Glancing at the SPL table today, you will find neither Dundee United nor Aberdeen sitting in the top six.
However, Tannadice defender Barry Douglas thinks it will be a different story come the end of the season, with both the Tangerines and Dons making it into the upper half of the division.
The clubs go head to head tonight in a televised encounter, with a win for Peter Houston’s side good enough to take them ahead of Inverness Caley Thistle and Motherwell into fifth.
The visitors from the Granite City have more ground to make up but Douglas thinks both teams can eventually make it.
He said, “Aberdeen have been getting decent results in their recent matches, as have we. We have two teams who are have been going well playing each other so it should be a cracker.
“The game is on TV and that always gives players a chance to impress. So I can’t wait. Both Aberdeen and ourselves are aiming to finish in the top six and it would not be too much of a surprise for both of us to do so.
“There is a lot of work to do before we can achieve that, though, and we are taking nothing for granted.”
Douglas has had a far more fruitful season, personally speaking, than he dared to expect when signed from Queen’s Park in the summer. Tonight will mark his 20th appearance of the campaign a far greater tally than he realistically hoped for.Credit to HegartyHe has given a fair bit of credit for that involvement to Tannadice first-team coach, legendary former captain and manager Paul Hegarty.
Douglas continued, “I am happy with the way things have gone for me this season. At the start of the season, I was just looking for any sort of game time but the gaffer has shown a lot of faith in me and I have played more often than I could have expected.
“I am enjoying it but the tempo is a lot faster than I was used to at Queen’s Park. You have to work so much harder off the ball and positional sense is so important at SPL level.
“I have learned so much already but I am always learning. Paul Hegarty has been a big influence on me. He is always telling me how to organise things on the park and I love listening to his advice.
“He takes a lot of interest in the boys after training, doing one-to-one sessions, and helps you develop aspects of your game. Before I came here I knew he was a major player for United and Scotland in the past he has been there and done it but didn’t know him personally.
“Heggie works a lot with the defence and this season that has been difficult with so many injuries and selection problems. It has been a big test but his experience has helped a lot and he has managed to take off a lot of the pressure on me and the other younger guys.”Van der MeulenUnited’s defensive options are, of course, being severely stretched, with left-back Paul Dixon the latest player to accompany Sean Dillon, another full-back, in central defence. Houston will have to choose between Dixon and recent signing Timothy van der Meulen tonight.
Whatever way he goes, Douglas will have confidence in his colleagues.
He went on, “We had another selection shake-up at Inverness and actually had four attacking wing-backs across the defence. Sean Dillon and Paul Dixon were the centre-halves and I think they cruised it.
“That just shows that we have players who can adapt if needed. We have a few who can do that and I am sure we will be fine.”
Aberdeen manager Craig Brown does not envy United their gruelling fixture schedule. The Tangerines face the Dons, Hamilton, Motherwell and Hearts in the space of nine days.
Brown said, “They have four games coming up and, unfortunately for us, we are the first of them. The team getting them in the last game is obviously going to get a leg-weary Dundee United.
“But sometimes players, without training and just playing games, respond to that so there is a possibility that United could do well in the four games. But I think they would rather not have four games in just over a week it’s a very demanding schedule.”