The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Dundee’s future in their own hands
This season’s Scottish Cup offers glory and silverware, and a possible pot of European cash to push the winners ahead of other clubs next season.
It’s estimated that European entry from lifting the trophy could be worth up to £3 million.
If that figure is anywhere near true then if Dundee United and St Johnstone can book a historic return bout, winning the cup could be just the icing on the cake of European riches.
It could give both clubs the chance to compete even more strongly next season with those who are normally financially richer.
In the battle of the Saints the Perth side has suffered a Covid outbreak ahead of tomorrow’s meeting with St Mirren.
There’s still sufficient talent in Calum Davidson’s squad, though, to create potential history, and set up a rerun with Dundee United who they beat in 2014 to take the cup for the first time.
That of course needs United to beat Hibs in the first of the semi-finals at Hampden; no easy ask against a side with the pace and trickery of a front three of Boyle, Nisbet, and Doidge who are all serious goal threats.
United must find the form they showed at Aberdeen recently.
In that superb 3-0 win they gave a season’s best display of slick, quick, accurate passing and movement, topped off with clinical finishing.
St Johnstone with the league cup already tucked in the display cabinet and a top six finish nailed, are a better all round team than St Mirren.
Jim Goodwin, though, is a clever manager and his Buddies side was close to a top-half finish, so only a really rounded display and Saints’ usual organisation will see them off.
Plenty at stake for Tayside’s top two then; Saints have the better chance but both teams are capable of reaching the final and also ensuring serious financial reward to accompany the medals.
DUNDEE FACE DESTINY
Dundee FC have a great opportunity of Premiership football.
Two games against either Dunfermline or Raith and two games against the Premiership’s second bottom club stand between them and the top flight.
With Cummings, Mcmullan, Mcgowan, and Adam all bringing firepower to the party, and
with Ashcroft weighing in with his aerial threat, Dens could soon be back in the big time.
James Mcpake has confounded his doubters and slowly built a side growing in confidence and quality.
Securing second spot proves they’re the best of the rest outside of Hearts.
They’ve beaten and lost to both the Fife sides, so need to find their very best qualities to succeed in this crucial period.
The Dark Blues have struggled for consistency, the holy grail of all teams, but the side has undoubted quality in key areas.
The manager has cut a forlorn figure on occasions this season as his team has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, or drawn when a win seemed likely.
Dundee though appear to have the bit between their teeth; now they must ensure that they can find their bite.
They have their future in their own hands, Premiership or Championship, it’s theirs to choose.
OLD FIRM CASH IS KING
Celtic’s and Rangers’ prospects of playing in the Lowland League will be a non-starter if fans have their way.
However, in a world dominated by money, treasurers at clubs where crowds are measured in the low hundreds may think differently.
Supporters of teams in that division will want any extension to league size to include teams from feeder leagues which have supported the pyramid system, and not the big two simply parachuted in.
At Celtic Park and Ibrox they view it as a chance to give their up-and-coming youngsters a more serious test than they currently get at their level, and claim there’s a blockage in the pathway to their full development as players.
I’ve seen some fans, though, rage that they wouldn’t go to watch their team play against the Old Firm Colts and who rightly see the move as queue-jumping.
There’s a tough choice looming between potential extra income, strengthening the development of young players, and greatly angering the fans who at that level pay the bulk of the costs of running their clubs.
I can see all sides of the argument, but, as usual, I suspect cash will be king.