Dundee United are flying high in the Premiership.
Saturday’s 3-0 home win over Ross County kept the tangerine momentum going.
It was an excellent win and showed just how comfortable United have become in the Premiership.
It feels difficult to even think that the Tangerines were slogging it in the Championship just a few months ago.
It’s only eight months since they were beaten 3-1 at Dunfermline and followed that up with a 1-1 draw at home to Inverness.
It’s been a seamless transition for United and full credit goes to manager Jim Goodwin, fully deserving of his new contract.
The summer brought big changes to the squad but it’s very difficult to pick out a dud signing at Tannadice.
The reason it’s been a seamless transition is that new signings have slotted in and added quality and influence.
At the start of the season fans would have been forgiven for thinking this would be a struggle of a season.
Consolidate in the top flight and try to kick on afterwards.
Instead they are one quarter into the season and sitting comfortably in the top six.
They have had poor results along the way but they now look more like blips.
Instead the momentum is with Goodwin and his side.
They’ve shown real character at times as well – coming back to earn a draw at Hibs, defeating them at home and scoring late to earn a draw at Kilmarnock.
Goodwin has made Dundee United into an effective team.
That may sound like being damned with faint praise.
However, there is a simplicity to their approach that I think has proved their secret weapon.
People across the world do like to complicate football, seeing what a Man City do and trying to emulate it.
This United side, though, concentrate on defending well and then putting the other team under pressure in attack.
Sometimes it’s as simple as putting the ball in behind the opposition defence, see Sam Dalby’s goal on Saturday for that.
Then there’s the first goal from Luca Stephenson – putting an early cross into the box, into a dangerous area and causing the defence a real problem with it.
Stephenson’s goal was a great example of putting into practice the drills you do in training – players work on those situations all the time but it’s about putting that into practice when it really matters.
Do it well and it’s really difficult for defenders to stop you.
The same goes for the third goal, an early cross and Ross County can’t deal with it.
It’s a great moment for young Owen Stirton.
United have been fortunate over the years to see young players come into the team and really impress straight away.
That’s down to the excellent coaching in the academy and the work done getting these young guys properly ready for first team football.
It’s a great example to show to all the kids at the club.
United are flying on and off the park right now.
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