Though Dens Park and Tannadice sit just 200 yards from one another, the gulf between their inhabitants last season would be better measured in miles.

Dundee have borne the brunt of the jokes and they have waited for some time, but bragging rights now rest firmly with the Dark Blues. In a season where bad turned to worse, Craig Wighton's parting gift was the very one that Dundee United had prayed they wouldn't receive.

The Tangerines' floundering campaign was very much welcome by the blue half of the city. Dundee enjoyed getting the better of their neighbours, and yet simultaneously United were doing them a favour; were it not for their season-long struggle, Dundee would have incurred a lot more criticism themselves, and justifiably so.

Paul Hartley's men ultimately fell short of the targeted top-six finish; however the chance to relegate United seemed to cushion any blow. Greg Stewart and Kane Hemmings made the shortlist for the PFA Scotland Player of the Year awards, and the side never looked to be at risk of relegation.

With United gone, the onus is now on Dundee to live up to the 'big team' tag. In a season that witnesses Rangers return to the Premiership, a top six finish for Dundee sends a statement not only through the city, but across Scottish football as a whole.

It wouldn't have been unfair to brand Dundee as the most frustrating side in the Premiership last term - blushes spared by Dundee United. The season opened with a 4-0 away thumping of Kilmarnock that seemed to turn a few heads. It was from there onward that Dundee developed a game trademark.

Quick starts and early pressure were Dundee's defining trait at the end of 2016. Chance after chance seemed to fall at the feet of the Dark Blues, and yet more often than not they would enter the break level. Dundee squandered several opportunities and wasted periods of intense pressure, offering much food for thought. Dominating games usually translates into victories, but Dundee were left with draws, and far too many of them.

Had Dundee capitalised on half of those games, a final pre-split draw tally of 14 would have been reduced to seven, with 14 additional points making for a comfortable top six finish.

If Dundee are serious about ending up on the right side of the split in 2016/17, then Paul Hartley must find a way to make the most of early pressure, and learn how to turn one point into three.

If there was one thing Dundee had to get right in this summer's transfer window, it had nothing to do with new arrivals. Greg Stewart and Kane Hemmings contributed 30 league goals between them last term, and keeping them at Dens Park would have prove a masterstroke by Hartley.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to be.

Hemmings' move to English League One outfit Oxford United is a devastating blow for the Dees, as a they go from boasting one of the most formidable front lines in the league to state of uncertainty.

On the transfer front, Hartley and his scouts have been hard at work to strengthen the spine at Dens. James Vincent and Danny Williams arrived on pre-contract agreements from Inverness, and the midfield pair offer defensive screening and attacking support respectively. Mark O'Hara made the switch from the West to the East coast, and the former Kilmarnock man is rated highly by Paul Hartley. Often used as a right back with Killie, Hartley was quick to state that he sees O'Hara as a midfielder, much to the joy of the 20-year-old.

Dundee's biggest gamble in the transfer market comes in the form of Netherlands striker Yordi Teijsse. Netting an impressive 31 goals for Quick Boys in the Dutch fourth-tier, Teijsse boasts a blend of strength and deceptive speed, and fans will now hope that he or Faissal El Bakhtaou can step up to fill the rather big boots of Kane Hemmings.

Paul McGinn seemed to hum and haw over a departure from Dundee in the close season, and eventually made the switch to English League One outfit Chesterfield. While he was a reliable performer last term, the emergence of Cammy Kerr and the added cover of O'Hara mean that the right back berth ought not to be a problem position.

Paul Hartley enters his third full season with Dundee, having replaced John Brown for the latter stages of 2013/14's Championship campaign. Showing signs of immediate success in his first season in the Premiership, the former Celtic and Hearts midfielder bagged a top six finish and was the subject of interest from clubs south of the border, notably Cardiff City.

It was three years into his tenure at Alloa when Hartley was convinced to join the project at Dundee, and that project will have to show marked signs of progression this season to ensure that the initials PH are not scratched of the boss' door in Dens Park's main stand.

Hartley himself will be well aware of the issues that need to be ironed out of his side's game, and with the prospect of tougher competition this term, settling for as many draws will not suffice if Dundee are to mount a serious assault on the top six.

And, if dominating draws wasn't enough of a paradox, Dundee may also have history to look forward to. Talks continue between the necessary parties as a plan to take the Scottish Premiership to the USA is finalised. The Dee and Celtic could compete in the league's first ever overseas fixture, an idea pushed for by Dundee's Texan directors Tim Keyes and John Nelms.

Win, lose or draw, on the pitch or off it, Dundee are nothing if not interesting.

Plain and simply Dundee must aim for a top six finish. Taking point from the big boys will be key, and back-to-back draws against Celtic last term proved that the Dees can frustrate and compete against the best. Concurrently, the threat from teams at the lower end of the table has to be eliminated; Dundee will have to make a habit of disposing of sides low on confidence and points.

Lofty aspirations should be the order of the day at Dens from now on. Without the Dundee derby, it is up to the Dees to carve out a new story of success and vying for European places is the best way to start that journey.

Aberdeen, Celtic and Rangers are already the assumed top three for many, but the likes of Hearts and Motherwell also pose more than plausible threats.

The split will inevitably sort the good seasons from the bad, and the Dark Blues will tackle the campaign well aware of that.

The message now is one of ambition and time will tell if Dundee are up to it.