It didn’t exactly require deep insight to ascertain why Rangers supporters flooded into Tannadice feeling both enthused and anxious at the outset of the new campaign.

For the past three years, the sound of the starting pistol has caught their side off guard and seen it come stumbling out of the blocks.

Michael Beale lost his first game at Kilmarnock. Philippe Clement and Russell Martin drew with Hearts and Motherwell, respectively. Immediately, the storm clouds began to gather.

While Derek McInnes’ history with the club should afford him a little more patience and understanding than his predecessors, both the manager and the rank and file will be miffed that old failings befell this new-look side.

There could be few complains at the outcome. Rangers didn’t control enough of the game, they didn’t fashion enough chances and were sloppy in front of goal. The looked unsure of themselves throughout a difficult evening.

There’s significant scope for improvement before they travel to face Polish side Jagiellonia in the Europa League qualifier next week.

Derek McInnes must now pick his players up ahead of Thursday’s Europa League trip to Poland

After a decent start, the Ibrox men fell behind to Lachlan Rose’s goal shortly before the break.

They improved to an extent after the break, levelling through Thelo Aasgaard, but just didn’t build on the moment.

They left the arena with their heads bowed, the outcome a long way from the one they’d worked throughout pre-season to earn.

This was an encouraging watch for United supporters. They know there’s a good side in there somewhere. It was only witnessed sporadically last season.

They must hope that this gutsy display proves to be the turning of a page and that those in Tangerine begin to do their talents justice more frequently.

United might well even have won it late on but will feel encouraged by how they matched Rangers.

United had good reason to believe they could get off to a flying start. Even though their four League Cup matches included an embarrassing slip-up at Montrose, in terms of getting competitive minutes in legs, they would have served a purpose.

They also took the field with the knowledge that neither Rangers nor Celtic won at Tannadice last season.

Jim Goodwin started six of his summer signings — including Rose, who’d already found the net three times in those early group stage run-outs.

On his return to the stadium that he called home for three years towards the end of his playing days, McInnes selected four of his eight new faces to start — Ivor Pandur, Ben Godfrey, Cammy Devlin and Lawrence Shankland — with the other four on the bench.

New boy Lachlan Rose finished from close range to give United the lead before the break

It was a chaotic start with both sides desperate to get the upper hand.

Thelo Aaasgaard was the first player to exhibit some quality with his dancing feet taking him away from two opponents. He found Ryan Naderi whose deft touch picked out Shankland. A back heel from Rangers’ new skipper worked Jack Walton.

Fighting for every ball, the visitors forced a succession of set-plays. Poor delivery from Aasgaard ensured they amounted to nothing.

It took a while for United to show any real composure. It came in the form of a superb through ball from Vicko Sevelj which opened up Rangers’ defence.

Rose looked certain to slide the opener beyond Pandur until Manny Fernandez executed a superb sliding tackle.

Rangers certainly weren’t shy about going long to Shankland and Naderi but the duo didn’t win enough challenges to secure possession in the final third. There was also a lack of ideas from those running off them.

United began to look more dangerous. A delightful touch from Will Ferry saw Zac Sapsford scampering towards goal. The forward got the better of Godfrey then smashed his shot into the stand.

It was brilliantly feisty. Emmanuel Agyei and Devlin snapped and snarled into tackle after tackle. How their respective sets of supporters loved it.

McInnes was indebted to Tuur Rommens for doing just enough to hold up Sapsford with the unmarked Jesse Randall screaming for a pass.

Agyei thought he’d found the opener when he cushioned the ball towards goal with his right foot following a corner. Aasgaard did well to get something on the strike and see it round the post.

Thelo Aasgaard equalised for the visitors with a fine left-footed strike in to the top corner

With his side needing a moment of inspiration to make the breakthrough, Dujon Sterling stepped infield on his right foot and sent a shot narrowly wide with his left.

Has Scottish football ever witnessed a goal involving three Australians and a Kiwi? Coming on 38 minutes, United’s opener was surely a first.

It stemmed from Joshua Rawlins playing a crisp pass into the feet of Randall, the odd man out among the four. Randall’s cross was cleverly stepped over by Sapsford, a move which took Godfrey out of the game.

From five yards out, with Fernandez nowhere to be seen, Rose almost stumbled over the ball. Yet, he got just enough purchase on it to find the far corner of the net. After a stick start, United were good value for their interval lead.

Rangers’ task at the break was hard to overstate. In the previous 15 games where they’d scored first, United hadn’t lost.

How would McInnes react? The answer came when the ineffective Naderi and Djeidi Gassama remained indoors and Youssef Chermiti and Dan Neil shed their tracksuits. Neil’s forgettable first contribution was to pick up a booking for going in late in Agyei.

Chermiti’s impact was more positive, his ability to play the ball round the corner allowing his side to get United facing their own goal.

From a corner, Fernandez’s header forced Walton to save unconvincingly at the second attempt.

Aasgaard then let fly from 25 yards. Walton’s response was much better — saving superbly to his left.

Sevelj was the next man to find his name written in referee Nick Walsh’s book for taking out Mohamed Diomande as Rangers broke.

Rangers were left frustrated after failing to find a late winner at Tannadice

McInnes had got the response he wanted. The goal he desired came in short order.

Shankland and Michael Forbes contested an aerial ball on the edge of the box. The home side’s defender inadvertently headed the ball across goal and into Aasgaard’s path. The Norwegian’s left foot strike was clean as they come, whistling away from the helpless Walton and emphatically finding the far corner.

Rangers belatedly found their rhythm and their range of passing. You sensed the momentum of the game was shifting. United simply had to hang in there. The departure of Rose, with what looked like a muscle strain, did them no favours.

Yet they dug in. And as the minutes ticked down, Rangers’ anxiety grew. The visitors looked to be running out of ideas.

United should have struck again when sub Daniel Bennie played an outstanding cross-field pass to Randall. The less said about the attempt to chip Pandur, the better.

Chermiti then worked Walton with a low strike but found was no way through. At the death, Diomade creamed for a penalty but Welsh wasn’t interested.

Over the piece, though, a share of the spoils felt like the right outcome.