Dundee United boss Craig Levein is desperate for his players to get off to a better start this season than last. Tipped by many to claim a European place, Levein's men propped up the entire SPL at the start of September until a dramatic reversal of fortune.

He said: "It is very important to get off to a good start.

"We found to our cost last season that a poor start can leave you playing catch-up and that's not a place you want to be.

"We were bottom of the league after five games last season and I can tell you it's not nice.

"This year, we're looking to get off to a much better start and hopefully we'll all be sleeping easier at nights.

"We've talked about what happened last season; the players have been warned about it.

"But I don't think there's any chance of people's focus slipping this time. We're physically ready and I can see from training that the lads are up for it."