Momentum needed at Dens Park says Dee Marshall

DUNDEE are finally ready to get their Championship campaign up and running against Arbroath today according to full-back Jordan Marshall.

Despite being one of the pre-season favourites to challenge Hearts at the top of the table, the Dark Blues have stumbled out of the blocks.

Just one win and a meagre five points from a possible 15 has left James McPake’s men playing catch-up with the leaders.

There has been no momentum as yet from Dundee and Marshall knows more than most how vital that is in the second tier.

The left-back has played his entire career in the Championship, enjoying four seasons at Queen of the South before signing at Dens Park last summer.

Marshall returned from a long-term thigh injury at the start of this season after missing the end of last term where the Dark Blues went on a six-match unbeaten streak before the pandemic struck.

And he’s challenged his team-mates to get that sort of form going again, starting this afternoon against the Red Lichties.

He said: “We’ve had injuries and boys have been self-isolating and things like that so I don’t think we’ve all been together as a full squad yet.

“There aren’t many left to come back now.

“Last week there was only Danny Mullen missing. He’s back now and we feel when everyone is fit we have a really good squad.

“We know that but we need to show it on the pitch a bit more.

“The gaffer has assembled a great squad on paper. We see it in training all the time.

“For some reason in games it hasn’t clicked yet and we haven’t been consistent enough.

“We do really need to kick on now.

“This league is always about momentum and once you get a couple of wins together you can really kick on.

“The boys really did that when I was injured last year and were unbeaten for six before Covid hit.

“We’re looking to try and do that again.”

Marshall played alongside new signing Liam Fontaine for the first time at Easter Road last weekend as Dundee were knocked out of the Betfred Cup by high-flying

Hibs. Conceding goals on the road has been the Achilles heel of the Dark Blues this term with 14 conceded in four away trips before the second game at Hibs.

One of those was a 4-1 thumping dished out by Jack Ross’s side just a fortnight previously.

However, despite falling to their third defeat on the bounce, the Dundee squad came out of the 1-0 reverse with a much more positive mindset after an improved display.

For Marshall & Co., the challenge this afternoon is to repeat the performance levels from Easter Road but also have a victory to celebrate at the final whistle.

And having experience at the back like former Bristol City, Hibs and Ross County man Fontaine will only help that says Marshall.

“Fontaine played next to me at Hibs and I thought he was brilliant, he was a rock,” the full-back added.

“He’s an experienced player who has played a lot of games in the Championship down in

his full Dundee debut Liam Fontaine made last week. Danny Mullen is set to return for Dundee today.