Dundee United be sitting pretty in second spot in the Premiership but Saturday was the ugliest win of their season so far.
For what seems like an eternity now, the Tangerines’ management and players have been stressing they are not playing as well as they would like and that there is better to come from them.
While we have waited for the free-flowing football of last autumn/winter to come, when goals galore were being scored and opposition teams were being ripped apart, we have had to make do with performances and results that have earned 22 points from 10 matches.
Indeed, were it not for the heroic but nevertheless unexpected form of Hamilton Accies they would be leading the league with the end of the first quarter of the campaign just one game away.
Seven victories and a draw is a handsome return and maybe this is just going to be the way of it this season for United.
If so, then as long as the Tannadice men stay challenging near the top of the table maybe their play doesn’t need to be as bonnie as it was in those heady months leading up to last Christmas.
Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho once said: “I am ugly but what I do have is charm.”
United may not be pretty just now but they are winners.