The future is bright for Paul McMullan

I’m an admirer of Friday night football. After a gruelling week of work it’s nice to get pumped up for some football. It generates a more electric atmosphere; that mix of post-work euphoria and the exhilaration of football fandom – Saturday afternoon matches are quite relaxed in comparison. Sometimes that atmopshere transfers to the game. That happened this weekend, as St Mirren visited Greenock Morton for the first Renfrewshire league derby in one-and-a-half decades. Among the travelling Saints, seeking their first league points of the season, was Paul McMullan.

The Celtic loanee right-winger – on the field, not in politics (I don’t think) – has built a reputation for himself in the Scottish lower leagues in a short amount of time. He joined Stenhousemuir in the second-half of the 2014-15 campaign and helped the Warriors steer through the League One play-offs to retain their status in the third tier of Scottish football. Although I’d only seen glimpses of his talent in highlight packages, and watched East Fife defender Julen – now of Dundee – quieten him in the second-leg of the play-off semi-final, it was clear he was above League One, and he’s demonstrated that in during his spell at St Mirren so far.

McMullan made his league debut at Ibrox and made an instant impression. His delightful through ball slid through the Rangers defence and set up Cameron Howieson to reduce the deficit, minutes after Gers had taken a 2-0 lead. Not long after, he charged at James Tavernier, tripped on the defender’s outstretched leg, and watched the referee point to the spot – Stephen Thompson missed the chance to equalise, and Rangers ended up winning 3-1.

A blend of black-and-white and white-and-blue striped shirts were still pouring into Cappielow, as McMullan collected his first free-kick of the evening – just four minutes in and Luca Gasparotto earned a booking for clattering into the diminutive number 7. It’s a game of chicken for him – he brings the ball to a crawl, closes in on the player, and then waits for the opponent to commit. In that moment he pounces. That sudden burst of acceleration either sends him past the player, or he’s caught on a leg – either way, the opponent has little chance of winning in such a situation. He’s mastered it like an art. It’ll help him at all levels of the game.

One argument against McMullan is his desire to cut inside at all times. He often chooses to burst through into the centre rather than pushing out and going for a cross – one of the rare times he did, he ran around the back of a defender, along the touchline, and picked up another free-kick.

For the most part, McMullan was a peripheral figure in the game – although no fault of his own. Morton pushed high up, and if not for the efforts of Jamie Langfield, the hosts would have been ahead. When St Mirren did manage to push up out of their half, McMullan involved himself in most of their attacks. The rest of the midfield four did little to help him.

Scott Agnew had a quiet game and Stuart Carswell added little to the Saints attack. I, for one, think McMullan might be more effective through the middle. Throughout the game he often drifted into the centre, and, as seen against Rangers, he has the vision to spot defence-splitting through balls. Keeping him out on the right limits him to using his pace and taking on defenders – I think he offers more than that.

There are a couple of things that are holding him back. Although he’s quite stocky, his size means he can be outmuscled and beaten in the air – nothing that can be done about this. However, one thing he can focus on is his off-the-ball movement. He seems to have a talent for finding space for others to run in to, but he doesn’t do it himself on enough occasions; he paces around, but he needs to be more pro-active. These things should come with experience.

The major change in the game came in the 54^th minute, as defender Luke Conlan jumped into a tackle, and thus received his marching orders. St Mirren came under the cosh, further reducing the amount of time McMullan had on the ball. He managed to cause a scare, using his lightning pace to chase the ball back to the keeper, forcing him to kick the ball straight to a Saints midfielder, but he got little time on the ball after this. The visitors focused on securing a point; losing to their rivals would have been a huge disappointment.

One moment that seemed to go a little unnoticed by the commentators was a beautiful touch that helped to create a counter-attack. Keith Watson lumped a long ball up to McMullan, who stood facing the defender in the Saints half. Standing on his left-leg, he swiftly sliced his right leg through the air, and pushed the ball back into the centre to a team-mate. He has a penchant for those deft little touches, creating something from nothing. Most players would have trapped the ball, or passed back to the defender – McMullan created something.

The match offered glimpses of his McMullan’s abilities. St Mirren’s failure to take control let Morton dictate the game and limited the amount of opportunities he had on the ball. But it’s clear that Celtic have a prospect on their hands. While he might struggle to get into a side loaded with quality, especially in attacking positions, I have little doubt that Paul McMullan is going to be an important player in Scottish football in the future.

