Excitement is building at Dundee United.
The club is on the up, European football is back and there are new players heading to Tannadice.
When I say new I don’t just mean they are fresh faces – they are also new names for fans to find out about.
That only adds to the excitement.
I said already this summer I hope they mix up the signings to ensure there remains a Scottish core in the team after seeing a few head out the door.
I stand by that. But bringing in completely new names from other leagues brings its own kind of thrill.
Fans don’t have pre-conceived ideas about these players coming in from abroad or the lower leagues down south.
Iurie Iovu was not a name many had heard before he came onto United’s radar, the same for Panutche Camara from Crawley Town.
Then there’s striker Said Hamulic, who looked to be on his way to Tannadice on loan before a reported U-turn on his way to Scotland.
If that one gets rekindled it’ll be three completely new faces coming into Scottish football.
Fans don’t know what they are going to see and that in itself is exciting.
Lot of work to be done
Add in the European tie and it’s all good for the Tangerines.
There will be a lot more work to be done, Jim Goodwin has already stated he wants a bigger squad this season than he had last term.
That makes complete sense – they basically stumbled over the line into fourth last season with the small squad stretched as far as it could go by the end.
That does, though, bring a different problem for Goodwin.
And it’s an unavoidable one.
Bringing in new faces, ones from outside the Scottish football bubble, brings risk.
It takes time for players to settle, it takes time for a new team to gel.
With the European clash with UNA Strassen the very first competitive fixture of the season, United won’t have that time.
It’s a draw that has been kind to Goodwin’s side but that doesn’t mean it is a gimme.
They will have pre-season games to try to iron out as many issues that crop up as possible.
And there will be issues with so many new signings coming in, there always is. No matter how good your scouting is, you don’t really know about a player until he is already in the building.
Better team for it
The ideal situation for Goodwin would be having a month’s worth of domestic fixtures before the European stuff starts but that’s not the way things work.
It is straight in and there are no prizes for second-best.
I can’t imagine it will be a perfect performance but if United can find their way through it will be a huge moment.
They will undoubtedly be a better team for it.
And that bond between players and coach will be strengthened.
Do that and the excitement at Tannadice will only build.
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