This past seven days was classic Dundee – take one step forward but end up going two backwards.
I may not be a Dee but having covered the club for so long, I certainly feel their pain.
First off, the step forward – the club have struggled through the past few months with very little income through the door.
Finally, though, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter with insurance money starting to head their way.
It may only be a small amount but getting the ball rolling eight months after lockdown came in is most certainly welcome.
But it’s difficult to take that undoubted good news without thinking ‘aye, but did you see them on Saturday?’
And I don’t think they were bad against Raith, they certainly deserved to win the game.
But they didn’t kill it off when they were on top and it proved costly.
As for the manner of the goal, it was a dreadful way to let points slip.
Raith had been threatening but at no point was I particularly worried that I would have to change my already-finished match report with five to go.
In comes a corner and no one deals with it.
Blame can be attributed but football is a team game and it took all of the Dundee players working together to really mess that one up.
Then on Monday the news of a positive Covid-19 test for one of the Dundee squad.
Obviously it’s a medical matter and we don’t know who it is but I wish them the best.
It is a serious illness that has killed thousands of people in this country so get well soon.
Sadly the virus is so prevalent once more that it seems inevitable every team in the country will have to deal with it directly at some point.
Dundee will be without a player for a while but more important is the long-term health of the person.
Anyway, back to football.
It may have been a week of one step forward, two back but the Dark Blues can level up those scales in Clackmannanshire on Friday night.
I thought Morton was must-win – Alloa away, though, feels even bigger.
The Dark Blues just have to get the wins coming in.
Already five points behind in a shortened season, they can’t afford any more slip ups right now.
They also need to banish the memory of their last Friday night.
Just think of the punters who haven’t watched anything of Dundee apart from on the beeb at Tynecastle.
The opinion of most will be that the Dark Blues are that rubbish mob that took six off Hearts.
On the box again, this is a chance for Dundee to show the country what they are really made of.
Last season, their 3-0 victory at Alloa was one of the best away performances of the season.
They need a bit more of that this week at the Indodrill to finally get the 2020/21 campaign properly up and running.
There’s a bit of Groundhog Day going on around Sandeman Street right now – this time at Tannadice.
The story emerged last week that Dundee United chiefs are set to ask players and staff to take a wage cut or deferral.
The only good news around that it’s been stated clearly that redundancies will be avoided at all costs.
Neighbours Dundee have already been through that process during the summer.
It’s fair to say it didn’t go entirely smoothly with Kane Hemmings and Josh Meekings deciding to leave rather than take a cut.
That was in the midst of lockdown and no football on the horizon.
What strikes me is the timing of Dundee United’s decision to go down that route.
If their financial planning was based on the assumption of fans being back in the stands then questions should be asked.
At no point did anybody expect to have anything more than a fraction of the usual attendances back in grounds had all gone to plan with the pandemic.
And they’d all have been season-ticket holders anyway so wouldn’t have brought in any more cash.
What was in Dundee’s favour, if they felt the need, was the dreaded Clause 12 where they could cancel contracts because football had stopped.
United obviously can’t use that here leaving them at the mercy of the players.
Worrying times on the other side of the street on this occasion.
Seeing Craig Gordon back in the Scotland squad for the big game this month was a very pleasant surprise.
I’ve had no problems with David Marshall being our No 1 of late but having the experience and knowhow of a player like Gordon around the place can only be a good thing.
And he’s playing well.
I thought he was excellent against Dundee on the opening day of the season and followed that up with some fine stops in the games that followed.
Leigh Griffiths back, too, is a massive bonus. Hopefully, we see a bit of Lawrence Shankland also.
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