Juanma’s making an instant impact at Hearts

Juanma Delgado has taken little time to establish himself in Scottish football. The Spaniard has scored three goals in first two games; has managed to rile up an opponent enough for him to sound like a UKIP spokesman; and has Heart of Midlothian supporters drooling at the prospect of a possible top-four finish. Robbie Neilson has even called him a ‘marked man’ because of his dominating performances. Not a bad start.

It’s also a brilliant start for him based on his record. His seven league goals for AEL Kalloni last season is his best return – unless injuries or a sudden drop in form stop him, he’s on course to break that. He’s adapted to the Scottish game in remarkable fashion. He didn’t even have to wait four minutes before opening his account last weekend.

Poor Brad McKay, having left Hearts for regular football, and making his debut for St Johnstone, slipped under no pressure, and watched on as Juanma collected the loose ball, remained cool as Alan Mannus charged out his net, and slotted the ball past the outrushing ‘keeper.

Juanma continued to give McKay a torrid time throughout the game. The Saints centre-back struggled against the imposing frame of the 6ft 3inch striker, who would outmuscle the defender one minute, and then drop to the grass at the slightest of touches the next. He’ll be a constant frustration for defenders this season.

When Kevin McHattie replaced the striker on the 77^th minute, Hearts supporters gave a standing applause to the goalscorer; McKay probably sighed in relief.

At the weekend Hearts travelled to Dens Park to face Dundee; another club with top four ambitions. Both clubs got off to great starts on the opening weekend, with Hearts pipping St Johnstone in a thrilling 4-3 epic and Dundee thrashing Kilmarnock 4-0, making this an unpredictable fixture. Would Juanma pose more of a threat than the impotent Killie?

Hearts adopted a more defensive approach against the Dees. Alim Ozturk featured as a holding midfielder, ahead of Blazej Augustyn and Igor Rossi. Prince Buaben and Morgaro Gomis started as part of a midfield three, with Jamie Walker to the right, meaning Sam Nicholson dropped to the bench.

For the most part, Dundee had the better of the chances in the first-half. Kane Hemmings forced Neil Alexander into a good save, having weaved through the Hearts defence. One minute later, Stewart hit a short cross into Hemmings, who powered his header past the ‘keeper. Not one Hearts’ defender had marked the Dundee striker – questions about their defence still need to be asked. All of this kept Juanma as a peripheral figure. Neilson had got his tactics wrong.

The Spaniard was working with scraps. Outnumbered, he stood little chance of creating something from Alexander’s long-balls. But one of his specialities is his ability to create something out of nothing; that delicate little touch that sparks a chance of a goal. One such moment should have led to an equaliser. Buaben’s cross landed outside the box; Juanma, his back to goal, took a beautiful first-time touch to send Walker through one-on-one with Scott Bain; but the Hearts’ attacker hit his first shot straight at the ‘keeper and headed the rebound straight over the crossbar.

The cultured Julen, Dundee’s former East Fife centre-back, made Juanma’s job tougher. He kept tight to the striker and marked him at long-balls, stopping him from making the most out his limited time in possession. Hearts just couldn’t seem to gain a foothold in that final third.

He almost grabbed an equaliser before half-time, bursting into the box to greet a corner, but heading the ball inches wide of the post. That had been his one chance to shoot in the opening 45 minutes.

Neilson altered his tactics for the second-half. The ineffective Osman Sow came off for Sam Nicholson not long into the period, and the side overall looked a little more driven. Hearts pressed more, and this delivered results. A controversial penalty was awarded against James McPake, the referee deciding he’d used his hand during a goal-mouth scramble. Juanma stepped up and stroked the ball into the bottom-right corner.

Minutes later Juanma snatched a lead for the visitors. He pounced on a loose ball – not for the first time – and burst into the Dundee box. He manoeuvred around the sliding Julen, before tucking the ball past Bain. Dundee had gone from leading to losing in seven minutes.

With a little more help in that final third, Juanma had been able to demonstrate more of his attacking attributes. His control of the ball, coolness in high-pressure situations and clinical finishing had sunk Dundee, bereft of ideas after dropping behind for the first time this season. Unlike Hearts, the Dees lack options from the bench – unless Phil Roberts counts as an option?

The reaction upon Juanma’s substitution perhaps summed up his impact: a chorus of boos from the Dundee end, cheers and chants from the Hearts’ supporters, and a big grin and a handshake from Neilson.

It seems that Hearts might have a complete striker on their hands. In the first-half Juanma had had limited opportunities to impact the match. He’d been reliant on long-balls, but using his strength and skill had managed to carve out a couple of chances for Hearts. In the second, after Neilson had chosen a more offensive outlook, he came into his stride. He made a nuisance of himself and took his chances. Nothing more could be asked. It’s been a brilliant start for the Hearts striker, and if he continues to produce such great results, he should be among the top-scorers come the end of the season.

