His 100th competitive game in charge of Dundee United was certainly one to forget for boss Jackie McNamara.
Last week’s off-field friction may have been a distraction but surely cannot be used as an excuse for such a flat performance against Ross County.
United gained pass marks in the first half but were well below par in the second and the Staggies probably deserved their narrow but precious win.
It appears the four recent games against Celtic have knocked the stuffing out of McNamara’s players although they will surely pick themselves up for Wednesday night’s derby at Dens.
However, they will certainly have to tighten up defensively Jackson Irvine scored all too easily for County’s first goal on Saturday.
They will also have to find a way to provide Nadir Ciftci with more ammunition. The Turkish striker is rarely content just to play as an out-and-out forward but against the Staggies he was dropping as far back as the halfway line in a bid to spark something on his own.
Credit though must be given to two former United players, Jim McIntyre and Billy Dodds, for the remarkable turnaround in the Staggies fortunes.
Before they took over, County looked doomed to relegation but now safety is well within their grasp.