Dundee United have sold 5,100 season books.
That clearly indicates there’s a solid base on which to rebuild the trust that Tannadice chief executive Luigi Capuano thinks has been lost between club and fans.
There’s little to be gained from rehashing the mistakes made which have led United back to the Championship, and we’ll only see if lessons have truly been learned once the season is well underway.
Only then can fans decide whether those running the club have charted the right course back to the Premiership.
Disharmony in the stands is the last thing the club needs. It can become corrosive as it did in Stephen Thompson’s final days as chairman.
United have cleared the decks of their big earners for a more fiscally prudent regime.
That season book base, impressive though it is, would scarcely cover the playing wage bill and Utd have estimated a drop of up to £4million in lost revenue.
Kissing goodbye to extravagant salaries won’t break any hearts, other than those foregoing them. After all, it was those big-hitters who failed to justify their top wages by getting the club relegated.
Some supporters have criticised owner Mark Ogren – and he’s undoubtedly made mistakes – but football isn’t an exact science and it wasn’t so long ago that things looked tickety-boo.
Ogren is the main creditor though and, despite some supporters’ fanciful claims of other buyers waiting in the wings, he is, we’re told, re-energised as preparations begin to return to the top tier.
Let’s hope that he is ready for the fray, because there aren’t that many folk willing or able to step up to the plate to buy a football club and, unless he’s willing to take a serious hit on his investment, which I doubt very much, he’s going nowhere.
So, with five new signings in and double that going out the door, United will be relying less on costly names and more on men with the steel and desire to wear the tangerine with the pride it deserves, but which was lacking from too many of those who’ve departed.
The goalkeeping situation has been addressed and it’s good to see former Dundee goalie Paul Mathers appointed as the new keepers’ coach. He has solid experience in the role and was a fine keeper himself.
The signing of highly-rated Jack Walton on loan from Luton suggests that Mark Birighitti will be on his way shortly and, in the eyes of United fans, that’ll be no great loss since he’s struggled to impose himself as a commanding, quality stopper.
Now the urgent task for boss Jim Goodwin is to recruit one – and preferably two – strikers who can help fire the club back to the top.
Luigi Capuano’s admission that trust has been damaged with the fans is welcome, and all but the most bitter of supporters will forgive quickly if United can promptly show that they’re bringing in the right type of players.
Those with a winning mentality and the key attribute that big wages don’t guarantee; strength of character, will very quickly win the hearts of Arabs.
