Dark Blues under pressure at Alloa, says Rab Douglas

Coming away from Dens Park on Saturday after Dundee beat our Arbroath team I thought this was going to be their time to go on a run.

From our point of view it was a case of ifs and buts – the biggest one being if we had scored our penalty.

But that’s not something we want to dwell on.

From a Dundee point of view, the signs were encouraging. They were neat and tidy and Paul Mcmullan was the difference between the sides.

He showed everything you want from a winger – pace, trickery and quality delivery from the byeline.

That should have been the start of a proper spell of good results but it sums Dundee up that the opposite has happened and they were beaten at home by Ayr.

Dundee fans will understand exactly what I mean when I say that I didn’t see it coming but at the same time I did.

They have put themselves under huge pressure to come up with a win at Alloa tomorrow night in front of the TV cameras and we all know that is not a given.

Our gaffer always says there is a lick of paint between most of the teams in this league and he’s right.

But, with the quality and experience Dundee have, even when they have a few injuries as they do just now, you could argue that shouldn’t be the case as far as they are concerned.

James Mcpake will have thought he’d found some answers with the team he was selecting but his mind will be full of questions again.

MIXED MESSAGES

There were plenty of talking points coming out of Steve Clarke’s latest

Scotland squad announcement.

Let’s start with the strikers.

I’m a big fan of Lawrence Shankland and Leigh Griffiths but the best way of summing it up for those two if they want to have a hope of going to the Euros is Lawrence needs to start scoring regularly and Sparky needs to start playing regularly. It’s as simple as that.

They’ll have to force Clarke into changing his mind again.

I haven’t seen enough of Jack Hendry this season to give an opinion on whether he deserves his call-up ahead of the likes of Jason Kerr, who is playing consistently well in our top flight, but he does have attributes to be a top defender.

And, the fact he has taken himself out of his comfort zone and been a success in Belgium speaks volumes for the

type of character he has. That’s a big box ticked for me.

As an ex-goalkeeper, I have to say that I think

Zander Clark is very unlucky.

OK, he doesn’t have international experience but he’s got big-game experience after keeping clean-sheets in two huge matches at Hampden – the Betfred Cup semi-final and final.

Clarke has gone for Jon Mclaughlin who hasn’t played a first team game for Rangers for a long time.

Picking him over an in-form goalie sends out the opposite message to the one Griffiths has been given.

And, if it came to the number three keeper being needed, I’d want one between the posts who is match-sharp over someone who has been sitting in the stand.

Big Zander has every right to feel hacked off.

QUESTIONS: Dundee manager James Mcpake.