last two campaigns. He has been capped once by the Socceroos.
After solid showings in a 1-1 draw at Kilmarnock and the 1-0 win over AZ Alkmaar at Tannadice, his form fell off a cliff.
He shipped seven goals in the return leg against AZ and seemed visibly nervy in a subsequent 4-1 defeat at Hearts. Conceding 11 goals in two matches is an understandably devastating blow to one’s self-belief.
Birighitti was taken out of the firing line and replaced with Carljohan Eriksson, the Finland international who was signed from Mjallby in January but only made his United debut last month.
Eriksson conceded 12 goals in two matches against St Mirren and Celtic, albeit pinning culpability on him when the entire team was a shambles seems rather mean-spirited.
Nevertheless, he is visibly finding his feet in Scottish football. The physicality; the deep crosses; the crowding in the box — it is all evidently a far cry from the Swedish Allsvenskan.
Dundee United 0-9 Celtic, watch all the goals that spelled the end of Jack Ross' tenure ⤵️
— BBC Sport Scotland (@BBCSportScot) August 30, 2022
But those are United’s options.
So, can either Birighitti or Eriksson stake their claim, bounce back from early travails and help United away from the foot of the Premiership?
Can United prevail without a defensive midfielder?
Dundee United have not replaced Calum Butcher.
Moreover, they haven’t replaced Jeando Fuchs.
There is a vacuum in the squad list where there would ordinarily be a snapping, snarling Terrors terrier.
As explained by now-departed head coach Jack Ross, this was a decision made with a view to crafting a more expressive, attacking United side.
Nevertheless, it is hard to shake the feeling that a figure akin to Butcher or Fuchs would have been beneficial as sides like St Mirren and Hearts cut the Tangerines open (and Celtic to an extent, albeit one player would have made scant difference).
Ross described that as an “easy excuse”. Perhaps he is right. After all, against Livingston on Wednesday night, the midfield three of Dylan Levitt, Ian Harkes and Jamie McGrath were tireless and effective.
Whether United can continue that combative, resilient streak — even without a traditional ‘destroyer’ — will be a pivotal question in the coming months.
Is there enough depth in attack?
It was a move deemed beneficial for all parties. Clark will play more regularly, Saints get a much-needed proven top-flight attacker and United pocket some pennies.
⏰Nicky Clark's late double helped Dundee Utd beat Ross County 2-1 & end a run of six straight defeats👇 pic.twitter.com/CLUoAnRaTF
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) January 27, 2022
However, Clark did notch 10 goals last term.
Tony Watt — excellent against Livi in midweek, it should be said — has scored once since joining in January and Anaku is an unproven forward who has never played outside Uganda.
After that, you hit the very talented, but very-much-still-16 Rory MacLeod.
That puts quite a bit of pressure on 35-year-old Steven Fletcher to stay fit and firing.
Can Scott McMann and Liam Smith do a job at centre-half when required?
Dundee United have three senior centre-halves and, given its success at Livi, will almost certainly persist with a back-three.
Lewis Neilson departed for Hearts and Mark Connolly — although not in the picture last term — exited for Derry City.
The Tangerines must now hope Ross Graham, Ryan Edwards and 36-year-old Charlie Mulgrew remain available for the vast majority of fixtures.
An injury to any of the trio would be problematic — albeit there is still a free agent market.
Even in the best case scenario, It would be foolish to think all three can play every minute of every match.
As such, Liam Smith and Scott McMann are likely to be called upon in that role. They have both been deployed there in the past. Last season’s 1-1 draw with Celtic at Tannadice, during which they flanked Edwards in a stoic 3-5-2, particularly stands out.
If they can ably deputise when needed, then the paucity of centre-halves may not be as troublesome as some reasonably fear.
