Darren Dods experienced four happy years as a player at Tannadice – now he is hoping for more good times at the ground as manager of Brechin.
The Angus club will make the short journey south to play Dundee United this afternoon as rank outsiders with one prominent bookie willing to give punters odds of 11/1 on an away win against Ray McKinnon’s table-topping side.
However, as ever, Dods is optimistic that his part-time side can go to his former stomping ground and produce a result.
He said: “Ray has put together what I rate as the best squad in the Championship.
“He has added a lot of quality and experience such as Scott McDonald, Sam Stanton and James Keatings, who has won the league twice already with Hearts and Hibs.
“I spent four happy years at United and have a lot of good memories from my time there.
“It was great to play in so many high-profile games there but obviously my focus now is on Brechin.
“I think it is the first time we have played them in the league at Tannadice since 1959.
“It should be a great experience for the lads playing in a great stadium on a good pitch in front of a large crowd.
“Few people will give us a chance but we proved in the play-offs last year that we can upset the odds.
“I feel we are starting to find our feet at this level. A lot of it is a whole new experience but we should have fully adjusted after we have played everyone once.”
Brechin secured a morale-boosting draw against Livingston in the league last Saturday only to suffer desperate disappointment in the Irn-Bru Challenge Cup in midweek against Buckie Thistle.
The defeat came at a cost with two key players now ruled out of the trip to Tannadice.
Dods added: “Ryan McGeever has broken his hand. He just bumped into the back of one of the Buckie players but was still in A&E at 4.30 in the morning receiving treatment.
“He has been put in a hard cast and will be out for six weeks which is a huge blow.
“It is doubly frustrating as we have just got Liam Watt back after he broke his wrist.
“It is strange as in my entire paying career I never saw anyone break a hand or wrist but now we have had two such injuries already this season.
“Euan Spark also picked up a sore one against Buckie and has heavy bruising.
“He says he is a quick healer and we have not yet ruled him out for the United game.
“However, Gary Fusco has hurt his back and will be out which is another blow.
“So the injuries have compounded what was a disappointing night overall.
“It was a long four-hour journey up there but we had prepared properly.
“We had the right attitude in the first 45 but in the second half we played too many long balls which suited them.
“We had hoped to build some momentum following our draw with Livingston last Saturday but it wasn’t to be so we will look to bounce back against United.”
