Pape Gueye is reaping the rewards of Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin’s selective memory after hitting form in the Scottish Premiership.
The 24-year-old’s double in Saturday’s 2-1 win against Motherwell made it five goals in five league matches.
Who would have predicted the Senegalese striker would be the man to catch in the goalscoring stakes in the top-flight?
I doubt his name would have entered my head at all had you asked me at the start of the season for my candidates to be the leading goalscorer in the division.
But credit where it is due, Gueye is doing the business and has taken on the mantle of being Aberdeen’s main man in the final third in the post-Bojan Miovski era.
He seems to be getting better with each passing game, too, which is great for Thelin and the Dons… but spells trouble for the rest of the league.
His first goal on Saturday illustrated the confidence he has perfectly. When he got on the ball 10 yards in his own half, he only had one thought in his mind – beating his opponent and bearing down on goal.
The speed, control and execution was sublime, but it was the second goal which really hit home for me.
One of my biggest bugbears as a former striker is watching a player standing watching flat-footed when a shot is fired towards goal by a team-mate.
You should be on your toes, following the shot up just in case it is deflected or parried, and Gueye’s willingness to gamble paid off as he was in the right place at the right time for a tap-in to double his side’s lead.
Thelin’s role should not be ignored
Gueye is off to a flying start – but we should not discount the role the forward’s manager is playing in his renaissance.
I’ve noticed Thelin say in various forms how he is not interested in what happened last year. Previous seasons are not his concern, it’s what is happening here and now that he is focused on.
In Gueye’s case, it is match-winning contributions.
Shayden Morris, with a goal and five assists in his first 10 games, can be put into that category, too.
I’m confident there would not have been a long line of Aberdeen fans expecting either player to play as big a part as they have so far, so credit where it’s due to not just the players but the manager, too.
But they are not the only ones providing good news at Pittodrie.
Leighton Clarkson is back in the fold after recovering from his shoulder injury and Ante Palaversa is starting to make his mark.
The Croatian was given his chance in the absence of captain Graeme Shinnie, who missed Saturday’s game due to illness.
Losing Shinnie, who has started the season brilliantly, would have been cause for concern, but Palaversa slotted in alongside Sivert Heltne Nilsen perfectly and the duo dominated the midfield for long spells.
That must be hugely reassuring for the manager to know he has a more than capable third option in Palaversa and, of course, Dante Polvara will add to those options when he returns.
Dons’ focus turns to Premier Sports Cup
With five wins out of five and 10 victories in a row in all competitions, Aberdeen’s focus now switches to Saturday’s Premier Sports Cup quarter-final against The Spartans at Pittodrie.
It’s a great chance to get to Hampden for Aberdeen and they will be strong favourites against the League Two side who have done brilliantly to get this far.
A midweek trip to Elgin City, which Spartans face tonight, is far from ideal preparation for a part-time side, though.
A couple of years ago I might have been apprehensive about a game like this, but I don’t see the Dons taking their opponents for granted in this one.
With home advantage and a chance to get back to Hampden, I’m struggling to see anything other than a home win in this one.
Ross County on the move
Ross County showed their fighting qualities as they picked up their first win of the season with a 2-0 win against Dundee on Saturday.
I’m pleased for Staggies boss Don Cowie, who must have had a tough job picking his players up following their injury-time loss to in-form Aberdeen in their last game before the international break.
But it is clear County have regrouped during the break after handing Dundee their first loss of the season in Dingwall.
Akil Wright scored a good header before Jordan White’s penalty in first-half stoppage time put the Staggies firmly in the driving seat.
The timing of the second goal was significant for me as it allowed Don and his players to settle down and discuss their approach for the second half against Tony Docherty’s side.
Don will be delighted to take all three points, but I expect it is the clean sheet which pleased him most.
With County facing St Johnstone in a rescheduled league game on Saturday the Staggies boss will be eager to make home advantage count.
If County can win back-to-back, it will take them into the top half of the table. That would be a welcome step in the right direction after a challenging period.
Caley Thistle must handle their nerves
Caley Thistle picked up a good point on the road with a 2-2 draw at Alloa, but manager Duncan Ferguson will be disappointed to have seen his side pegged back after taking a two-goal lead.
It was looking good for Inverness after going ahead, but I was interested by Billy Mckay’s assertion that he could feel the anxiety among the younger players when Alloa scored to reduce the arrears at 2-1.
It’s easy to forget this is a new challenge for a lot of the younger Caley Jags players.
A mad five minutes cost them dear, but knowing Alloa’s tails would have up been up after getting back to 2-2, holding out for a point away from home is not a bad thing.
It has been a real learning curve in the early weeks of the campaign for the Highlanders but here’s hoping they can show they are quick learners when they welcome a Cove Rangers side chasing a third league win on the bounce on Saturday to Caledonian Stadium.
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