SENTINELCELTS

Morning,all.

Another game tonight against Taysiders, seems we play them every second week these days. This time it is a trip to Dens Park to take on Dundee who are in a decent run of form. Two wins and a draw in their last four games has certainly been an improvement on the form they had shown beforehand, and they are not to be taken lightly. 

As was shown in their last game, a rather enjoyable draw against some plucky visitors from Ibrox who may just have benefitted from a dodgy refereeing decision just before they equalised. But every match is a whole new ball game, so to speak. We may have more than double their points tally, but that will count for nothing when the whistle blows. Neither our manager nor our players will be approaching this in a complacent frame of mind-at least, they had better not be!-and we will know that we are in a game. 

I expect this match to differ in two very important aspects-even apart from the result-from our last visit to Tayside just before Christmas. Firstly, the game will not be played in a howling, swirling and unplayable gale. Secondly, the home side might just try to get out of their own half. Dundee United only had one plan going into that game-to keep the score to nil. For both sides! Hell knows how they are currently third in the table, that was the worst ninety minutes I’ve sat through in a long time. Dundee though at least try to play football, and their coach wouldn’t have it any other way. 

They had ten players missing on Thursday night, and will be hoping to have a few of them at least available tonight. To be honest, I hope they do. Especially Lyall Cameron. He and his midfield partner Josh Mulligan have both been impressive this season any time I’ve seen them, which is usually against us or in the highlights round-ups at the weekend. That should, you would think, give manager Tony Docherty hope for the future. Sadly, Dundee seem to have adopted a policy of keeping most player contracts to a maximum of two years, and both of them are out of contract at the end of the season. Neither has shown any intention of signing a new contract either, which means the club will likely lose them for the dreaded “compensation fee” that is the curse of the lower clubs these days.

Of course, Dundee have used the system to their benefit in the past, most obviously Luke McCowan from Ayr United a few years ago. They have also benefitted from the Bosman ruling, so there is a strong element of biter bit here. But it must be bloody soul-destroying to watch your youngsters come through the ranks and walk away for peanuts, having established their credentials in the game. Let’s hope they don’t build on those tonight!

Celtic are likely to have Kühn back, though whether he will start is a moot point. I think he will probably come on with about twenty minutes or so left. Expect then a similar line-up to Saturday in Dingwall. Give that “new formation” up front another look,huh? And let’s hope too that we get to see young Johnny Kenny make another appearance in his favoured Hoops. He looked bright and eager against Ross County, and certainly had many of us wondering if we have nurtured a gem. 

The most important thing about tonight of course is three points. In any league match,those three points are paramount. Formations and performances and even returning players are only filling the minor places. Get this one out of the way and look forward to a difficult Scottish Cup-tie at the weekend. And who knows, maybe even some new signings, seeing as it’s January. 

Maybe someone should send Michael Nicholson a new diary to remind him. 

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Above article by BMCUWP