By Matty Blakeman
October 17 2002

This Week Matt focuses on about Berti Vogts and his Scotland Selection. Matt also talks about Aberdeen this week and his dislike towards Aberdeen after last Seasons 4-1 defeat.

At last, Berti opens his eyes

Well at long last, the Scots have found the form and results that make us all look forward to heartache at the end of the competition. And what has been restored to the side that has been missing in recent matches? Pride? Possibly. Passion? Maybe. But, in my humble opinion, the answer is obvious. Better players. After the Faroes game, I, like many, was pulling my hair out at Vogts’s ignorance to pick decent S.P.L. players who are regulars in their team as opposed to, pardon my French, diddy players from English teams that don’t play regularly to due to being 5^th choice strikers or what have you. I was not in the slightest surprised at Pressley and Wilkie being Scotland’s stand out performers against Iceland: they usually play better than that for Hearts and Dundee week in, week out. It’s taken time, probably too much time, but Berti seems to have found a set of players who can take us to Portugal and, encouragingly, many of them are from the S.P.L. Last night against Canada, there were representatives from Dundee, United, Hibs, Hearts, Motherwell, Dunfermline and Aberdeen that played some part in the game but surprisingly, none from the Champions. Yet just a few weeks ago, there were so many saying that Scotland had no players capable of taking us through but now, thanks to Vogts looking at his own country’s league for talent, things seem to be on the up.

Meanwhile, at fortress Dens, Duffy is preparing his troops for the short trip to Aberdeen who, Old Firm aside, I have never seen beat since we came up to the S.P.L.

Once in the coca-cola cup a few years back, but never in the S.P.L. Since last season, I have grown something of an intense dislike towards Aberdeen fans. It’s not often that you get that much pelters from away fans after a home defeat but on two occasions last season my father and I had to endure Dons fans coming up to us and screaming in out face, “AAAAAA-BERRRRRR-DEEN”, their one and only song. Also, after our 4-1 defeat at Dens, we were walking along the Cleppie Road and traffic was moving slow so we were stuck next a car with two ladies singing “4-1 to the Aberdeen” with their annoying accents ringing in my ears to this very day, their “R’s” more noticeable in the accents than those of The Worzels. If I had a knife, I’d have slashed their tyres. Unsurprisingly then, I’d kind of like to see a victory this weekend. Sadly though, despite successfully striving to be able to go to this game, I don’t think we’ll get it. My prediction is 2-1 to The Dons but I’d so love to be wrong. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of reception Patrizio Billio will receive from the Dundee fans as he, no doubt, will be playing for The Dons. My guess is that he will get a booing to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

Our second of three away games in a week comes on Tuesday against Partick in the C.I.S. Cup. We haven’t had a decent cup run for many a year so this year wouldn’t be a bad time to have one. I’ll go for an extra-time Dee’s win.