Tavernier hits the ground running at Rangers

Stuart McCall’s time at Ibrox ended in disaster. It’s a limited selection, choosing the highlight of his time in charge at Rangers. The defeats of Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian spring to mind, as does the return to form of Lee Wallace. The Rangers captain has admitted that McCall helped him rediscover his confidence, and was evident from his Man of the Match performances in both of those late-season games. Although McCall is no longer at the club, it seems that Wallace has picked up from where he left off. It also seems that McCall’s replacement, Mark Warburton, might have found someone capable of adding an attacking threat from the opposite flank.

Richard Foster, among those dumped by Gers at the end of the season, is limited in an attacking role; a more defensive-minded full-back. But in James Tavernier, Warburton has signed a right-back capable of bombing along the flank, creating attacks, and adding a whole different threat to the side.

Tavernier made an almost instant impact in his competitive debut against Hibernian. The Gers, losing, picked up a free-kick on the left edge of the box six minutes before half-time. The ball sailed over the four-man wall and rushed past an outstretched Mark Oxley, who could have done nothing to stop Tavernier’s well-struck equaliser.

In the League Cup, Tavernier notched his second goal for the club. Nicky Clark darted past two Peterhead players; Tavernier immediately began charging along the right flank. Clark slipped a through ball in behind the defence, leaving the right-back in acres of space. Tavernier took one touch, before blasting the ball past a rooted Graeme Smith.

On Friday he made his league debut, with Wallace on the opposite flank, against St Mirren.

An optimistic, bouncing Ibrox welcomed the teams. Songs and chants reverberated around the stadium as the Saints kicked-off the Championship season. Rangers capitalised on the momentum and energy, pouncing on their stunned opponents and bombarding the opposition box. St Mirren’s resistance crumbled after three minutes.

To be fair, the goal shouldn’t have come about. The corner leading to the goal shouldn’t have been awarded; Tom Walsh was the last person to touch the ball. Refereeing mistakes occur, however, and Gers made their chance count. The Saints didn’t handle the loose ball in the box, and Lee Wallace smashed his shot straight past the stranded goalkeeper.

Tavernier had been influential since the start. In one of his first moments on the ball, he held up two markers, flicked a pass straight through the two of them, moved into space, had the ball returned to him, and then sprung a cross to the other side of the pitch. His movement, passing and quick-thinking make him dangerous in attacking situations. On a number of occasions he dragged defenders out of position, found space, and then created a threat.

Most of Gers’ attacks came from the right flank, and a good percentage of those included Tavernier. Whether linking-up attacks, finding space for through balls, or cutting inside, using his acceleration and smart touch, he provided a constant threat on that side. If he can improve on his final product, it’s difficult to think of a more effective right-back in Scotland.

Wallace, on the other side, had a quieter match. Most of the action revolved around that right-flank, freeing him up to take up good positions in-and-around the box. But it was from one of the rare attacks built-up on the left-side that he grabbed his second. He charged through the St Mirren defence, exploiting a gap, and ran onto a through-ball from Jason Holt. One-touch, he slid the ball between the legs of Mark Ridgers.

However, less than a couple of minutes later the atmosphere quietened. McMullan, continuing the theme of through balls, slid a pass ahead of Cameron Howieson. The Saints striker, Tavernier closing in, stroked the ball past Wes Foderingham.

It is one of the potential dangers of having two attacking full-backs. If both Tavernier and Wallace are caught out of position from a sudden counter-attack, too much pressure is put on the centre-backs. With Wilson and Kiernan still getting used to each other, it’s crucial that Wallace and Tavernier be careful not to be caught on the break.

There are still questions about Tavernier’s defensive qualities. He’s quick and strong, but sometimes his positioning seems a little off. That might be a short-term issue; a problem of a defence still unfamiliar. McMullan charged at him and found an outstretched leg; the referee pointed straight at the spot. The right-back picked up a booking, and watched on as Steven Thompson hammered the ball into the stands. His mistake, on this occasion, hadn’t been punished.

The hosts wrapped up all three points in the 90^th minute. Ridgers pulled off a great save to block Dean Shiels’ initial close-range effort; he couldn’t stop the ball rolling back to the midfielder, however, and Shiels managed to knock the ball across the line to give Gers a win in the opening game of the Championship.

