From the scenario facing Dens Park groundstaff to Blair Spittal, Michael O’Halloran and Lionel Messi, the Courier sports team discuss the burning issues of the week.
Q Any of you care to bring some horticultural expertise to Talking Football and assess the state of Dundee’s pitch (and its implications on the Dark Blues’ season)?
EN: We maybe should have brought our rugby man, Steve Scott, in for this one. He was an authority on Murrayfield’s nematodes, as I recall. Joking aside, this does appear to be a serious problem. Dundee have four home games in a row on the horizon and not much time to sort their pitch out before them. Good luck to the groundsman!
NR: Looking back, it seems incredible considering the game against Celtic was called off along with the Falkirk cup match that the derby sandwiched in between went ahead. It really is now a race against time to make the necessary repairs, especially when much of the work will have to be done by hand because of the undersoil heating.
IR: The pitch still looks better than my back garden as you need to wear waders to take the bin out. I’m with Eric in looking at those four successive home games starting with Falkirk in the Scottish Cup on January 26 and ending against St Johnstone on February 12 as a real concern for the pitch.
Q Firhill has had its problems over the years, but hopefully getting away from Dens should make sure Dundee get a game. They’ll likely have a new player in the team. Does Darren O’Dea strike you as a good signing?
EN: I’m covering the match, so can I tell you next week? My memories of O’Dea from his Celtic days were of a ball-playing defender. He’s been all over the place since then, though, which would be my main concern.
NR: I have a feeling that the Jags game will come too soon for O’Dea, who has not played for a few weeks since leaving Mumbai City. Ultimately, though, I feel he has the right pedigree to prove a good signing.
IR: It may seem like O’Dea has been around for ages and he is certainly well travelled but he is still only 28. He should be fit and I go against Neil here and say he will feature against Thistle.
Q Paul Hartley likes a bit of wheeling and dealing. Would you expect any more Dundee January business in or out?
EN: Definitely. Craig Wighton will probably be farmed out again and I would expect a forward in on loan.
NR: The manager has already admitted he would like to bring in another one or two this window and I would be surprised if he doesn’t do so. I’m not sure if anyone will be going out, though, as Hartley is concerned that he is “lacking bodies”.
IR: Like my colleagues, I expect Hartley to sign at least one more player before the window shuts and it will likely be an attacker.
Q United have got a win at last, albeit against a League One team. Is there any prospect of points in the Celtic match on Friday night?
EN: This is the last of the ‘no pressure’ games for United. The only result that will set them back is a hammering and, for all that the run of results has been poor under Mixu, his teams don’t look like folding these days. The real must-win league games are the three that follow (Killie, Partick and Hamilton).
NR: United will have gained confidence from that Airdrie win but it would still be a huge surprise if they take anything from the Celtic game. However, hope springs eternal and if the Tangerines can keep Leigh Griffiths quiet, then the Hoops defence is not exactly rock solid.
IR: They were pretty comfortable against Airdrie and definitely deserved to win. One thing United will have in their favour is that Celtic boss Ronny Deila is unlikely to be able to second-guess their starting line-up because of the new faces. Also, United should go for it in this one because almost everyone outside of Tannadice expects them to lose anyway.
Q Blair Spittal’s free-kicks could be a huge factor for United in their relegation battle, couldn’t they?
EN: Not just his free-kicks. Spittal suffered like the rest of the United team from a lack of confidence but he’s a real talent. If this continues, getting the best out of him again will be a feather in Mixu’s cap.
NR: If anything, his stunner against Airdrie was marginally better than the one in the derby. Hopefully he can keep it going if given a chance in the games ahead, and from a United point of view it must be pleasing that someone other than Billy Mckay is finally hitting the back of the net.
IR: Spittal was the player most hotly tipped by former United manager Jackie McNamara to make it big and he is showing promising signs again. He has seemed to lack confidence at times, but when you consider United’s best moments from this dreadful season most of them have involved him.
Q United will be looking for St Johnstone to help them out against Hamilton on Saturday. Are Accies starting to look like the team most likely to throw United a lifeline?
