On August 22nd, in the second round of the Scottish Premiership, Dundee United hosted newly promoted Inverness. Perhaps due to the perceived weakness of their opponent, or perhaps at the request of the fans, Peter Houston started Bruce in this match.
Since the UEFA Cup qualifiers, Bruce had become quite popular among Dundee United fans.
However, Bruce did not perform well in this match; in fact, he performed poorly.
In his post-match self-reflection, Bruce realized that he had spent almost the entire game locked in close combat with opposing defenders. A winger whose primary role is to create opportunities for teammates through dribbling and passing is unlikely to achieve good results if he spends the entire match entangled with opponents.
But Bruce wasn't the worst performer on the team; the worst performer was Cadamatri, the striker Dundee United signed this summer.
Dundee United's overall strength was no worse than their opponents'. Even though Bruce didn't perform well on the right wing, the other midfielders still created a lot of opportunities. However, Cadamatri, highly regarded by Houston and tactically assigned as the team's striker, wasted chances, which repeatedly left the team vulnerable to counter-attacks.
Ultimately, Dundee United suffered a humiliating 0-4 defeat at home to Inverness.
"You only lost by three goals to Liverpool at home before, but you lost by four goals to a newly promoted team this time. You guys are really something!!" This was a fan's angry shout that Bruce heard as he left the stadium after the game.
Bruce realized that the Scottish Premiership was not an easy place for him to succeed. His technical skills were probably sufficient, but his physical attributes were still lacking.
In the leagues of the British Isles, physical attributes clearly outweigh technical skills.
As for the match against Liverpool, Bruce had caught them completely off guard.
After a period of training and adaptation, Bruce's various stats in the system had also increased. His technical attribute rose to 67 points, his physical attribute to 62 points, and his mental attribute increased by one point, now reaching 74 points.
Regarding talent cards, the fusion rate of the Sideline Horse talent card increased to 40%, and the fusion rate of the Crescent Moon Blade talent card rose to 25%. Bruce was still eight percentage points away from unlocking the next talent card, which required further improvement in the Crescent Moon Blade fusion rate.
Since the match against Liverpool, Bruce had been facing a series of setbacks and was growing anxious. He called Lukasavich to explain his current problems.
"Bruce, physical contact is fundamental, but players can adapt to it," Savage advised.
"Some players may not look strong, but they can play well in the Premier League because they know how to find their rhythm in physical confrontations."
"Although you are currently at a disadvantage in physical confrontations, it's not to the point where you're completely unable to play. Your biggest problem is that you've just transferred from the youth team to the senior team and haven't yet found the rhythm of senior-level physical play."
"As long as you can find your rhythm quickly, I believe you can play a key role in the Dundee United team."
After listening to Savic's advice, Bruce gained a better understanding of his situation and tried his best to find that so-called rhythm in training.
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On August 28th, in the third round of the Scottish Premiership, Dundee United traveled to Edinburgh to play against the local team, Hearts.
Hearts are a traditional powerhouse in the Scottish Premiership. Although they have never won the league title, they have won the FA Cup many times. They are also the only non-established Scottish team to qualify for the Champions League since the league was restructured.
The so-called "old-brand" teams are naturally Rangers and Celtic, and the Glasgow derby between them is also known as the Scottish Old Brand Derby.
In fact, the Scottish league has been dominated by these two long-established teams since its inception.
The Scottish top flight has been running for 114 years, and in that time, only 13 titles have gone to teams other than Rangers or Celtic.
This highlights the immense dominance that these established clubs have in Scottish football.
Since the restructuring of the Champions League, the Scottish Premiership has usually had two Champions League spots, which have almost always been claimed by Celtic and Rangers.
The only exception came in the 2005/06 season, when Hearts unexpectedly finished second in the Premiership, beating Rangers. Hearts thus became the only non-established team to participate in the Champions League following the restructuring.
Despite facing a strong Hearts side away from home, Dundee United did not perform poorly. They came back from a goal down in the first half to equalize in the second half, ultimately securing a draw.
Taken on its own, Dundee United's draw against a strong Hearts side away from home is acceptable. However, considering all of Dundee United's matches since the start of the new season, this result is simply not enough.
The Scottish Premiership has completed three rounds so far, and Dundee United has recorded two draws and one loss, accumulating just two points and temporarily sitting second to last in the league standings.
The Scottish media outlet Herald Sport commented on Dundee United's recent performances:
"As last season's FA Cup winners, Dundee United's performance in this year's league qualifiers was acceptable, especially considering they drew against Premier League giants Liverpool. Although they were ultimately eliminated, they did manage a draw at Anfield."
"However, since the start of the league, Dundee United has dropped points one after another. After three games, the team has yet to secure a single win and sits second to last in the standings with only two draws. This result is certainly surprising."
"Peter Houston may need sleeping pills to get through the next few nights. If the team continues like this, Dundee United management's patience will soon run out, and his dismissal could be imminent."
"At present, Peter Houston needs redemption, and Dundee United needs a key figure to step up and save the team. Kadamatri, previously favored by Houston and a former Everton player, clearly cannot fulfill that role. Although Houston has made him the core of the team in the last three games, he is obviously too old to shoulder such heavy responsibility."
"Bruce, who impressed everyone at Anfield, is very talented, but he is obviously too young and still needs time to develop."
"In short, if Dundee United cannot quickly regain their form, they may end up like those smaller teams that occasionally qualify for European competitions, only to be dragged into a relegation spiral by the so-called curse of European qualification."
"In European football, there is indeed a strange phenomenon: some small teams unexpectedly qualify for European competitions, only to inexplicably fall into a relegation battle the following season—or even be relegated."
What's strange is that many smaller teams that unexpectedly qualified for European competitions—even after being eliminated early in the qualifying rounds and not having to juggle multiple tournaments—are still trapped in a relegation battle, leaving everyone puzzled.
This phenomenon is sometimes called the 'European competition curse,' where a team finally qualifies for a European competition but ends up with nothing and risks relegation instead.