The Challenge Cup has changed names a few times over the years.
And it’s changed format a few times as well.
Dundee are heading south to play a team in the Welsh League, which is a far cry from the day I was part of the side that won the trophy at McDiarmid Park in 2009.
It’s not the biggest competition in Scottish football but it gave special memories to the fans who roared us on to a 3-2 comeback against Inverness Caley Thistle.
And the same goes for the players.
Unfortunately, it didn’t lead to us winning promotion that season but it’s definitely been a springboard for a few clubs over the years.
Gary Bowyer will certainly be thinking that way.
Let’s face it, this is the least important competition Dundee will take part in this season.
The Championship is by far the biggest and Gary will want to use the game against The New Saints to get his team in a better place for a much shorter trip the following weekend – to Hamilton.
Put it another way, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t make a few changes to the team which lost at Dens Park on Saturday.
For me, this would be the perfect time to bring Max Anderson back into the starting line-up.
As always with selection issues, I don’t get to see players in training, but Max is a player I really rate.
And I’m not alone – he was called up for the Scotland under-21s last season and there aren’t many others who can say that in the Championship.
A vital win on the road for the Dees đŸ’ª
Max Anderson's first goal of the season ✅#cinchPrem | @DundeeFC pic.twitter.com/G4vBLDTjHw
— SPFL (@spfl) November 1, 2021
He was one of Dundee’s best performers in the Premiership and a box-to-box central midfielder who can go beyond the strikers and get you a goal is a big asset to any squad.
For whatever reason, he hasn’t started a match for a while, and Gary didn’t bring him on last Saturday when Dundee were searching for an equaliser.
When he gets his chance, Max will have to take it to show his manager he should have been playing all along.
Another one who could well be recalled is Adam Legzdins.
Dundee’s defensive record is a concern – they’ve conceded three goals on three occasions and it should have been four times when we visited Dens a few weeks ago.
I haven’t seen enough of Harry Sharp to properly evaluate his game but experience can be vital when a team is leaking goals and Legzdins has that.
He was another who had more good games than bad last season as well.
With Shaun Byrne coming back to fitness, Gary has options to change things up.
And I’d expect him to do it.
It’s a bit of a different story for Arbroath.
We got a big win on Saturday and the gaffer may well be thinking that this is the time to try and build some momentum.
All of a sudden the league table looks a bit more bunched and hopefully it’s a case of onwards and upwards.
Ange Postecoglou made a few changes for Sunday’s game against St Mirren and they clearly didn’t pay off.
It will no doubt inform his choices moving forward and for Celtic fringe players who didn’t perform, it won’t be easy for them to go knocking on their manager’s door in the next few weeks.
For the team as a whole, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if another long unbeaten league run gets started off the back of it.
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