Evening Telegraph (First Edition)

McPake happy with difficult decisions

- BY GEORGE CRAN

DUNDEE manager James McPake is pleased to have difficult decisions to make as he ponders his team selection for Arbroath tonight.

The Dark Blues boss has almost a full squad to choose from, with only long-term absentees Alex Jakubiak and Josh Mulligan missing.

McPake’s men take on the league’s bottom side after the frustratio­n of having their last two Championsh­ip matches called off.

That’s stalled their league momentum after picking up three wins on the spin, the last a morale-boosting 3-1 victory over leaders Hearts.

However, the Dens boss is looking forward to getting back to action and seeing the likes of Christie Elliott, Jordan McGhee, Cammy Kerr and Declan McDaid returning to the squad.

“We are on a good run of form but there were potential changes going to be made last Saturday (against Ayr),” he said.

“That might be the case this week as well. We look at each game and see what team will cause the opposition the most problems.

“It’s great to have those decisions to make, rather than when we were at Easter Road and had full-backs playing centre-back and four schoolkids on the bench.

“It’s much better having decisions to make.”

Despite the frustratio­n of having matches against Raith and Ayr postponed, McPake says his side have ended up stronger after their enforced break.

He said: “We’ve waited a wee while but we’ve also had 120 minutes of cup football as well.

“We’ve had plenty of time on the training pitch and we’ve been working away.

“It’s not been the worst thing that the games were off because it gave us a chance to get over the Covid issues and a couple of wee niggles. We are stronger.

“In this league you need to put runs together and tonight we need to continue the momentum we’ve had.”

Arbroath go into the game on the back of a fighting 2-2 draw against Queen of the South at Palmerston.

The Red Lichties had been 2-0 down at one point but two goals in the space of as many minutes from Scott Stewart and Thomas O’Brien earned Dick Campbell’s men a deserved share of the spoils.

Tonight’s game, which kicks off at 7.45pm, will be screened live by BBC Scotland.

 ??  ?? Dundee boss James McPake could make changes at Gayfield this evening.
Dundee boss James McPake could make changes at Gayfield this evening.

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