Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Dundee’s Highland collapse is a worry
DUNDEE’S squandering of a two-goal lead at Inverness on Saturday was worrying, there’s no getting away from that.
But, hopefully, the disappointment of having to settle for a draw, and almost losing, a game that should have been won, will put fire in the players’ bellies for this week’s clash with Kilmarnock.
Ironically, before the game against ICT, the Dark Blues would probably have settled for a draw.
They’ve never won up there and it can be a hard place to go — I know that from my time at United.
But, having gone two up and had a few chances to kill the game, being pegged back will have had them feeling like it was a defeat.
And when you look at Caley’s current plight — bottom and without a win in months — you have to think two goals on their patch should have been a enough to beat them. It wasn’t and that’s not good. Funnily enough, last week, after they surrendered at Aberdeen, I said Dundee had to toughen up.
I maybe should have added, “in the right way”.
Centre-half Julen Etxabeguren was certainly more aggressive up in the Highlands but all it led to was two penalties for the home team.
He has to learn to channel his aggression so that he’s winning the ball, not giving away fouls all the time.
And, I have to say, there were some boys I played with who just were not aggressive players and, if they tried to be, that was the kind of thing that happened.
Sometimes you just have to accept players the way they are and then decide whether or not you can still pick them.
I have to say, psychologically, games like this one can be tough to bounce back from.
Dundee could have been going in this Saturday with the chance to open an 11-point gap on Caley.
The fact they’re not has to be on their minds because is was a massive missed opportunity. I’ve been in teams that have squandered winning leads and I know there is no worse feeling.
Hopefully, though, Saturday’s disappointment will make the players determined to make amends against Killie.
They are capable of going out and doing that but there is no question the pressure in on.