The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Award-winner Adam ‘just getting started’
M“I think Dens would be jumping with Charlie in the team and the run we are on as well as some of the football we are playing”
- Dee boss James Mcpake
anager James Mcpake insists Charlie Adam is only just getting started at Dundee after picking up the December Player of the Month award.
And he can’t wait for Dees to be able to see the main man in person once crowds are allowed back into grounds saying Dens would be “jumping” with fans eager to cheer on “one of their own”.
Adam picked up the award for a superb December on the pitch as he dealt with family bereavement off it and leading the Dark Blues to a resurgence in the Championship in the process.
The former Blackpool and Liverpool man netted his fourth goal of the season with a thunderbolt against Dunfermline as well as laying on a number of goals for team-mates.
Dundee were floundering in the bottom half of the table at the end of November but their unbeaten run since has propelled James Mcpake’s side into the top three.
They kicked off December with a 1-0 win over Arbroath thanks to Paul Mcgowan’s long-range strike before a hard-fought 2-2 draw in Inverness with Adam playing his part in the opening goal.
Then came the Pars clash, memorable for Adam’s 35-yard thunderbolt that opened the scoring but also for the disappointing 12-minute collapse that saw the Dark Blues have to settle for a 3-3 draw.
Then came back-to-back wins over Queen of the South and Alloa with Dundee’s skipper adding more assists to his tally.
After the pivotal victory over Hearts in January, Adam has become the most effective attacking player in the Championship, scoring four times and laying on six goals in 11 appearances for his boyhood club.
And Mcpake says the award is well deserved.
“It is great for Charlie and his team-mates,” Mcpake said.
“Individually, he has been fantastic for the club since he walked through the door. I am delighted for him and it is thoroughly deserved. He has been outstanding and what a month he has had particularly considering his personal situation.
“So it is a nice wee reward for him. It is something he should be proud of and he will be.
“He has played in big games and has played for massive clubs but it is still a nice honour for him and thoroughly deserved.
“His delivery from set plays and open play, his eye for a pass and his desire to play forward is great.
“He has that left foot which goalkeepers must dread as well when they see him have a chance to open up for a shot.
“So I am delighted for him as a person and delighted that one of my players has picked up that reward.”
Dundee fans have only had the opportunity to watch Adam play through online streams rather than from the stands in person.
How long that will remain the case is impossible to predict, but Mcpake can’t wait to see punters cheering on their team at Dens Park once more.
Mcpake said: “I think Dens would be jumping with Charlie in the team and the run we are on as well as some of the football we are playing.
“It is disappointing that the fans are not getting to see him. He is such a big name and a big Dundee boy. That’s what they want to see – they want to see their own. That’s what football fans love.
“I have seen that at Hibs, Coventry and here. They love seeing their own and ones that have come through. We may not have brought Charlie through but he is a Dundee fan and one of their own. At the moment they are getting to watch him from home.
“But the fans will eventually get their chance to see him at Dens and every game that we have Charlie Adam in our team is a good thing for our football club.”
He added: “Whenever it happens, I do think there will be a real desire from fans to get back to football.
“They have been away for so long and I can see grounds up and down the country being full.
“We have a lot of players who will never have experienced a full Dens Park. What an atmosphere it is when we get this place going.
“If we get this place rocking, what an extra advantage it will give us.”