“Now I just want to get down to working with the players because that’s what it is really all about and that’s why I am here.”

The £200,000-plus the Tangerines had to fork out also sees Brewster’s management team of assistant Malky Thompson and coaches Stevie Campbell and Peter Davidson make the journey down the A9 and he is pleased to have the men he worked so well with at ICT at his side.

“Doing well at a football club is all about having the right teams. You want the right team on the park and to get that you need the right team at management level and also the right team in the boardroom, so I am pleased I’ve got the guys here.”

He would make no rash predictions about how high he could take United or even the chances of catching Caley in the race for the top six this season, but, having watched the victory over Falkirk yesterday from the stand, he is satisfied he has something to work with.

“First off, I was delighted for Billy Dodds that he got a win, because it has been a very difficult situation for him, but he has obviously handled it well and prepared the team properly.

“It has been a difficult week for the players as well and they did well to come out with the three points. I’m not one, though, for making predictions and what I am aiming for is to bring some consistency to the club.

“There is no point in winning one game and then losing the next three or four. What we want is to reach a level and maintain it most weeks.

“There will be good days and bad days, but, overall, if you can get a level of consistency then the results will follow.”

And the 1994 Scottish Cup Final hero believes there is no secret ingredient to finding the success he wants. He’s made it clear his new charges can expect graft and plenty of it.

“Every chairman, every manager and every player wants to win and the best way I know of doing that is to work hard. That’s what we did at Caley and over 14 months there we can say that any success we had was deserved, not flukey.

“It was hard to leave, but there is great potential at United and it is down to me to find it and turn it into results during what I see as a long-term project.”

Fans can expect to see the man who last played for United in 1996 back in a tangerine jersey before too long and he confirmed he will be available for selection this weekend when he comes up against old mates Jimmy Calderwood and Jimmy Nicholl for the second clash in a fortnight with Aberdeen.

“I will be continuing as a player as well, but we will have to see how training goes this week before I know if I will be involved.

“It’s a nice game for me to start with because the two Jimmys were my mentors when I played for them at Dunfermline and they are football people through and through.”

Meanwhile, as Brewster arrived, heading through the exit at Tannadice to complete his move to Celtic was star full-back Mark Wilson.

He was at Parkhead for a medical this morning and to discuss personal terms and his long-awaited £500,000 switch was expected to be completed today.

After days of negotiating with Inverness, Eddie Thompson was happy to be able to formally introduce his new team boss today.

“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Craig Brewster back to Tannadice. Like all Dundee United supporters, we have kept a keen eye on Craig’s career since leaving the club and, when it became apparent we had to consider the possibility of changing managers, Craig came into immediate consideration,” he said.

“We have been very impressed by the way he has outlined his plans for the club and, while there are no guarantees in football, we are confident that Craig is the man to take Dundee United forward in the long- term.”

As well as the staff he is bringing from Inverness, Brewster intends retaining the services of coach Tony Docherty.

It was confirmed Billy Dodds had left with immediate effect and, while United would only say discussions were taking place with other members of the backroom staff, it is understood that long-serving Dave Bowman is also on his way.

“From our point of view, we have not had any inquiries about Steven, but I see clubs linked to him and I will have a word with him. From my point of view, he is definitely not a player I want to lose,” he said today.

“To be honest, I do not think I’ve seen the best of Steven in my time here, but I believe that is maybe down to the fact he has been trying too hard and needs to relax a wee bit.

“He is a very good player, though, and an important member of the squad and I do want to hang on to him.”

Alan’s bid to bring players in will continue with another scouting trip to England this week, but while he has also pencilled in a bounce game against Falkirk for Wednesday, there are unlikely to be any trialists involved.

“We’ll use that to give people match practice, though, with the weather we’ve had, there could be a doubt about the game going ahead,” he added.

“We were going to play it on Dens, but the surface cut up a lot and by the end on Saturday it was looking a bit sorry, so I would like to find another pitch to give it a chance to recover.”

The goalless draw with Ross County saw several players, Bobby Mann, Simon Lynch and young keeper Scott Murray among them, pick up knocks. At this stage, though, none of them are giving too much cause for concern.

And there was good news over the weekend of injured defender Lee Wilkie. His damaged knee was put through a strength test in Glasgow on Friday and the results were encouraging.

As a result, he was involved in part of the first-team training today.

Goran Stanic was taken off against Clyde as he was suffering from the sickness bug which made him a doubt for the game, but he should be fit enough to face Stranraer.