Hamilton are in desperate need of a striker

Hamilton Academical are among the favourites for relegation. Under Martin Canning’s management last season, the Accies picked up a miserable 14 points from 18 matches. This second-half of season collapse has left most pundits predicting them to be fighting off relegation, along with Kilmarnock and Partick Thistle.

It’s important to remember what Hamilton lost in January. It wasn’t just Alex Neil. Tony Andreu, a certain Player of the Year nominee had he remained at the club, scored 12 goals in 23 apperances, and Mickael Antoine-Curier, who departed at the beginning of February, had notched a further eight. Hamilton had lost their manager, their best player, and their two top-scorers in a matter of weeks. That would affect any club, never mind one that had just been promoted.

Jason Scotland, released at the start of the window having failed to earn a regular place in the team, returned after less than a month. The Accies scored a measly 14 goals after Neil’s departure, and failed to find the back of the net in half of their games under Canning. Clearly, this was something he’d have to address in the transfer market if he hoped to avoid the drop.

One month before the window closes, and with the season already underway, this is still the case.

He’s signed just one striker on a permanent deal: Christian Nade. He has just two other strikers at his disposal and both are prospects, neither having a record for scoring goals. Canning is hoping that Nade, the strong presence that he is up-front, brings others into the game. Nade doesn’t have a good goal-scoring record in Scotland. During spells at Heart of Midlothian, Dundee and Raith Rovers – a total of 114 league apperances – he’s notched a mere 17 goals. Does he offer enough of a goal-threat, or do Hamilton need to recruit another striker?

Nade started as the lone striker against Partick, with Ally Crawford and Chris Turner in behind, and Dougie Imrie and Louis Longridge on the flanks.

Nade’s first involvement was a sign of things to come. A long ball drifted towards the left corner, the muscle-bound striker held off his marker and pushed the ball out for a cross – in the intervening seconds, Hamilton had poured into the box, although in this case, Longridge’s delivery fell right into the hands of Tomas Cerny, the new Thistle goalkeeper.

Nade quite often stood out in Hamilton’s attacks, and not just for his size. While the likes of Imrie, Longridge and Ziggy Gordon darted about, looking to find openings, searching for passes, Nade kept it pedestrian in the centre, pacing around. Sometimes he dropped back into midfield to hold up the ball and bring in those around him. He also attracted extra attention. He helped Hamilton find space in the final third, using his sheer strength to hold off numerous markers at once, before releasing a short pass. It frustrated defenders; Frederic Frans picked up his first booking for challenging the big man.

Partick were reduced to ten men in the 25^th minute, when Frans picked up another stupid booking – both could be seen as harsh – but Hamilton failed to capitalise on their numerical advantage. Imrie handed Turner a fantastic chance, putting a cross straight into the box, and straight to the head of the midfielder; Turner, despite being unmarked, sent his simple header over the crossbar. Minutes later, Imrie cut a pass across the box to Crawford, who sliced his great chance past the left-post.

Little changed in the second-half.

Both Gordon and Nade fired shots straight at the Partick ‘keeper; neither came close to breaking the deadlock. Longridge managed to sneak past Declan McDaid to go one-on-one with Cerny, but he too rifled his shot straight at the goalkeeper. Hamilton’s best chance to snatch all three points came from Crawford, who forced a great save from Cerny.

After 76 minutes, Nade came off for Morris, the striker on loan from Neil’s Norwich City.

Nade had made a nuisance of himself, holding up the ball, and dragging defenders out of position. But that isn’t enough. Hamilton are in desperate need of a goal-scorer; someone capable of penetrating the opposition box and forcing a goal. There aren’t enough goals in midfield and from Nade to compensate for the lack of such a striker. The club’s failure to sign Salva Chamorro, having announced the deal before finding out he wouldn’t have international clearance, is a huge disappointment to supporters. He scored 14 goals in 36 appearances for Lleida Esportiu last season – might he have been the striker to end Hamilton’s woes? If Canning hopes to avoid a relegation scrap, he needs to find another option soon.

Are Stewart, Hemmings and Loy going to fire Dundee to a top four finish?

Paul Hartley loves a good squad overhaul. He did one after Dundee achieved promotion back to the Premiership in 2014, and he’s gone and done another after a sixth place finish in their first season back in the top flight. To be fair, it worked the first time – a top six finish is something promoted clubs seldom achieve. The problem, however, was that Dundee had a dismal record against the five clubs above them. In the 20 matches Dundee faced Celtic, Aberdeen, Inverness, St Johnstone or Dundee United, they picked up 13 points (out of a possible 60) – the Dees collected their other 33 in the 18 games against bottom six opposition.

