Derby preview by Wishae Arab

Last updated : 20 January 2004 By WisharArab

Well those are certainly the thoughts of some posters on the board! I’m not so sure about that myself and to be honest it would be a huge emotional wrench if that’s how it turned out. We all have lots of special derby moments, whether it’s the McIntyre 90 of the younger posters or Ralphie’s chip for those of my generation!

Whether we’ll know anything one way or the other before Sunday seems debatable anyway so I think it’s just going to be a case of getting on with it and more importantly enjoying the day out!


It’s quite a different day out for us Weegie Arabs on Sunday – for a start there’s rather more than usual travelling north – so many that we’ve had to hire a special 71 seater double decker bus! With the Tangerine club being closed at present we’re joining the A90 Arabs in their usual haunt at the Taxi club for a pre-match singsong and on our return to Glasgow we’ve a night out in the Iron Horse bar where we hold our club meetings! We had a similar night out last year as the derby coincided with three birthdays on the bus and it went very well so we’re hoping for a repeat – though a win to celebrate would be nicer!


Perhaps you get more excited about derbies when you’re an exiled Arab – I certainly have been tingling all week at the thought of it! The last I read on the message boards the tickets for the Shankley stand were almost sold out so I expect a large and vociferous Arab support to be cheering us on to victory!


But what of the result itself? Well in some ways somewhat bizarrely I actually don’t think it really is desperately important – but on the other hand it’s surely a life and death matter! And that’s the paradox of the derby for me. Despite all the rivalry and apparent hatred expressed between the two sets of fans, on Monday morning (well ok Tuesday for some!) everyone will be back at work – and most Dundee based fans work with supporters of the wee team. That’s the one thing I miss – winding up the Dees after turning them over (again) on their own patch. It’s just not the same winding up Glasgow Dee by text message! Though I still will!


Turning to matters football it appears that the injury crisis won’t be over by Sunday – and barring miracles we won’t have any new signings in the team either. Mind you plunging a new signing straight into a derby maybe wouldn’t be the sharpest managerial move to make!


Derbies tend to be “up and at them” affairs with silky flowing football not being a commodity often on view. It’s often the hungrier team that wins the spoils and for that reason I’m tipping United to win yet again at Dens.


I think there have been distinct signs of improvement in recent weeks with several of the new signings finally proving their worth – I thought Kerr and McInnes both had excellent games against Aberdeen and the introduction of Charlie Miller was of course the turning point of the match. On his day Charlie surely is one of the best attacking midfielders in the country – but as ever fitness is an issue and I’m not certain McCall will play him from the start.


Robson too showed the form that made McCall sign him in the first place and if he can turn it on against the wee team we could do some serious damage!


So I’m full of optimism and confidence and predicting a 3-1 United win!!