Source: FOOTYMAD
United We Stand
With just their own fans getting behind them, Dundee United will play an unusual second Europa League play off game Dundee United will face AEK Athens in their Europa League tie at the home of Olympiakos following 48 hours of confusion and drama. But there will only be backing from their own fans as Greek fans have been banned from the ground after the original stand-in ground was vandalised. United flew out to Greece yesterday not knowing the venue for the play-off second leg, after vandals attacked the Nea Smyrni stadium overnight in protest to their rivals playing there. AEK had been originally forced to move from the Olympic Stadium because of a damaged pitch so faced having nowhere to play the game and exclusion from the tournament until a solution was found with their fiercest rivals. Because of crowd concerns, AEK fans are banned from attending so it will be just United's 500-strong support inside the 35,000 capacity Karaiskaki Stadium as the Tayside club seek to overturn a 1-0 deficit. After a lengthy wait while UEFA inspected the damage and AEK sought yet another solution, the governing body confirmed yesterday evening that another venue had been found. A United statement read: "UEFA have confirmed that the Europa League game v AEK Athens will take place at the stadium of Olympiakos FC." United boss Peter Houston insists the change of venue will not affect his players and is more concerned about the baking heat. He said: "AEK are a quality side and if the stadium is full or it is empty doesn't matter. As far as the football side is concerned they are still the top class team we saw last week. The heat is obviously a factor. As soon as we landed you could feel it and even though the game is a 9pm kick-off it will still be very hot. So we'll have to make sure that the players have plenty of water available. When Scottish players go into these conditions it's always a bit harder." Meanwhile, defender Darren Dods is hoping for recall after being dropped last week. United have lost five goals in two games during his absence so Dods is hoping to be in place against AEK. He said: "Last week I was a bit surprised when the gaffer named the team and I wasn't in it, but it was a tactical thing and these days we keep hearing it's a squad game, so it's one of these things that can happen. You accept it, just get on with your job and help the boys who are playing in any way you can, but it goes without saying I want to play in the second leg. We can expect to have to do a bit of defending because they've already shown they're a good team and they'll want to win again. They'll come at us, but I don't think they'll start with all guns blazing because they are an experienced team and they know it's important for them not to lose an away goal. It's not going to be easy, but we'll give it our best shot and we have players who on their day are capable of punishing anyone." United fans will need to have their original tickets in order to be bussed to the ground from Kallimarmaro Stadium. United fans are to be be transported to and from the ground by coach amid fears over the reaction of AEK Athens supporters to the news they will be locked out. AEK manager Dusan Bajevic was attacked by some of his own fans following a pre-season friendly and there is the further complication over the response of Olympiakos fans. United chairman Stephen Thompson said: "I am extremely unhappy. We are concerned about our fans but UEFA have given us an assurance that we will be safe." Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba net)Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba net)This is Scottish-Fitba Net
