It has been an entirely acceptable start to the season for Aberdeen, and after three successive wins, they look odds-on to ease through to the knock-out stages of the Premier Sports Cup. The victories over Queen of the South and East Kilbride were comfortable, but the players were professional and did what was needed. Airdrieonians in midweek proved a much sterner test. That came as no surprise given what Rhys McCabe has done there, but, after a first half wobble, Aberdeen rallied, and it will have done them no harm having to step things up before clinching the points. It seems unlikely Dumbarton will halt their progress this afternoon, and I would expect, with a 100% record, the Dons will secure one of the three seeded spots in Sunday evening’s second round draw. That will be important as Jimmy Thelin targets a run deep into the tournament. The new manager is still getting to grips with his squad, but the early signs are encouraging – with the only major headache the uncertainty over the future of class act Bojan Miovski. The fans got their first seasonal sighting of the North Macedonian after the interval on Tuesday, and there may not be too many more, but that is entirely down to a suitable formal offer being made. The club, and the manager, have handled the situation correctly up to now. If Miovski is to depart – and that does seem inevitable – Jimmy has to focus on the players he knows he will be working with moving forward. I get the sense that he too expects Bojan to leave, and it was comforting to hear him confirm that a plan is in place, which he will quickly enact, if an acceptable bid lands. I have no doubt there will be further transfer activity in any case, but for all concerned, it would be good to have the Miovski saga settled as quickly as possible. While the Dons look set to move on in the cup, across the competition a number of the bigger, more fancied clubs still have a challenge on their hands. Will three big guns fall in Premier Sports Cup? Dundee, having already booked their place in the knockout stages, will also be hoping to keep their perfect record going against Caley Thistle, and Ross County are in a strong position in Group H, but the other Premiership sides still have work to do. Motherwell have a head-to-head tomorrow against Partick Thistle, which will decide their fate, while Dundee United, Hibernian and St Johnstone are all in danger of exiting the tournament. Both Falkirk and Ayr United have the chance to leapfrog United, and I would anticipate each getting the convincing wins they require to do so. After netting 10 goals in two games, Hibs inexplicably lost to Kelty, and now face a nervy closer against Peterhead, but a win should see them through either as group winner or one of the best runners-up. Saints, currently in third place, are also up against it and know that even a victory over East Fife might not be enough. This competition has thrown up a few shocks in recent years, but losing perhaps three or four of the big guns this early would be seismic! Is Simon Murray from Ross County to Dundee Scottish football’s signing of the summer so far? When I fell in love with the game, summers were much longer and far less busy, squads generally changing only minimally during the close season. Football has altered dramatically over the decades, transfer windows introduced, and the start of each campaign brings with it the difficulty of getting to know the myriad of new signings across the country. Looking through the list of arrivals, and given how far clubs now spread their nets, I have to admit I know little or nothing about many of them. Of those I do know, a few really catch the eye. Goalkeepers Dimitar Mitov and Kasper Schmeichel will be excellent additions for Aberdeen and Celtic, but the one signing that stands out for me is that of Simon Murray by Dundee. Despite a fine campaign last time out, Tony Docherty lacked a centre-forward who scored regularly. Murray fits that bill, and has all the attributes to be a Dens Park revelation.
Subscribe
Login
0 Comments