EN: Absolutely. They’re starting to unravel and if United get to within six points of them I’d fancy them strongly to overtake Accies. Hamilton don’t have the same desperation as United to stay up. They take relegation when it comes, keep playing their youngsters, and then bounce back. I was really impressed by Killie against Saints, Partick are pretty solid and Motherwell are on the up.
NR: All credit to Annan for their stunning win over Accies in the cup last weekend but a side from the Premiership really should not be getting beaten 4-1 by a side from League Two. However, while Martin Canning’s men look to be in freefall, they are still 13 points ahead of United which at this stage of the season is a gap as wide as the Grand Canyon.
IR: Accies’ defeat to Annan was a shocker, especially as they lost a goal immediately after pulling it back to 2-1. Nevertheless, while there may be reasons for optimism in the coming weeks, right now it feels like clutching at straws to predict that any team other than the Tangerines will finish bottom.
Q What do you make of Saints’ run of form?
EN: I’m giving it one more week before I start to get a wee bit worried for them. They’ve played the top teams and an in-form Motherwell recently, and last weekend after a slow start, they were very unlucky to lose to Killie in the cup. Graham Cummins is back and he’ll be a key player for Tommy Wright because the goals have dried up for Michael O’Halloran and Steven MacLean. They should beat Accies on Saturday and you wouldn’t be shocked if it kick-started another unbeaten run.
NR: A side looking to get back to winning ways could not ask for more than a home game against a struggling Hamilton outfit. Saints could certainly do with a morale-boosting victory with just another match against Celtic before the big League Cup semi-final with Hibs on the 30th.
IR: Crisis, what crisis? They will produce a repeat of the Halloween hammering of Hamilton earlier this season and all will be well again.
Q Would you be surprised if Mixu let Ryan Dow move to Perth?
EN: No. Wright has always been a fan (so have I, actually) and you can see him being a perfect fit in this Saints team. Mixu can’t play everyone and this looks like a logical transfer all round.
NR: I have to admit that Dow has yet to convince me he can prove to be the “real deal” on a consistent basis, and it will be interesting to see how he gets on after his lengthy injury lay-off. However, if Saints do come in for him and offer a pre- contract, I would be surprised if he did not accept the chance of assured Premiership football next season.
IR: Tommy Wright has been persistent in his pursuit of Dow and is obviously determined to get him. The player may be a lifelong United fan but he would be a good fit at Saints and I can see him ending up there.
Q Dow could be one coming in. Rangers seem to be heading the chase for Michael O’Halloran. Would it be a wise move for him?
EN: No. If you’re an ex-Celtic man you’ll be the first to get stick when things aren’t going well. Anyway, I don’t think he’ll get the chance. I wouldn’t be surprised if Rangers make a derisory offer that Steve Brown dismisses. It will then be up to O’Halloran to get his head down, help Saints into the League Cup final and have the pick of a few clubs in the summer.
NR: As ever, money talks but do Rangers have enough to make a genuine offer for a player with 18 months left on his contract? If they do, then I am fairly certain O’Halloran will be away. If they don’t then he will stay, with Saints hoping O’Halloran’s head has not been turned by the speculation.
IR: Good shout from the other lads and I agree. I can’t see Rangers offering enough cash to take up even a minute of chairman Steve Brown’s thinking time.
Q A bit off our patch, but is Messi the right pick for the Ballon d’Or and is he the best ever?
EN: Yes and yes.
NR: I must admit I think it is a toss-up between Messi and Ronaldo for the Ballon d’Or but as for the best ever … well at the risk of digging myself into a bigger hole than the one that will soon exist on the Dens pitch, I’ll not be convinced until he helps Argentina win a World Cup.
IR: I’m a Messi man, or so I’m told on a regular basis at home… I think he has learned from that time at Tannadice back in the summer of 2008 when he was marked out of a friendly against United friendly by Lee Wilkie and Darren Dods only to score a jammy hat-trick. As for best ever, the magical Maradona still gets my vote although it’s close and getting closer.