Like pretty much everybody else in Scottish football, I didn’t see that Dundee Scottish Cup defeat coming.
I strongly fancied them to beat St Mirren and, with decent draws, to go far in the tournament.
I wasn’t at the game so I couldn’t tell you what went wrong but, just from Paul Hartley’s reaction, you know that it was a really bad performance.
He doesn’t often criticise his players like he did on Saturday. In fact, it might even be the first time.
It could well have an impact on the business he is able to do before the transfer window shuts.
If Dundee had got through there might have been more money in the pot.
Now, he’ll probably have to get players out.
The disappointment of going out at the first stage in both cups is huge but putting that right will have to wait until next season.
For the moment, all they have to think about is making sure there’s a reaction in Aberdeen on Friday night. Paul will have been stressing that all week.
The Dons will be strong favourites. I tipped them or Hearts to finish second and I’ve not changed my mind. Ryan Christie is a good loan signing and if they can get to February with Jonny Hayes still at the club, they’ll be in a good place.
But St Johnstone were big favourites before the break, and Dundee beat them 3-0.
It’s maybe not a good thing, but Dundee are a hard team to predict.
Pittodrie was a ground we used to enjoy going to when I played for the club. We got a few good results there. One that sticks in the mind is my last game, which was Caniggia’s first.
Friday night would be a good time to start making Aberdeen a happy place for Dundee fans to travel to again.
Decision time for Simon Murray
Simon Murray.
Simon Murray will have a lot of thinking to do.
Inverness Caledonian Thistle have made him a pre-contract offer, it would appear.
Caley Thistle are a Premiership club at the moment but will they be next season? And Dundee United are a Championship club at the moment but will they be next season?
Does he agree the move and then hope that Caley stay up? Does he try and get a new deal out of United and hope they go up? Or does he bide his time and wait until the summer when he may or may not have better options?
It’s been a feel good story to see Simon go from being a plumber and playing in the juniors to Arbroath and now full-time football.
You get a short career and he has to make the best call for himself and his family.
Shut up!
I thought I’d heard it all in football, but a player not making training because his electronic gates were locked shut is a new one!
Ross McCormack is a very talented player – and I would have had him in the last few Scotland squads – but he hasn’t looked too clever this week.
He’s had a falling out with Steve Bruce and, as happened when I fell out with John Brown at Dundee, the manager always wins.
McCormack now has a label that he’ll have to work hard to get rid of at his next club.