So, has he built a squad capable of beating United, Inverness, or St Johnstone?

Hartley, on paper, seems to have tackled the issues at hand. Dundee conceded 57 goals last season, more than any club in the top eight – and just nine fewer than relegated St Mirren. The James McPake and Thomas Konrad centre-back partnership deteriorated as the season progressed, and the team lacked a reliable left-back. To fix this Hartley signed Kevin Holt of Queen of the South and Daryll Meggatt of Alloa, both players capable of playing either in the centre or the left of defence. He also brought in Julen Etxabeguren. The Basque centre-back stood out at East Fife, his cultured approach to defending standing out in the more physical League Two, and if he can successfully acclimatise to Premiership standards, he might prove to be a real coup for the club.

The other problem to solve was the lack of talented strikers at the club. Greg Stewart was an astute signing. The former Cowdenbeath attacker notched 13 league strikes, earning a deserved Player of the Year nomination in the process. Unfortunately for Dundee, if he wasn’t scoring, there was a problem. David Clarkson had a magnificent spell in the first half of the campaign, scoring eight goals in eight straight games, but he suffered a sudden downturn in form and never recaptured that momentum. His release during the summer came as little surprise. Luka Tankulic, on the other hand, is too ineffective. He tries hard, makes a nuisance of himself, but lacks talent – he doesn’t score, has a poor first-touch and offers little threat. Dundee scored the second-fewest goals in the top nine last season; something else the club have been proactive to address. Kane Hemmings, although released after a disappointing move to Barnsley, notched 18 goals in 31 apperances for the Blue Brazil during the 2013-14 campaign, and offers a physical presence that Dundee otherwise lack in this area. Hartley also brought in Rory Loy, from Falkirk, after he scored nine goals last season – injuries stopped him adding to that number from March – and picked up a place in the Championship Team of the Year.

It didn’t take long for the trio to make an impact against a shambolic Kilmarnock defence.

Dundee adopted a more traditional four-four-two, with Stewart on the left, Gary Harkins in a deeper role, and Loy and Hemmings up-front. Stewart wreaked havoc dribbling into the centre, exploiting the space in Harkins absence, and continued to fire shots at a beleaguered Jamie MacDonald or slip through balls ahead of the strikers.

Hemmings pestered the defence, in constant motion, looking to latch onto the end of passes. Although he couldn’t find the net, his strength and pace flustered the inexperienced centre-back pair of Stuart Lindsay and Mark Connolly, dragging them out of position. He, Harkins and Stewart all stung the palms of MacDonald with long-range efforts, and Hemmings should missed a glorious chance to open his account at the club when Loy pulled a pass back to him in the centre of box; his shot instead being dragged to the left of the net.

It mattered little in the grand scheme of things, as Stewart picked up where he left off from last season. Darting inside, again, he found himself unmarked – light marking was a problem of the Killie defence throughout the match – and unleashed a curled effort into the top-left-corner.

Then as the referee was poised to end the first-half, Dundee struck again. Harkins pushed the ball out to Holt on the left-edge of the box, the left-back drove a grounded cross into the area, and Loy, getting ahead of Findlay, redirected the ball over the top of a rooted MacDonald. The Killie fans voiced their displeasure as their side headed to the tunnel.

Not that their performance improved in the second-half. Just a couple of minutes after the restart, Harkins chipped the onrushing MacDonald, and set up Loy to head home his second. The Killie defence collapsed under pressure.

The hosts, in contrast, had created nothing. Kris Boyd, so much expected of his return to the club – despite his dreadful performances for Rangers – remained isolated. Not one shot on target was registered.

The pace of the match slowed after that. Killie tried to find something, but invention was lacking. Instead, Dundee grabbed a fourth. Stewart turned in the box, one marker too far, another slipping to the floor, and smashed the ball past a frustrated MacDonald.

Although Killie’s shambles of a defence didn’t offer the sternest resistance to Dundee’s attacking trio, it must have been an exciting experience for those visiting supporters to witness the three in action. Hemmings, his physical presence and eye for goal causing constant problems; Loy, his intelligence and positioning putting him in the right place at the right time; and Stewart, his driving runs and link-up play creating opportunities. Using this performance as evidence, it could be argued that Dundee possess a more potent attacking threat than the likes of Inverness, St Johnstone and Dundee United. Might it be enough to claim a top-four finish?

It’s too soon to judge Dundee’s defensive acquisitions; Kilmarnock didn’t create enough to test. Hearts, after their 4-3 thriller against St Johnstone, should. With both sharing ambitions of a top-four finish, that could be a real indication of things to come for both teams.