Today's News | Sport | Features | Email Contacts | Letters | The Tele | D C Thomson | Annuals | Subscriptions | Old Dundee

Headlines
Sport Stories
Get the Tele from...

General Sport - 18 September 2007
Football: Blether with Brown > Touchline
 
Morgaro’s reward
 

WELL DONE! Dundee United boss Craig Levein and Morgaro Gomis, who today extended his stay at Tannadice (see main story).

 
His rapid rise to first-team regular status saw Dundee United midfielder Morgaro Gomis rewarded with a new long-term contract today (writes Tom Duthie).
Signed on an 18-month deal from Cowdenbeath in January, the Frenchman has had his terms improved and extended until 2010.

Manager Craig Levein believes that is great news for both club and player, and has praised Gomis for his quick promotion to the top team.

“I signed Morgaro primarily as one for the future, especially given the step up to SPL football,” said Craig.

“However, I always felt he had the qualities to establish himself as a first-team player sooner rather than later and he has adapted very quickly to the demands of the SPL.

“I am delighted to have secured him for a further two years as I am convinced he will continue to develop and improve.”

Gomis himself admitted his progress had been faster than he expected, but, now that he is a regular, plans to keep making an impact.

“When I arrived at United, my only thought was to work hard and impress the manager. I did not expect to play as many games as I did before the end of last season and I was happy to stay in the team when this season began,” he said.

“Now I want to keep playing every week, because that makes me happiest. I was out last Sunday because I was suspended and it will be hard to get my place back, because we have quality here.

“However, I will be trying my best to do that, because things have been going well and this is a good time to be in the Dundee United team. The season is still early, but I hope we can still be high in the league for the rest of it.”

Meanwhile, a string of fringe players were given needed match practice when Dundee United sent out a strong reserve side against Falkirk this afternoon.

Craig has been pleased with the options he’s had from the bench in recent games and used today’s game at Forfar’s Station Park to make sure fitness levels among his first-team subs remain high.

“It is good when you look behind you in the technical area and see players who can make a difference when they come on, like Steven Robb did on Sunday,” he said.

“They need game time, though, and today’s game has fallen nicely for that.”

Among those getting a run-out were Greg Cameron, Mark Kerr, David Goodwillie and Johnny Russell, the 17-year-old striker who has been making good progress at youth and second-string level.

The manager did resist the temptation, though, to experiment at left-back with a view to Saturday’s trip to Fir Park to face Gretna.

It has been confirmed that regular incumbent Christian Kalvenes is facing four weeks out with a torn calf muscle, so either Steven Robb or Stuart Duff are likely to be asked to stand in on that side of the defence.

“That’s something we will work on in training over the next few days and come up with an answer — there was nothing to be served from trying either of them out in the reserve game because I know they can play in the position,” explained Craig.

Luxury at Dens
Dundee boss Alex Rae is enjoying the luxury of a week where he can focus almost exclusively on match preparation (writes Tom Duthie).
There are no trialists at Dens Park right now, no-one away on international duty and, of the first-team squad that has been on duty since the opening week of the campaign, only goalkeeper Ludovic Roy was not in full training today.

“It’s been good to have no distractions and not too much to worry about in terms of injuries. There’s been a big group in working the past couple of days and the tempo has been up,” he said.

The only long-term injury concern is loan signing Craig Sives. The centre-half has been receiving treatment for a pelvic problem back at his club Hearts and remains some way away from fitness.

Up for Challenge
St Johnstone take on Brechin at McDiarmid Park and Dunfermline travel west to meet Airdrie United in Challenge Cup quarter-finals tonight (writes James Masson).
All three local clubs have injury problems.

Apart from long-term absentees Kevin James and Steven Milne, Saints are set to be without Peter MacDonald, Martin Hardie and Andy Lawrie, Brechin will be minus John Ward and Kevin Byres, while Dunfermline have Scott Wilson, Greg Shields, Scott Morrison and Scott Thomson sidelined.

Saints could, however, have Gary Irvine — the right-back who won the Challenge Cup last season with Ross County at McDiarmid Park — in their line-up.

“We beat Clyde in the final here last season and I was also in the Celtic side which won the BP U/18 Scottish Cup Final here against Aberdeen a few years ago. So McDiarmid Park is a lucky cup ground for me,” said Gary.

Brechin manager Michael O’Neill commented, “We may give a chance to some players who haven’t started recent games.”

Kick-off is at 7.45, admission is to the West Stand only, and prices are £10/£5. Season tickets are not valid.

Dunfermline may have Ian Williamson and Scott Muirhead back in their ranks for the trip to Airdrie now they have recovered from injury.

Pars team boss Stephen Kenny admits his side will “have to be competitive” to reach the semis.

The East End Park club have made an inauspicious start to life in the First Division, but Stephen feels his side are beginning to “put things together” — and tonight’s match will be a big test for them.

email sports desk