Well here we are – days away from the start of the season – and already optimism is in abundance on the message board. It’s even spread to the press with Jim Traynor apparently tipping us for third, and the Sunday Herald’s panel of sports journalists last week all predicting either a third or fourth place finish – and one even predicted we’d win the CIS cup!
But is this optimism based on anything solid – or should we listen to the wee team supporters who suggest that all McCall has done is assemble a team of first division journeymen who remain unproven at SPL level?
The truth as ever lies between the those two points of view and much as I would like to think we could finish the SPL in 3rd or 4th place I fear that this may be the result of an overdose of optimism peels – yet again!
McCall himself has been trying to dampen our over enthusiasm by stating that a top six finish would in itself be a major breakthrough for our club – and in many ways that’s perhaps the best approach to take, especially considering out opening four fixtures – whoever is responsible for that particular collection of games clearly wasn’t doing us any favours – or were they?
Most people with their feet firmly planted on the ground would suggest that any more than four points from our first four games would be a staggering achievement, and although I confess to suggesting on the Weegie Arabs bus on the way back from Everton that 12 points out of 12 was achievable I have to say my tongue was firmly in my cheek!
The situation after the first nine games of the season is of course a far more sensible point to judge our progress or lack of it.
I am however slightly worried by the sense of jingoism coming over the loudspeakers at Tannadice – all this talk of the “McCall revolution” is a bit OTT in my view – though I will be pleasantly surprised if it all comes true – though the thought of the Weegie Arabs bus managing to get to our first European away leg next season in time for kick-off fills me full of trepidation!
So let’s keep our sights at a sensible level – finishing sixth would be a major step forward and it is perhaps unrealistic to expect that all these new players will gel together in time to get us higher up the table – time will tell!