Dundee’s unbeaten start to the season will be put to the test when champions Celtic pitch up at Dens Park on Sunday for the live BT Sport game, kick-off 12.30pm.
Former Dens Park favourite Steven Tweed admires the work Paul Hartley has done in assembling his squad but is unsure whether this is a good or bad time to be meeting Ronny Deila’s side.
Tweed was at the centre of the Dundee defence from December 1998 to the summer of 2001, during a career that started at Hibs and ended at Montrose, with stops at Livingston and East Fife as well as Greece, England, Germany and Japan.
The 41-year-old remains close to all things Dundee and has noticed a sense of excitement growing in the City of Discovery over recent months.
Tweed said: “Dundee are showing a resilient side to their game under Paul, as can be seen by their goals against column which stands at only two. He had a good keeper already there in Kyle Letheren and it looks like his form is going to be rewarded with a cap for Wales.
“Bringing James McPake in was a great move as he has the experience that will be very useful to Dundee. It would be great for James and for Dundee if he could play a full season after some injury worries at Hibernian.
“Kevin Thomson was another good signing and, while he has picked up a calf injury, he is the type of experienced squad member who is almost as valuable off the pitch as on it.
“Paul has brought in a lot of quality. The core of his recruitment policy has been players that understand the game in Britain and can cope with that.”
When Tweed moved to Dundee he was joining a similar-looking squad but that changed dramatically as the likes of Frank van Eijs, Patrizio Billio and Paco Luna joined.
They were just the advance party - with Ivano Bonetti, Zura Khizanishvili, Fabian Caballero, Claudio Caniggia, Alberto Carranza, Juan Sara and Georgi Nemsadze all coming on board as well.
Tweed said: “I started off in a mainly Scottish squad but it was a very different approach by the time I finished at Dundee. While it had financial consequences for the club it was an exciting and exhilarating time to be a Dundee fan.
“For a good while before that and for a period afterwards there was not a lot to attract local kids to support Dundee unless their dad was a fan. That is important to a club and hopefully Dundee are building in that area again.”
Hartley’s side will be tested this weekend by Celtic but Tweed is unsure just what to expect: “Dundee know well what Celtic did to Dundee United in their recent home game and that will make them wary. However, what a difference a couple of weeks can make as Celtic have now had back-to-back defeats from Inverness Caledonian Thistle and then Maribor. Losing two games in a row rarely happens to them and they will certainly not want to make it three.
“Celtic will either come out all guns blazing or feeling very fragile. Seeing Kris Commons on the bench the other night was a surprise after his performance last season especially as no replacement has been brought in as yet.
“I don’t know Ronny Delia but I know his assistant John Collins from his early days at Hibs and, just like any new management pair, they need time to get their ideas across.
“It is a results-based business and Paul Hartley has done well in that score with Dundee in terms of getting them promoted but it will take time for Celtic to gel after going through a massive change in the summer.
“Paul has his backroom staff in place and was able to get his plans across in pre-season and the signs are good that Dundee will have a good season. The key to me has been how he has assembled his squad and that could be the platform for a good season in Dundee.”
Craig Stewart
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