IN a hospitality suite at Tannadice 11 months ago, Peter Houston sat alongside chairman Stephen Thompson and explained why he would not be renewing his contract as Dundee United manager.
His reasons revolved around money. Not, he insisted, the reduced terms he was being offered but rather his diminished budget. "I have my concerns," Houston said. "I think it might be difficult in the next couple of years."
As he spoke, Thompson bristled. "We have good kids coming through for a new manager to inherit," the chairman retorted, pointedly. "I don't think that things here should be painted as bleak."
The exchange came to mind on Saturday as United delivered the signature performance of Jackie McNamara's tenure to eviscerate Motherwell. Houston lasted less than a fortnight after that awkward public disagreement and the evidence of recent weeks suggests that the former manager was misguided in his assessment; this display, especially, bolstered a growing conviction that this is a group of some promise. The XI who started in Lanarkshire had an average age of just a shade over 23 but played with such startling accomplishment that it was hard to fathom that three of the most integral components are still teenagers. 
Ryan Gauld has attracted plenty of attention - not least after signing a new contract and earning a Scotland under-21 summons last week - but it is worth reinforcing just how exciting a talent the 17-year-old is. McNamara spoke in awed tones a couple of weeks ago about how he is still "a wee boy with a man's football brain" but the manager has shown remarkable faith to employ the robust little fella as his creative fulcrum and is being richly rewarded. Gauld was peerless on Saturday. Despite confessing to feeling "groggy" after an early aerial clatter by Adam Cummins, it was Motherwell who were left dizzy by his vision, touch and passing. That he scored two fine goals was almost an afterthought.
The first of those stemmed from a ball forward by John Souttar, with whom Gauld first shared a pitch at the age of five at Brechin Boys' Club. Although the less extravagantly gifted of the pair, the centre-back delivered another mature display after again being preferred to club captain Sean Dillon as United kept the clean sheet that ensures they have the meanest defence in the SPFL Premiership. Granted, the young man who only celebrated his 17th birthday six weeks ago made a couple of wrong decisions in possession but it was instructive to note that he did not allow John Sutton to bully him in the manner he did when the sides met at Tannadice in September.
At 19, defender Andy Robertson is a comparative veteran but that should not be allowed to detract from an irrepressible performance. Another who has attracted an under-21 call, the former Queen's Park left-back caught the eye of Gordon Strachan in a bounce match during the last international break and no wonder. Defensively diligent and threatening going forward, he was untroubled by Lionel Ainsworth and could have had a hat trick had it not been for the intervention of the crossbar and an errant assistant's flag. "The manager tells me not to stay back," he said. "We know we are all good players and there's no point in us hitting the ball long because that is not our style. We go out with the belief that the coaching staff give us." 
That belief is underpinned by ability. While the teenagers shone on Saturday afternoon, they were ably assisted in attack by Stuart Armstrong, Gary Mackay-Steven and Nadir Ciftci and complemented by the resolve of Paul Paton, John Rankin, Mark Wilson and Gavin Gunning in front of goalkeeper Rado Cierzniak. That McNamara could bring David Goodwillie, Brian Graham and Morgaro Gomis off the bench spoke, too, of the depth at his disposal and it was something that Stuart McCall pointed to ruefully. 
The Motherwell manager was lavish in his praise of United but confessed that he feared for his side given that injuries and suspension had denuded him of three of his regular back four. He was still able to field an established quartet but the interval withdrawal of Cummins and then an injury to Stuart Carswell undermined any attempts to stem the damage being wreaked to his side. "Let's not be under any illusion," said Ainsworth. "They have good players, use them well in a good system and found space from nowhere but we have suspensions and injuries. We tried to match them, but it was a freak day."