After a defeat, it is not unusual to hear a manager say there were still positives to take from the game.
That was certainly not the case for a shell-shocked Ray McKinnon after he had watched his Dundee United side come in a distant second best behind St Mirren on Saturday.
Plus marks were notable by their absence for the players wearing tangerine with Jack Ross’s Buddies well worth their win.
The home side scored three cracking goals although there have to be questions asked about the amount of time and space Lewis Morgan and Ian McShane had as they netted.
That lack of closing down was a symptom of a deeper malaise that seemed to grip the United players collectively on Saturday.
If there was any “positive” of a sort to take from the defeat and performance it is that it has come early in the season when necessary steps can be taken to ensure it never happens again.
United were rightly installed as favourites to win the Championship title and promotion back to the Premiership but this game starkly showed once again that this is one incredibly division to extricate yourself from.
However, it would be churlish not to praise St Mirren. United may have had an incredibly-bad day at the office but the Buddies and Morgan in particular were hugely impressive.
On this evidence, the Paisley side will definitely have further interest in the gifted 20-year-old before the transfer window closes.
