Jim Goodwin in terms of pound for pound should be in the running to be the Premiership’s Manager of the Year.
The Irishman has taken Dundee United to the verge of the top six and they could clinch that with a result at Hearts this weekend.
If that is achieved then they are unlikely to rest on their laurels and would then push for Europe.
Yes, I know if Brendan Rodgers wins a treble, if Hibs were to finish stay third under David Gray or if Jimmy Thelin was to pip him at Aberdeen and then lift the Scottish Cup then it could be a whole different ball game.
As it stands, with the current facts, United haven’t spent a penny on transfer fees and the argument is there for Goodwin.
The fact is he took his squad up from the Championship and rebuilt his squad on frees and loans.
United and St Johnstone are the only two clubs in the top-flight who haven’t paid a transfer fee this season.
Celtic spent big, Rangers did what they could, Aberdeen went in big to back Thelin.
Hibs boss Gray, in fairness, has his side sitting third and has spent limited funds to get Alasana Manneh in January.
Hearts have dug deep again to back Neil Critchley and Jamestown Analytics.
St Mirren spent a fee to bring in Owen Oseni and Motherwell also paid to sign Apostolos Stamatelopoulos.
Kilmarnock purchased Robby McCrorie and Corrie Ndaba and even across the road Dundee paid money to sign Simon Murray and others.
The fee Ross County received for Murray allowed them to go out and pay fees for Ronan Hale and Joshua Nisbet. Goodwin hasn’t had such luxuries.
He has also returned to the Premiership with a budget that is a fraction of the last time they were in the the top flight.
The former St Mirren boss and his out-going head of recruitment Michael Cairney have done some sterling work bringing in the likes of Will Ferry, Kristijan Trapanovski, Vicko Sevelj, Allan Campbell and Ryan Strain on free transfers.
They have also taken full advantage of the loan system to get Jack Walton back from Luton Town, Luca Stephenson from Liverpool, Norwich City’s Emmanuel Adeboyega and of course top scorer Sam Dalby from Wrexham. There were also the likes of Ruari Paton and Lewis Fiorini.
That is also trying to balance in with the fact the club’s highest earner is still running down the burning embers of his contract.
United, in fact, turned a profit in the market selling Kevin Holt to Derry City and other academy sales
A few eyebrows were raised when American owner Mark Ogren appointed Goodwin after his time at Aberdeen ended.
There were even more raised when he decided to keep him on to get them back out of the Championship.
It is now Ogren who could be set to have the last laugh.
His team are at the right end of the Premiership and Goodwin’s success on the pitch and reduced budgets off it mean that United are now edging closer to his goal of the club being self-sufficient.
Ogren certainly deserves a break with what he has invested at Dundee United and he looks to have finally got one in Goodwin.