Ibrox crisis of little interest to Ojamaa
Striker is only concerned about his team’s performance in bid to end dire record against today’s opponents
HENRIK OJAMAA won’t spend any time wondering how Rangers will react to a crisis in today’s televised encounter at Dens Park. The Dark Blues welcome the managerless Ibrox outfit to Tayside as uncertainty continues to cloud their long-term future with caretaker boss Graeme Murty set to take charge for the second week running, following last weekend’s narrow Scottish Cup victory over Championship club Morton.
Paul Hartley’s hosts have been something of a sideshow in the build-up to this afternoon’s live clash and Estonian international striker Ojamaa, who joined arrived on loan from Dutch side Go Ahead Eagles last month, says they don’t mind as the last thing they will be preoccupying themselves with is worrying about their opponents state of mind in the wake of Mark Warburton’s recent departure from the helm.
The striker said: “It’s tough to say how their players will respond. There’s no point in us thinking about how it will affect them. We just need to make sure we focus on ourselves and everybody brings their best performance on Sunday. How the opposition are doing or how they are feeling – that doesn’t matter. It’s about concentrating on your own game and helping the team out as best you can.”
Dundee’s last win over the Glasgow giants was in 2001 but Ojamma doesn’t necessarily believe this represents the best time to end that sorry sequence.
“Maybe it’s a good time to play them but sometimes with a change like this, it can galvanise the players and lift them or other times it will disrupt them, there’s no telling. It’s very hard to guess. As individuals, everybody will respond differently, some on the fringes get a chance or others will be upset, so you never know. But our focus is 100 per cent on us. We’re not going to think about how they are feeling or doing at all.”
Having last tasted defeat on home soil at the hands of Patrick Thistle back in late October, Dundee have every right to feel confident as they push for a top-six finish.
“Our home form has been good and we just need to make sure we convert these draws into wins now and we’ll be fine, Ojamaa said. “We have to be more clinical and limit the opposition to few chances because it’s a different level of opposition on Sunday.
“Everyone’s been very welcoming since I came here. It’s a good group of players and also the staff and everybody around the club has made me feel very welcome. I’m enjoying it and looking forward to the Rangers game.
“I’m feeling better and sharper with every game. I feel I can help the team and, looking at our players, we’re a good enough squad to push for the top six, which is our goal.
“We just have to put a little run together. I think there’s no reason why we can’t get a positive result on Sunday. We can be confident going into it.”
Our focus is 100 per cent on us. We’re not going to think about how they are feeling or doing at all