The chat in the Tannadice press box prior to kick-off on Saturday afternoon was dominated by predictions as to how Hibs would set up under new boss Marink Reedijk.
Everyone took a stab at it, each of us offering a slight variation to the suggestion that had gone before. The truth is, nobody had a clue.
As it turned out, none of it ended up being particularly relevant to deciding the outcome of this one-sided affair, which was settled by a scrappy first-half goal from Daniel Bennie.
You see, for all the talk of shapes, systems and styles, Hibs’ 1-0 defeat here can be put down to one simple thing: a lack of quality.
And that’s got nothing to do with the man on the sidelines.
You lost count of the number of times the visitors – who had Jacob Devaney sent off late on – ventured forward with promise, only for a sloppy pass or poor touch to kill the momentum stone dead. There were several guilty of it.
New Hibs boss Marink Reedijk shows his frustration during the 1-0 defeat by Dundee United
United’s Daniel Bennie races off to celebrate after scoring the game’s only goal at Tannadice
Martin Boyle has his shot blocked on a day that showed the shortage of quality in Hibs’ squad
Ante Suto had a shocker. Record-signing Thibault Klidje barely got a kick. Owen Elding looked lost. Josh Mulligan spurned a wonderful early opportunity then disappeared.
Nobody at the top end of the pitch turned up.
Even when that trio were hooked early in the second half, nothing much changed. It was so frustrating to watch, but not all that surprising.
This is a problem which has plagued Hibs for quite some time now. Good luck trying to solve it Marink.
Dundee United were every bit as bad when it came to taking their opportunities, but at least they created some.
On another day, Lyall Cameron could have had a hat-trick of assists. In the end, he had to settle for just the one.
The on-loan Rangers midfielder marked his 24th birthday with an outstanding display in the middle of the park.
Every time he got on the ball, he looked to go forward. Hibs couldn’t cope with him, or indeed Zidane Iqbal behind him.
The Iraqi international barely broke sweat, and already looks to be an excellent acquisition. One of many, in fact.
Indeed, of the 11 who started the game for United, only Bert Esselink was on the books last season.
Little wonder it’s been an up-and-down start to the campaign for Jim Goodwin with what is essentially a completely new squad.
But that’s two wins and two clean sheets on the bounce now. They finally look to have the makings of a right good team.
