Even if they had not beaten deadly rivals Hibs at the weekend, though, the experienced Grady would still have been expecting a tough 90 minutes at Tannadice this evening.

“Everybody in Scotland sees them as the third force just now and they have been there for the past three or four years. They are a benchmark for the rest of us, so, if we get above them this season, we will not be too far away from third,” said the striker.

United got a boost themselves on Sunday, holding a Rangers side, who had won seven games on the bounce, to a 1-1 draw. That ended a four-game losing streak in the league and, like boss Ian McCall, Grady wants to build on that result.

“It was more of a gutsy performance at Ibrox than anything else. It was not pretty, but we had a game plan and we stuck to it,” he added.

“That’s boosted our confidence. Now we have a run of games in Dundee, so we want to make the most of that and do well. The gaffer has been saying to us that Tannadice was a very hard place to come to last season and we want to get back to that.

“We know we should be higher in the league than we are and, if you can win your home games, you have a good chance of climbing the table. Now, with four games at home and one over the road, we have a chance to do that and also reach a cup semi-final.”

A special date in those coming fixtures will be the visit to his old stomping ground at Dens Park on Saturday week, but Grady is able to look at the bigger picture when he sets his goal for November.

“A derby’s always nice if you win, but I think the highlight would be getting a few wins in the next month. We’ve only had one win in the league so far and that is not enough — we all know that and want better.”

Up front on his own at Ibrox, for this game Grady is likely to be joined by either Jim McIntyre or Jason Scotland, who should be fit after missing out at the weekend because of knee trouble.

In midfield, it is likely to be a late decision over whether or not Billy Dodds is rested after his exertions at Ibrox. If he is, Algerian international Karim Kerkar is expected to make his first start for United. Meanwhile, United have been linked with a move for St Mirren goalkeeper Ludovic Roy when the transfer window opens in January.

By then, though, Tony Bullock should have recovered from a broken collar bone and the manager has been pleased with stand-in Paul Jarvie’s form and, if that continues, he may decide to stick with what he has.

Prospective Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov is expected to be in the directors box at Tannadice tonight. The millionaire Lithuanian businessman has agreed a deal in principal with Chris Robinson to take over at Tynecastle before the end of the year. His name first became known in Scotland when he was linked with similar deals at United, Dundee and Dunfermline around the turn of the year.