Stand Free Arabs Match Preview

The face of Scottish Football has changed immesurably in the last twenty years though, and the Aberdeen and Dundee United sides that will lock van der Hoorns tomorrow will not be fighting it out for the SPL title come next May. In fact, using recent seasons as a barometer, it is very difficult to know what to expect from either team this season. Both sides have yo-yo'd up and down the SPL since the turn of the millenium, both having scrapes with relegation and brief encounters with Europe. Last season, the Reds held the upper hand in the league confrontations, taking 7 points from 9 against the Tangerines. But United shocked a shambolic Dons side in the Scottish Cup that led them to the final and the UEFA Cup. So what this term?

United have strengthened their already well-complimented attack with the signing of Lee Miller after both Hearts and Aberdeen got fed up with him and his agent. However, their main problem last season was a defence with more holes and chocolates than a bag of Aeros, and there has been no strengthening in that area other than the acquisition of former Dons reserve 'keeper Derek Stillie from Dunfermline. He will be a busy man if the dreadful defensive cock-ups - particularly at set-pieces - are to continue this season.

The Dons however have strengthened all over the park except for the defence, which has already earned plaudits from the fans and pundits. Jamie Langfield will push Ryan Esson all the way for the first-choice 'keeper's role, while Jamie Smith, Gary Dempsey and former Pars playmaker Barry Nicholson will add various options to the midfield. However it is the signing of Steve Lovell from Dundee that has got the fans excited, and particularly the pairing of Lovell with the revitalised Darren Mackie who scored 15 goals last season.

However, the 5400-strong Red Army will not see this potentially explosive partnership in the opening game, as Mackie has been ruled out of the fixture with an injury. Jimmy Calderwood told RedWeb: "It's a blow that Mackie is out, as he was the top scorer last year, but we're lucky we have Lovell as he is a naturally fit lad anyway and I think having five and a half thousand visiting supporters behind him will get the adrenaline going." Last season's Mr Consistency, Michael Hart, will also be missing for the Dons, and his natural replacement Kevin McNaughton is said to be suffering from a virus, but may yet play.

The most interesting factor in the game will be the reaction of both sets of supporters to each club's new strikers. The Dons fans were chanting Lee Miller's name on the last day of last season, despite him wearing Hearts' colours. Tomorrow, he will also be wearing another team's colours, but the shenanigans surrounding his prolonged summer posturing may well have left a sour taste in three or four thousand of the Dons travelling support. Despite this, the Red Army will certainly not forget to give plenty of backing to their new striking hero Steve Lovell, but the Arabs may not be so keen on the hitman who donned the navy blue of their city rivals last season, and has almost a goal-a-game scoring ratio against the Terrors. With both strikers feeling they have a point to prove to the opposition supporters, this game could be a classic.

Leaving the final word to the gaffer, Jimmy told RedWeb that he is confident that the Aberdeen players have the determination and ability to ensure that last season was no flash-in-the-pan: "I really feel that if we have a fully fit squad, we can go anywhere, to any game and get a result. We played some people off the park last year and they are a young squad who have spirit, pace and fight, which gives me the confidence that we can do well."


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