A View Of August Fae The Red Side

Now going into this year I wondered if we'd suffer fae 'Second Season Syndrome', which is a bitty like 'Second Album Syndrome' just wi oot aw the groupies and free cocaine n'at....so have we got a Zeitgeist defining grower a la 'Morning Glory' or a self indulgent mess a la 'The Second Coming', now if I could remember how thon 'former' and 'latter' stuff worked I'd tell ye but I cannae so lets just say I reckon this seasons gonna be mair 'Wonderwall' than poxy fuckin Utah friggin Saints rip offs like 'Beggin you'...(fit where they thinkin?)

Got to admit pre season I would have settled for a dull boring year spent consolidating last years gains, when I first saw the fixtures I reckoned we'd haul 7-9 points this month...and lo bar the Huns/Killie games that's how it's turned out.

Now while others have had the Weejia kissin their pox ridden bahookies, we've quietly gonna about setting out our stall, nae thrills or hype just an improved version o last season vintage.

Defensively of course last year we were tighter than the proverbial gnats chuff and bar a dip in Zander's form (which given his meteoric rise was gonna happen at some point) the same applies again this year. Sure there's a worry as to what happens when we lose either/both to the inevitable suspension and injuries but that's a bridge and crossing scenario for the future.

Last year our midfield was our greatest strength in that it provided an almost insurmountable obstacle for most teams and shored up our defence, but its lack of creativity was also the cause of most of the (muted) grumbles last season.

Not so this year, oh no - in Demps, Nichs and err......Smiffs (?) this issue has been well and truly resolved and I'd argue that we now possess one of the (if not THE) best midfields in the league now who handily enough are helping out our strikers by scoring a few goals, resolving another issue fae last year - when our strikers stopped scoring (which wi Bleazin was for most of the season), so did we and it was this that ultimately cost us the UEFA spot. Encouraging that Zizou Smith has now scored as many in August as last years Seve-Heike combo did all year.

Ah, upfront...hmm despite early May hopes we'd have an entire new front line before Wimbledon started we're still worryingly threadbare.

Having said that the striker we did sign looks the absolute mutts, Lovell 75% fit can worry most defences so what a 100% fit one can do is a mouth-watering prospect and don't forget we've still got Mackie to add an aerial threat and pace...ok so he'll probably still worry dive bombing gulls more than opposing keepers but his return is eagerly anticipated (well by this Red anyway).

So hopefully a decent loan striker (to fill the gap until Boyd arrives fae Killie in January?) will complete the package and it's a package that will be more than capable of taking any side in this league.

Yep, so let the Weejia hype up and drool over the Edinburgh sides in August, I'm quietly confident that as the season progresses even the ever slow Weejia will wake up to the fact the real menace to the Monkeys Duopoly comes not from Swinecattle but Gods Ain Republic.

Not that we'll win the title (or come close for that matter) - we'd need a higher calibre keeper than Esson to do that IMO.

Nah, as much as we humbled the Huns on our patch I dinna buy into this 'Gap shrinkin/OF are in decline' nonsense. Sure ourselves, Hearts and Hibs these days can field side which can beat the OF but all these obituaries are sadly a tad premature...more them having a sticky start.

Almost inevitably they'll both go on one of their standard winning runs and the rest including Hearts will be left in their wake, and even in the unlikely scenario of a side actually splitting them come Xmas as Tango says they'll just wheech oot their chequebooks and it'll be game over.

So what about the rest..?

Well last year after years of financial doping, the SPL began to revert to its natural state with the Top 5 spots taken by the 5 biggest sides....to be honest I see the same thing happening again this year...ok wi maybe 5-10 points shaved off the OF's gap to the rest.

Doon the bottom, the usual suspects have already taken their places for the 9 month slog against relegation though already Livi look certs to go down (how long before someone asks if Paul Lambert's communicating properly wi his players?) Mind you a slow painful death for Franchise FC, I cannae see anyone bar Pierce Flynn shedding any tears or for that matter noticing.

Caley have started well and look confident and steady though their real test will come in a month or so when they take on all bar the Huns fae last years Top 6 in consecutive games...come through that and they'll be the real deal. Caley's biggest problem may be rebuffing G-G-Granville's advances in a few months. Killie have got off to a good start but bar the mighty AFC they ain't played anyone of note yet and once they do gravity will kick in. The opposite applies to Well...so between those 3 for 6th.

I reckon it's gonna be another classic 3 way nip n tuck battle between ourselves and the Edinburgh sides for the UEFA spots. I've already mused on why I don't think Hearts revival will amount to much so I won't waste any further time on them but their 'Title Challengers' credentials will only take on credibility for me once they've played and beaten both the OF. Nah, it'll all end in tears again as it always bloody does...the wall may be higher but the bottle will still go. Hibs were a tidy outfit last year and look like being again and excepting Derby Day aberration they seem to have tightened up at the back. All in all pretty much of a muchness and a crackin 9 months await.

Ah yes I've left them till last but one can't go without expressing some joyous schadenfreude regarding the Arabs' woeful start, it surely can't be long before G-G-Granville has Jism hitting the tissues.....when he sacks him like.

Yep Eddie Thompson bizarre quest to transform the Arabs into "Aberdeen FC (1996-99 - The Merde Years)" continues apace and a season providing comic relief for us Reds awaits for the Arab masses. Anyway given Thomson obsession for bidding for any player we're linked with anyone fancy starting a rumour that we're after Fat Boabby and SloMo Ross....I mean we got Porterfield on to the short list after Binman got the dunt last year.

Nah, quietly confident - and no, that's not a delusion after a predictable walk over againsy Falkirk - I just honestly believe we're well equipped to make advances this year.

Predicts for next month...hmm a point fae Paralice and 2 strolls in the park over the Pars and Livi should do us nicely.


The Red Avenger