The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
No panic at Dens despite league struggles, insists keeper Bain
Dundee: Dark Blues keeper insists no one is pushing the panic button
Dundee’s Scott Bain insists there is no despondency at Dens despite the fact the Dark Blues are currently bottom of the Premiership.
Paul Hartley’s side fell to the foot of the table following last Saturday’s defeat at Hearts.
They are only in that position on goal difference and there are just three points separating Dundee from Motherwell in sixth.
Despite that, goalie Bain is realistic enough to recognise that the Dens side is certain to attract critical attention from outside the club.
However, on the inside, there is still an air of calm and no one is pushing the panic button.
Bain said: “Obviously people are going to say what they want and try to put pressure on the club, the manager and the players. But if you saw our dressingroom after the Hearts game, everyone was very upbeat.
“We are all looking forward to the next game. I don’t think there is any real sense of worry right now. None of the boys are worried and neither are any of the staff.
“People are going to say stuff but there’s nothing to worry about. What’s the point in looking at the table now?
“There are so many matches still to play so really it’s not worth it until we’ve played 36 games.”
At training this week, Dundee have been gearing up for Sunday’s lunchtime encounter with St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park.
Bain insists that no matter where the Dark Blues are in the league, it is always a big game against Saints.
And he believes that despite the defeat at Tyne castle, his side will make the short journey to Perth in confident frame of mind.
Bain, who was in outstanding form between the sticks against Hearts, said: “It’s always a big game. It’s the big derby now since Dundee United got relegated. But there’s no extra onus on the game at all.
“The fact we haven’ t won since the first day of the season is enough motivation for us just now.”
He added: “I think there were a lot of positives to take from the way we played against Hearts. We’ve gone to a hard venue with a difficult atmosphere.
“We dominated the second half and I thought we looked very comfortable until we lost the two goals.
“We could have taken something from Tynecastle when you look at how we hit the woodwork four times. But it bodes well for the future that we’re creating so many chances.”
The Dundee starting line-up at Tynecastle contained no less than seven players who arrived at Dens this summer.
Bain insists it takes a bit of time for all the new lads to bed in fully at the club but he believes there are definite signs everyone is really starting to gel now.
He said: “It takes a while for everyone to settle. But in the past two weeks we can take a lot of positives. It looks like we’re gaining an understanding and are starting to click as a team. I think it bodes well for the upcoming weeks.”
Meanwhile, Dundee are understood to be running the rule over former St Johnstone striker Marcus Haber.
The Canadian international is a free agent having left Crewe Alexandra at the end of last season.