Tom Duthie: Results all that matter for Dundee United

I’m aware that if my lavish praise of new Dundee United boss Ray McKinnon continues, people will get suspicious of my motives.

It is becoming a bit of a bromance.

But I have to say when you sit down and chat with him it’s hard not to be impressed.

Not unlike Paul Hartley over the road at Dundee, he has a definite plan and a clear image in his mind of how he wants his team to shape up.

You’d be surprised how many managers fail to give that impression when they sit down to talk football.

Here’s the reality, though.

As encouraging as McKinnon’s work so far has been, we are still at the “phoney war” stage of his time in charge.

A ball has not yet been kicked in anger and, until one has, no one will be in a position to judge how successful he’s going to be at Tannadice.

As his first manager at United was fond of saying, in football only one thing measures success or failure. . .

Results.