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At a glance, these should be happy days if you’re a Dundee fan. Yes, work does need doing to secure the club’s continued Premiership status at the end of the season.

There is enough talent, however, in the squad to believe that can be done so a fourth campaign in a row in the top flight is confirmed.

If that’s the case, the Dark Blues can again consider themselves regular members of Scottish football’s elite and not the yo-yo club they’ve too often been since the mid-1970s.

And looking at the bigger picture there’s more reason for optimism. The board are forging ahead with plans for a new 15,000-seater home next to Campderdown Park.

That’s just another indication of what appears to be millionaire American owner Tim Keyes’ long-term committment to a project he first became involved in back in 2013.

While, however, there is little doubt Keyes continues to have the backing of most fans, speak to them and it’s hard to detect too much of a feel-good factor right now.

That’s despite t he club being seemingly in as a stable a position as it’s been for the past couple of decades and begs the obvious question — why the long faces?

Providing an answer isn’t easy but if there is one in part it’s historical. Grand as the plans for “Nou Campie” are, the Dundee fans have heard it all before.

As far back as the early 1990s another millionaire owner from across the pond, Canadian Ron Dixon, revealed plans for a total rebuild of Dens Park. In the end the only change was an ill-fated dog track.

Other plans have been announced only to end up in the waste paper bin and there is no question the result is a support that’s now understandably sceptical about news of such schemes.

Past flights of fantasy are not the fault of the present owners but the reality is they can expect few plaudits until the team is at the new arena.

On the playing side there’s also a sense of frustration over performances during the past season-and-a-bit. Last term was a struggle to avoid relegation and hopes this year under new manager Neil McCann would see a challenge for a top six have also evaporated.

While that’s been disappointing, in a

Dundee are headed in the right direction under owner Tim Keyes. Dark Blues supporters still need convincing American ownership can take