All eyes are on Adam but teenager Robertson could be key
As they a wait tonight’ s Championship opener against Hearts, it is fair to say Dundee have a far better squad than their fans were entitled to expect earlier this summer.
The Dens Park club imple - men ted across-the-board wage cuts in July and saw top goalscorer Kane Hemmings take the opportunity to walk out. Out-of-contract club skip per Josh Mee kings had already left after rejecting the new terms and Chris top he Berra was only on loan.
He belongs to Hearts, tonight’s opponents in a clash handily thrown up by a supposedly random computer algorithm which brings together personalities who featured so prominently in the summer’s voting chaos.
The SPFL sought to pass a motion to curtail last season and calculate the outcome of games left to play on an average points per game basis. Dundee voted against the proposal but were permitted to vote again after their original slip failed to arrive.
Dundee changed their vote to yes and, in so doing, sealed Hearts’ fate. It was the casting vote and they changed their mind in full knowledge of what it meant for the Tynecastle club, as well as Partick Thistle and Stranraer. All three clubs kick- off the new league season in a lower division than was the case when the pandemic hit.
Ann Bud ge, the Hearts owner, later revealed she had phoned John Nelms, the Dundee managing director, but had not had the courtesy of a reply other than amessage–relayed via a third part y–to say he was“sorry” for the about-turn. The television cameras will no doubt seek to capture the frosty nature – or other wise – of their socially distanced greeting this evening.
It has not been widely recorded, but Dundee currently stand on the brink of equalling a club record run dating back to 1907 of seven consecutive competitive clean sheets stretching back to last season. They will do so with another shut-out against Hearts.
It will be a tough task restricting Hearts to no goals, particularly now former Dundee player Craig Wighton has found his shooting boots. But it’s a further incentive for Jack Hamilton, who will play at Tynecastle for the first time since leaving Hearts to join Dundee two years ago. He can only lay claim to one of the six consecutive clean sheets to date – the 2- 0 Betfred Cup win against Brora Rangers last week. Onloan Celtic keeper Conor Hazard recorded six consecutive shut-outs before the untimely end to last season.
Dark Blues supporters are excited by what the midfield partnership of Graham Dorrans and Charlie Adam can bring to the side. Ten years ago this week they played together at Hampden for Scotland against world champions Spain as the hosts fell to a 3-2 defeat. It’s testament to their undoubted talent that they won a combined 38 caps but the fact the last of these, for both men, came in 2015 also under lines why some have expressed concerns about Dundee’s lack of pace in midfield. Dorrans is 33-years-old, Adam 34.
Judging from pre-season friend lies and against the admittedly lowly Bro ra last Saturday, both look fit and eager to show what they can do. Adam has the added incentive of being a boyhood Dundee fan. He is on record as saying it would be a dream come true to lead Dundee back into the top-flight.
While Dundee supporters are relishing seeing Adam and Dorrans together, it’s the youth ranks that gives them hope for the future and suggests Gordon Str ac han’ s presence as technical director is already having the desired effect.
Max Anderson could well start for Dundee tonight – the 19-year-old midfielder did so last weekend and set-up his side’ s second goal against Brora for Danny Mullen. Fin Robertson, still only 17-yearsold, represents the club’s real crown jewel sand might be played in a more forward position after making his breakthrough last season as a deeplying midfielder. He recently signed a three-year extension to his contract, taking him to the grand old age of 20.