Dee huddle must not be a gimmick

I WAS intrigued by Dundee’s post-match huddle on the pitch after Saturday’s much-needed win at Hamilton.

It’s not something I would have done but on reflection it was maybe not a bad idea.

It was a way for Paul Hartley to show his players and the fans they’re all in this together.

Now the challenge for the players is to show it wasn’t just a gimmick, they weren’t kidding on, and their battling performance at New Douglas Park was not just a one-off.

Because, for me, even more important than the result against Motherwell at Dens Park this weekend, is the need for the players to show exactly the same commitment.

The fact is they are never going to win every game, no team does.

But what they can do is fight tooth and nail for the entire 90 minutes each week.

Obviously the fans won’t accept bad results over a prolonged period and they’ll never be happy about losing.

But if they leave knowing the team worked as hard as they possibly could, they’ll be a lot more forgiving on the bad days when they come.

That was the big worry about the losses to St Johnstone and Partick that preceded Saturday’s revival.

I’m not saying the players didn’t work hard or try, of course they did, but I didn’t feel their body language was right.

They looked lost and almost accepting those games would end in defeat.

Against Partick I got the same vibe from watching the gaffer as he sat in his technical area during the second half.

What’s important is he lifted himself over the next couple of days and, by the time his team ran out at Hamilton, it was clear he was up for the fight again.

So were the players and it’s vital that continues because, as encouraging as the last result was, a long hard fight lies ahead.

The teams down at the bottom of the Premiership are all capable of winning games and all look like they are going to take points off each other at various times.

The chances of one of them going on a prolonged winning run — as much as it would be good if it was Dundee — look slim to non-existent.

That means it’s set to be a long and hard winter — and the Dark Blues have to be ready to go to war.

Paul Hartley gathers his players on the pitch after their 1-0 victory at Hamilton on Saturday.