THE preambles to the opening games of a season tend to be conducted with a light touch, since managers are not yet compelled to labour against the league standings, inconsistent form or talk of getting the sack.
Well, not unless you are Pat Fenlon. This is when coaches are generally able to control the conversation and as such they will wend their way through comfortable topics and encouraging themes rather than looking to duck for cover behind cliche.
Jackie McNamara ambled towards a discussion on home form yesterday. It seemed timely given that his Dundee United side will this afternoon play at Tannadice for the first time this season - Inverness Caledonian Thistle to adorn the place with a robust threat for the first time this term - even if it is far from revelatory for a manager to fix his ambition on winning more games at home that he loses.
The United manager is inclined to give such an aim his full attention, though, given how poorly his side seemed to feel at home last season, winning just four league matches at Tannadice. That paltry record has loomed large for McNamara ahead of his first full campaign in charge.
"It's always nice to do well at your home ground," he said. "It's important too because that wasn't really the case last season and it's something we have to try and correct. We gave ourselves a decent start away to [Partick] Thistle last Friday and now we want to follow that up with a win at Tannadice."
That match at Firhill comprised a goalless draw but also a rare start for Ryan Dow. The winger was preferred ahead of Gary Mackay-Steven in Glasgow and he is intent on retaining a sense of significance to United after two seasons spent shuttling in and out from the fringes of the first team.
"It was a big confidence booster to get into the starting XI on the first day of the season," said Dow. "I feel I have had a good pre-season and the manager has just told me to keep doing what I am doing. You can't let your standards drop as you saw the quality we had on the bench last Friday night.
"I see this as a massive season for myself. I am hoping to keep my place and get a good run of games. I have always said that is all I am wanting - not in and out."
His ambitions are modest and so are in keeping with his stature, yet his club might come to consider a far grander aim later in the campaign. The push to claim second place is thought to be between United, Aberdeen and Motherwell this season, although Terry Butcher is confident that there are other clubs which will feel capable of tucking in behind Celtic too.
"A lot of teams will fancy themselves," said the Inverness manager, whose side finished fourth last term. "A lot of people fancied Dundee United last year but it didn't quite happen. I think second place is up for grabs for everyone."
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