After a false start, Dundee United will be aiming to get their league season up and running with the visit of champions Rangers to Tannadice on Saturday.
The Tangerines turned in a disappointing display in their Premiership opener at Aberdeen last weekend – succumbing to a 2-0 defeat.
It’s an unenviable task but Tam Courts’ men will be hoping to put that one behind them by getting a result against the Gers.
The Light Blues kicked off their title defence with a 3-0 home win over Livingston last Saturday as Steven Gerrard’s men look to pick up where they left off.
Although the Ibrox stars need little introduction, what did their performance against Livi tell us ahead of this weekend’s lunchtime kick off in the City of Discovery?
Full backs vital to Gers effectiveness
James Tavernier and Borna Barisic were inspiring for Rangers last term and, although Calvin Bassey replaced the latter for the campaign opener, it appears full backs will again be crucial to how they play this season.
As well as creating goals for Ianis Hagi and Scott Wright, captain Tavernier put in a match-high 12 crosses and registered the second-highest number of touches (99).
On the opposite flank, left-back Bassey made the most open play crosses (10) with four of them counting as good deliveries.
The 21-year-old also won four fouls for his team and found danger man Ryan Kent 14 times as both he and right-back Tavernier pushed the Gers up the pitch.
Davis dictates tempo
For all stopping the supply to the full backs will be important, if United are to have any hope of success against the champions, keeping Steven Davis off the ball is imperative.
The veteran midfielder dictates the tempo from the centre of the pitch in a deep-lying role.
Akin to a quarterback in American football, the 36-year-old Northern Irishman needn’t worry about covering too much ground as he sprays passes in every direction to more mobile team-mates.
Davis had over 100 touches against Livingston and a passing accuracy of 93.2%. With exactly half of his passes in the opposition half, the midfield general doesn’t simply circulate possession, he’s an attacking weapon, too.
Hagi, Kent & Co happy to go beyond
When Davis gets his head up, he is likely to see a dynamic posse of attacking midfielders in front of him.
In Hagi, Wright, Kent and Joe Aribo, Rangers have plenty of willing runners happy to get up in support of the lone striker.
In last weekend’s case, it was new boy Fashion Sakala they were getting beyond, with Hagi, essentially, leading the line and occupying the visiting defence.
Often it would be Kent on the ball forcing the issue in the final third, with the former Liverpool man totting up four key passes and two blocked shots.
Stopping all of Rangers’ threats will be a tall, probably unachievable order for the Terrors.
However, with lessons learned from the dismal Dons display and a near-5000 strong crowd behind them, United have to use the clash as an opportunity to redeem and recalibrate for the challenges that lie ahead.
To sign up for our dedicated Dundee United, Dundee and St Johnstone newsletters, click HERE.