Aberdeen game preview by Wishae Arab

Well it’s time for what for me is my longest journey of the season to see United – the long trip north to the northern lights of Aberdeen. This year it’s half by car and half by bus, and as I’m getting a lift for the car bit no driving is involved for a change!

I was away last week and Monday’s online Courier contains not a shred of information about Alex Smith’s plans so I’ll assume a full squad of players for a game that might well be construed as more break than make.

Should we lose at Pittodrie then the pressure will really be on for Saturday’s home game at Dunfermline, as our position at the bottom of the league would not change. However a week can be a long time at this stage of the SPL and two successive wins could see us propelled rapidly into the top six of the league!

Alex Smith’s tactics have missed the mark in my view on our first two away fixtures – with only one shot on target that I can recall at Firhill, and even fewer at Parkhead! I hope he has learnt that Thommo up front with Charlie Miller tucked in behind just doesn’t seem to work. I liked the look of the Thommo/Smart partnership, but the latter’s rash challenge in the derby presumably means he’s suspended, though I could be mistaken.

It’s a sad fact that we are the SPL’s bottom scorers, and unless things pick up markedly in this department we will struggle seriously again.

I’ll not even attempt to outthink Alex Smith with regards team selection – no doubt more news will come soon with regard to this but I’ll stick my head on the line and predict a 2-1 win to keep Smith in a job for another few weeks!