Stalemate puts Dundee's Gary Harkins in mood for 'new team' Rangers

After a spell of bitching about pitches and Willie Collum’s many failings, good old Gary takes us back to a subject that has been debated more often than how to solve the crisis in the Middle East. Are Rangers deid or not?

In actual fact, Harkins has faced Rangers/Sevco/Rangers International Football club – delete according to which team you support – since liquidation in 2012 so he was just ensuring that if his side beat Dumbarton at Dens Park on Tuesday night, then he is sure to receive a warm reception.

Asked about the possible quarter-final, he said: “Ah, they’re just a new team, I’ve not played them before, and so I’m looking forward to that. It should be good. It will be a tough game against Dumbarton, they made it hard for us down there and it wasn’t the best of days, but there is a chance to go to Ibrox for a quarter-final so we will be right up for it.”

Ach, his words, or sentence rather, will get people talking about him and his own club for a few days when there should be a lot more spoken about Dundee this season. They don’t so much operate under the radar as underground.

This is a club not without its own difficulties in recent years and after a spell in the Championship, they are looking good for a successive top six finish and an opportunity to do something in the Scottish Cup.

Paul Hartley was always a smart footballer and he’s clearly got something as a manager. He speaks well and while his team had the better chances at Rugby Park, Kilmarnock were the stronger side in a goalless draw that was a much better game than you might think.

Harkins said: “We weren’t great against Kilmarnock but I agree with the manager that it was good to get a clean sheet and a point away from home. The front four, and we have been good for the last few weeks, weren’t up to where we usually are.

“From fourth to eleventh, any of the teams could go on a bad run and get into trouble. So losing at the weekend was a good way to keep the momentum going. We just want to take as many points as we can and let’s see where that gets us.

“If we could finish top six and at least make the quarter-finals, it would be a good season for us. I have said before that the second season is always tougher, we finished top six last time, to do it again and push on – if we can go on a better cup run – we would be happy with that.”

As for Kilmarnock, new manager Lee Clark talks well and on this evidence has something to work with. A finish of tenth, therefore out of the play-off, a position they currently occupy, is all he is looking for right now.

With players such as Josh Magennis up front, who had a terrific hour before running out of steam and his fellow Northern Ireland international Lee Hodson, on loan from MK Dons, who looks to be a fine acquisition at right-back, suggest they are not doomed by any stretch.

Indeed, it is fair to say that since Gary Locke was sacked after a miserable home defeat by Hamilton, Kilmarnock have looked a different team.

“We aren’t thinking about going down, said Hodson. “All we are thinking about is picking up points each week. If you think about it too much the performances suffer so we have got to have clear minds about what we need to do to get out of the bottom.

“It’s a clean slate for everyone when a new manager comes in and everyone wants to do their best. Training has been at a high intensity and I think that’s shown on the pitch.

“I didn’t see how the team was performing beforehand but it’s been to a high standard since I’ve been here. Training has been sharp and it’s definitely been seen on the pitch we are all together in this and we want to win games.

“I played against the manager for Watford when he was at Huddersfield and Birmingham. I knew what he was about and know a few players who have played under him and really like him. I’ve seen it over the last few days with his training. The lads have been very positive and taken everything on board in terms of his philosophy.”