Manager ahead of Celtic B

14/11/22: JM - “We will focus and pick a team that can get a positive result against Celtic B.”

The long awaited SPFL Trust Trophy Third Round tie against Celtic B will see manager James McPake come up against his good friend Darren O’Dea. The 35 year old Dubliner is the manager of Celtic B and James predicted that they will be good under such a strong management team as Darren and Stephen McManus.

“I know Darren really well so they will be good when they come here on Tuesday night. I am really close with Darren, he came into Dundee when we were both players. I was an injured player but the two of us were helping coach as well. He has great knowledge of the game, he has a great way as a coach. He speaks really well and is really focussed and driven in what he is trying to do. I know that he is manager of Celtic B but he will be a fantastic manager when he decides to go out on his own.

“His ideas are really good and I have a lot of respect for him as a person. It will be funny, I don’t know if I could really argue with him, we are too close for that so it will be difficult on Tuesday. They will be tricky because they are a good side.”

The SPFL Trust Trophy or Challenge Cup in its previous life, has always provided clubs with an opportunity to give players on the fringes game time and that is likely to happen on Tuesday night. James added:-

“Yes, we will use that. There will certainly be some ones who need the minutes and some of the younger ones who have been excellent in the academy” but he warned “we will focus and pick a team that can get a positive result against Celtic B.”

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