The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Don’t blame boss, insists defender
DunDee: Kerr urges Dark Blues players to repay trust Hartley has shown
The Dundee players owe it to their manager to turn round a season that is rapidly spiralling out of control, according to Cammy Kerr.
The Dark Blues have dropped into the play-off position after their seventh Premiership defeat in a row on Saturday.
Dens Park boss Paul Hartley endured the long walk back to the tunnel after the 2-0 loss to Hamilton Accies with the boos of home supporters ringing in his ears. But Kerr exonerated him from blame. “The manager can’t do any more,” the young full-back said.
“He demands high standards and trusts the players.
“It’s not his fault. You can say he’s signed the players but it’s up to us to repay the trust he’s put in us. “Training this week has been the best it’s been. “After the defeat to Hearts the manager told us that nobody was to come into training down. And we haven’t been.
“Boys have been really upbeat. It’s a good bunch and we’ll stick together right through to the end.”
Cammy Kerr believes the scene of Dundee’s best result of the season can be the place where they get their crisis-hit campaign back on track.
The Dark Blues thrashed Motherwell 5-1 at the end of February, at which point nobody would have predicted they wouldn’t pick up a single point in their next seven fixtures.
Kerr is optimistic that seven will not become eight at Fir Park when the Premiership gets back under way, after the split, a week on Saturday.
Unfortunately, though, suspension will prevent the young defender from being out on the pitch to help his team. “I’m gutted,” Kerr said. “I’ve played most of the games this season so to get suspended now is a real killer for me, especially at this time of the year. “I’m desperate to play every week. “I’ll be right behind the boys at Motherwell and hopefully I can help the team get out of this position after that.
“We got a great result the last time we played at Motherwell. “That should give us confidence. “We need to remain positive.”
Remaining positive is becoming increasingly difficult for players, management and fans alike.
There are plenty of qualities you look for in a successful football team lacking in Dundee just now, but arguably the biggest is confidence.
This was a pretty even contest until Hamilton took the lead midway through the first half after Tom Hateley brought down Dougie Imrie in the box and Alex D’Acol converted the penalty.
“There had actually been two good chances for Marcus Haber by that point – a shot saved and a header missed.
After the opener, though, Accies grew and the hosts shrunk. And it was no great shock when an unmarked Michael Devlin headed home at the back post with six minutes left.
Kerr said: “The game started quite frantically. We missed a chance just before they got their penalty and if Haber’s header had gone in it would have been a different game.
“We need to continue to fight and show that desire. Hopefully the results will turn for us.
“It’s extremely disappointing – knowing going into the game how big it was and coming away with nothing.
“But there are still five massive games left in our season.
“At the start of the season we had a bad run and we turned that round.
“It’s now about going about our business in the right way and making sure we stay in this league.”
Up until the weekend talk of Dundee being in the play-off spot was just that – talk.
A bucket of cold water has been thrown in their faces with the realisation that there is a two-point gap to third bottom, however.
“Now that we’re there, the table shows that it’s not looking good in terms of points,” Kerr said.
“We’ve got five massive games – that’s what I want to reiterate.
“We’re playing teams in the bottom half of the table and if we pick up points we’ll be OK.
“Until the time comes (that they are in the play-offs) we’ll keep positive that we won’t be there. If it does happen, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
A support which has seen its team lose seven matches on the bounce didn’t hold back at the final whistle but local lad Kerr is hoping that the seriousness of the club’s plight will unify everybody with Dundee at heart.
He said: “The fans are entitled to voice their opinions but the best thing they can do is get behind us. We all want the same thing – to stay up.
“Results haven’t been good enough
but we need everyone on the same side and working towards the same goal.
“We’ll all keep getting behind ourselves in the dressing room.”
Paul Hartley admitted free-falling Dundee’s situation is “alarming”.
He said: “It won’t affect me. Do I like it? No. But it’s just the way it is.
“Of course we’re concerned. I’m not lying. We’ve been on a bad run. I’m not painting a picture to say everything is great and a bed of roses. It’s alarming times but we’ve got to fight and try to dig results out from somewhere.”
He added: “We’ve got five games and we’ve got to try and fight our way out of it somehow. The performance disappointed me in certain aspects.
“We’ve got to handle the criticism. understand that too.
“It’s a major blow for us. How do we change it? It’s hard because we’ve done everything we can.
“In terms of systems, players, different shapes, personnel. Trying to find a way to win a game and we’re not doing it just now, we’re not quite good enough. “I can understand the fans booing. “If you’re on a run like we are the first thing they’ll come for is the manager.
“I’ll handle that. It’s part and parcel of football.”