Expectation levels among football fans differ by nature.
Some set them too high and end up disappointed, some aim too low and lose interest altogether.
Many Dundee United fans are currently caught between those two stools.
Recent results show that the failure to add quality to a squad which was struggling towards the end of the Championship race has been costly.
The Covid situation and subsequent drop in income has arguably made it difficult to add improved talent, but it looks like Marc McNulty on loan, may be the only recognisable addition of decent calibre.
Micky Mellon’s early positive messages about giving the youngsters a chance and reminding folk about Dundee United’s stature are now jaded in the view of some more impatient supporters.
Fans are concerned with an unsteady central defence and a lack of creativity in midfield.
McNulty as partner to Shankland and the acquisition of Jeando Fuchs in midfield will hopefully improve results, but the stirrings of unrest among some fans is now evident.
Results need to improve soon or questions, which are bubbling to the surface over both the manager and those in charge at Tannadice, may boil over.
Under Jim McLean, United were on a par with Alex Ferguson’s great Aberdeen sides as they challenged the might of the Old Firm, to become the New Firm.
Sadly those days have gone and are unlikely to return.
However the Dons have fared better than United since then and unlike the Tangerines have never been out of the top league.
Hailing from a one club city and having greater wealth means they can outgun the Tannadice side for quality, but it shouldn’t be an unbridgeable gap as it is with the Glasgow duo.
The meeting of the pair this weekend will indicate how far United have to travel to recover the ground they’ve lost over a long period against a club they should be aspiring to emulate.
St Johnstone’s seven-goal demolition of Brechin last weekend was a confidence-builder.
A Stevie May hat-trick and four different scorers was reward for a team with everything in place except goals.
The great Hungarian sides of the fifties, the Mighty Magyars, were big believers in playing matches against much weaker opponents in which they could rattle in barrowloads of goals.
Nothing breeds confidence like regularly rattling the rigging.
Saints might not be the new Magyars, but they’ve players who are capable of scoring goals, as last Saturday proved.
The trick is to repeat it at Premiership level.
I said last week Scotland would need to settle for hard graft in place of scintillating football, but with the win over the Czech Republic in midweek meaning eight games now unbeaten, that’s no hardship.
The Czechs are rated forty fifth in the world, but have traditionally produced some fine players and have been a strong football nation: indeed we enjoyed fortuitous luck against them in our victory.
Defensively we’ve become difficult to penetrate, and are finding the secret to nicking a goal and hanging on for a win.
Hard graft and slog mightn’t be exciting, but it’s paying dividends.