Blakemans View: So Far Better than Expected
By Matty Blakeman
November 2 2002
Mattys Latest Article. So Far Better than Expected. Matty looks at the season so far. Also Matt hands out his Quarterly Awards. Who will be in the line for Mattys Awards?
So Far, So better than we all expected
Phew! I’ve just woke up having fainted over a week ago at Curve Balls shock revelations and someone has just told me that United are bottom and we have broken our hoo doo against the Jambos and a win against the Billy Boys tomorrow puts us 3rd. Just a regular week in the life of Dundee’s proudest teams eh?
So Ivano was laughed at when he made his 3rd force comments, while Duffy says he’ll settle for a modest midtable position and now things are looking prettier than any of us could have expected. One league defeat since August is probably the most astounding fact in all of since as November kicks off. Suppose I’d better get that fact through seeing as we face the league leaders tomorrow. And now the away form seems as if it’s kicking off. A couple of weeks ago, I took a look at the league table and said that from our next 4 fixtures (5th placed Aberdeen away, 3rd placed Hearts away, top of the league Rangers at home and 4th placed Dunfermline at home) we could ask for no less than 5 points if we were to keep up with the pace. A point at Pittodrie and a terrific 3 points at Tynecastle means that only a point is needed from 2 home games if we are top meet what I believe as top 6 standards. And yet more encouraging news at the sight of Zura Khizanishvilli on the park with a Dundee top on and, what’s this? Zura settling into midfield with class and ease? Yet we could still afford to leave him, Georgi and Sara on the bench for a whole match down Gorgie Road way. And there was me worrying that we could create enough chances without Nemsadze on the park.
But now the question begs for Saturday: who plays? I’m just after reading that Tom Hutchinson is doubtful so I would expect “midfield powerhouse” Barry Smith, providing, of course, that he makes it, to settle back with “Chopper in central defence. This leaves a gap in midfield and, as much as he frustrates me, you can’t leave Georgi out for these games. So he would accompany Rae and the impressive looking Garry Brady in the centre. Whilst up front we have Fab Cab and Nacho-man although Saturday’s goal hero Steve Lovell looks set to miss out so we may have to settle for Sara to pip Savo for the third striker role. That is, of course, if Duffy chooses to play 3 up front, which I very much hope that he does. We must go for it tomorrow. Fair enough, Rangers are looking as good as they have in a while but we’ve shown that we can match Celtic so far this season and, at Dens, we can really cause an upset.
As for the score, I’m going for a 1-1 draw with us equalizing in the 2nd half. We can get into the top 3 later on.
I know that I should have done this last week but with us now played everyone;
Matty Blakeman’s quarterly awards
Goal of the season – Novo’s 2nd versus Dunfermline
Moment of the season – Take your pick from Cab’s goals against Hearts or Killie.
Match of the season – Dundee 1-1 Hearts
Player of the season – Lee Wilkie (With Caballero 2nd)
Laugh of the season – Although I probably don’t want them to be there come May, it’s got to be the state our Arabian neighbours are in at the moment.