Bowyer seeks as he looks to

GARY Bowyer plans to use lessons learned during a successful spell at Blackpool as he sets about installing a new culture at Dundee.

The 50-year-old was unveiled as the new Dens Park boss on Wednesday with the Dark Blues bidding to bounce back from relegation.

Dundee dropped back into the Championship after a poor season in the top flight and saw two managers dispensed with in the shape of first James McPake and then Mark McGhee.

That disappointment prompted managing director John Nelms to move technical director Gordon Strachan into a more hands-on role as they search for a new Dundee “identity”.

In searching for a new manager, Bowyer ticked many boxes for the Dundee chiefs due to his experience and ability with young players.

But the job he did at Blackpool no doubt tipped the balance in his favour.

The former Blackburn boss took over at Bloomfield Road shortly after a second successive relegation for the Seasiders.

The former Premier League outfit had dropped from the Championship to League Two amid serious issues between the fans and the Oyston family who owned the club.

That saw supporters boycott matches with relations between club and the fanbase at an all-time low.

Bowyer, though, galvanised the team and led them to the play-off final, beating Exeter City 2-1 at Wembley.

“It definitely is a similar challenge,” Bowyer said of the season ahead at Dundee.

“At Blackpool, it was well publicised the trouble they were having with the fans and the owners but we just concentrated on the pitch.

“We just concentrated on what we could control and that was training really hard, playing really hard, getting a collective team spirit and realising that we were all in it together.

“It wasn’t about the individual, it was about the team.

“Out of it, we had lads who got moves to the English Championship and progressed their careers. “That’s what I want to do here.” The following season, Bowyer led Blackpool to a top-half finish in League One but left the club after just one match of the following campaign.

He added: “They had experienced two consecutive relegations and we went in that year, worked very hard, set our standards out very early with the players, to set the right environment and change the mindset from losing games to a winning culture. I see very similar settings here now, that we will want

Former Dee boss James McPake. Gary Bowyer was appointed Dundee boss last week, with a remit to