I’ll always have a strong connection with Dundee Football Club but I hope that it takes another week for their form to pick up.
By all accounts they are finding it hard to break teams down and get in behind them.
Confidence would be fragile in any side that has lost three in a row.
I’m not giving away any tactics ahead of the game by saying that we will be trying to make that a problem for them again at Gayfield on Saturday.
This is the start of a big week for us.
To have both Dundee clubs come to our place (with an away game at Ayr in between) is the reward for winning the title last season.
Playing in front of packed crowds should bring out the best in us.
We’re used to the role of underdogs – let’s face it, it’s pretty much the case every week.
But nobody finds it easy coming to Arbroath.
The manager has got options to changes things up over the three games if he thinks fatigue might be a factor.
We’re not looking any further than Saturday just now, though.
* Premiership scouts will be paying more attention to the Championship as a result of Lawrence Shankland’s achievements over the last couple of seasons.
Kevin Nisbet at Dunfermline will be a target, I would say.
It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the likes of Ross County, St Mirren and Motherwell were interested in seeing if they could get him out of East End Park in January.
He has impressed me and another striker who caught my eye this season was David Goodwillie at Clyde.
I know he’s had his problems in the past but he hasn’t lost any of his ability in the penalty box and should really be playing at a higher level.
* I noticed that Steven Gerrard said he was glad Rangers had a big midweek match against Aberdeen to take his players’ minds off the Betfred Cup final against Celtic on Sunday.
I’m not so sure it is a good thing.
This is a showpiece occasion for Scottish football, when there will be a lot more attention on our game than usual, and I don’t think both sides playing in Europe on a Thursday and then Sunday, Wednesday in the league is the best preparation.
I think this midweek should have been kept clear.
Talking of the profile of our game, what was Kris Boyd thinking about saying there are no great players up here?
Things are far more positive than that. Players like Ryan Christie, Callum McGregor, Odsonne Edouard and Alfredo Morelos have been playing brilliantly.
If Kris had been a pundit a few years ago would he have said that about Andy Robertson, John McGinn and Ryan Fraser?
I think we can call them ‘great’ players and they have learned their trade up here.
It’s this sort of attitude that has made Scottish football fans get frustrated with Sky Sports. It’s in sharp contrast to the way BT Sport have treated us.
Chris Sutton and Michael Stewart might come away with some controversial opinions that not everyone agrees with. There’s nothing wrong with that. But they never run the game down.
Thank goodness Sunday’s cup final is on BT Sport and not Sky!
