As Dundee United prepare to do battle with Aberdeen in the semi-final of the Scottish League Cup presented by QTS, our football writer Ian Roache picks the team (formation 4-2-3-1) he thinks should be sent out at Hampden and explains each choice:
Goalkeeper: Rado Cierzniak. The Pole is the only realistic option for the game, although ideally he should have greater competition for the gloves. Rado didn’t have the best of days in the Scottish Cup final defeat to St Johnstone in May and at times you have to watch through your fingers when he comes off his line. The big man must be on his game mentally as well as physically but he can be a superb shot-stopper.
Left-back: Conor Townsend. The on-loan Hull City man hasn’t let the Tangerines down this season. Like the other defenders, he will come under severe pressure at times as the Dons break forward but he can cope. It was always going to be difficult filling the vacancy left by Andy Robertson but Townsend has been asserting himself, especially when it comes to delivering crosses.
Right-back: Ryan McGowan. What an occasion this would be to make your United debut but McGowan would take it all in his stride. With a dozen caps for Australia and a goal in the 2012 Scottish Cup final at Hampden in Hearts’ 5-1 thrashing of Hibs, nerves won’t be an issue. It would be a gamble for Jackie McNamara to throw him straight into a semi-final but the United manager doesn’t shy away from making big decisions and should play him.
Central defence: Sean Dillon. On a miserable day for United at Celtic Park against Saints, their captain produced an excellent individual display at the heart of the backline. Dillon has his doubters but he can provide intelligence, experience and, above all, leadership. United should start the Irishman in what is, in my opinion, easily his best position. Dillon also knows what it feels like to lift a trophy with the club, being the sole survivor from the 2010 Scottish Cup-winning side.
Central defence: Jarek Fojut. The big man should be the first pick of all the defenders. He has presence and, despite still being only 27, a wealth of experience of the game at a good level in his homeland and elsewhere. No Dons player will fancy going head-to-head with the giant Pole at setpieces and as well as providing security at the back he can chip in with a goal, as witnessed in United’s last outing in the Premiership against Motherwell.
Holding midfield: Paul Paton. For the crucial area in the centre of the park, I have gone for the tried and trusted pairing of Paton and Rankin. For a game of this magnitude, I just feel these two have the strength and resilience to give United a solid base from which to unleash their attacking talent. There was a memorable individual display from Paton in the heat and noise of a Dundee derby at Dens back in September, when he was the best player on the park and was involved in all of United’s four goals. That shows he can shine on the big occasion.
Holding midfield: John Rankin. He is one of the Tangerines’ most experienced performers and, like Dillon, can provide leadership and inspiration to teammates on the pitch. He sat on the bench for United’s 3-1 win over Motherwell last Saturday, putting a question mark over his inclusion this time, but Rankin has proven his value to the team on numerous occasions in the past and has the strength of character required for a match like this.
Advanced midfield (left): Charlie Telfer. The summer recruit from Rangers has, in my opinion, played himself into the Hampden starting line-up over the last few weeks. He was United’s best player in the win at Hamilton and produced two excellent finishes against Well at the weekend. I would start him ahead of the likes of Chris Erskine, Ryan Dow and Aidan Connolly not because of any weakness on the part of the others but because the talented Telfer is the man of the moment.
Advanced midfield (centre): Stuart Armstrong. He is, in my view, United’s prize asset and obviously Celtic and Burnley think the same having just made bids for him. Unless another massive offer comes in before kick-off, he is the player who can drive them on to victory over the Dons. Armstrong never makes a run just for the sake of it they are always with purpose. Something that has almost gone under the radar is the fact that he is averaging more than a goal every couple of games since hitting the net against Kilmarnock at Tannadice in late November and if he hangs around must be a tempting bet for any United fan looking for a first/last goalscorer gamble.
Advanced midfield (right): Gary Mackay-Steven. He has pledged his future to Celtic but GMS is too much of a talent to leave out of the team. One of the most honest and likeable players around, he will be doing as much as any of his colleagues to get the Tangerines to the final if he is selected. If the Dons have a weakness, it could be in the left-back area where recently they have been playing the attack-minded Jonny Hayes and he can exploit that. Mackay-Steven was on fire against Dundee on January 1 and has had a great month despite all the Parkhead pre-contract talk.
Striker: Nadir Ciftci. The Turk loves the limelight and will relish the big occasion. Who can forget his Scottish Cup semi-final goal celebration at Ibrox last season? Also, Ciftci was a whisker away from being on target in the final. He can be moody and is often too easily wound up by mouthy opponents so must show the correct attitude against the Dons. Ciftci can also be brilliant and is just the player to come up with an unexpected piece of magic than can unlock a tight semi-final between two well-matched teams.