Captain O’Dea admits ‘bonkers’ Premiership has left him confused

Dundee skipper Darren O’Dea admits the bonkers Premiership has left him totally confused this season.

However, one thing the 30-year-old is certain of is the points total he believes his side have to amass to realise their top-six dream.

The Dark Blues are sitting in sixth place ahead of tonight’s match with Partick Thistle at Dens following wins in their last two games against Motherwell and Rangers.

There are, however, still just six points separating Dundee from Motherwell in the relegation play-off spot and the big Irishman is determined to beat the Jags and start looking up the way towards fifth-placed St Johnstone rather than over his shoulder.

He said: “It all boils down to the Partick game. If we win, our next game is against St Johnstone.

“You can look at this league so many different ways this season.

“The league has confused me because I don’t know what I am trying to do – trying just to stay in the league or win it! It is very difficult to suss out. It is just a case of trying to win games.

“A while ago, I stopped looking at the league and thought of it as we need a certain amount of points. I think 39 would be enough to get us into the top six.

“I think you know roughly where you will end up if you have that.

“We know how many points we need to get into sixth place which is where we want to be.

“The league has been so up and down. I think it was against Hearts here where we were bottom with 20 minutes to go and at the end of the game, we were seventh.

“The league table has been mental. But tomorrow is a chance to get another win and if we do we would really be looking up rather than down.

“So it is a big game. This club needs to push forward and as players, we need to push forward.”

The last time Dundee played Partick at Dens, they lost 2-0. It was the club’s sixth defeat in a row and it prompted a back-to-basics change of tactics from boss Paul Hartley.

O’Dea added: “That Partick game earlier in the season was the low point. We had lost a few and there was a lot of apprehension that night.

“The manager spoke to us after the game and changed things. It took a lot of courage to stand up and change things from the top. The players have responded really well to it.

“It was vital that we got points and now that we have put a few results together it is great to see players express themselves and score goals.

“But three games ago, we weren’t too happy against Kilmarnock but two games later you are thinking you are the best Dundee team of all time! But seriously, you need to keep level headed. It is only six points – that’s all it is.

“We need to go again against Partick in what is a massive game. It is a game against a team that is in a similar position to us so a win would go a long way to trying to stay in the top six.”

Darren O’Dea is targeting a top six place.