McCann issues stern warning to Dark Blues

Neil McCann has told his players he won’t accept Dundee starting off this season the way they finished the last one, writes Ian Roache.

The Dark Blues may have been safe from the drop by then, but manager McCann still gets angry when he recalls how they lost at home to relegated Inverness in their penultimate match last season then were hammered 4-0 away to second-bottom Hamilton Accies on the final day.

With Ross County visiting Dens tomorrow to kick off a shiny new Premiership campaign, the players were told during a team discussion that there can be no repeat.

Instead, McCann wants his much-changed side to embrace the fresh challenge as well as adopting the gaffer’s winning mentality.

McCann said: “We had a wee talk and there were a couple of things I wanted to discuss with the team.”

“What we wanted to do was get the finish we had to last season out of the system,” added McCann.

“It is forgotten about now because it wasn’t good enough for the club because we want to move forward.

“To be honest, I didn’t enjoy the last two games of the campaign.

“I didn’t enjoy those defeats, particularly the Hamilton one.

“There were wee things to remind ourselves about, as regards what is acceptable and what is not.

“The make-up of the team is very different to last season, including the management staff, so it was a really good talk.”

The Staggies match follows last Sunday’s 1-1 derby draw with Dundee United in the Betfred Cup, which saw the Tangerines win the penalty shoot-out before the sides were drawn again in the last 16 back at Dens next midweek.

McCann was left a little deflated after that match but, having looked at the TV footage, he is feeling more positive about that performance going into the beginning of league business.

“It feels like a new start, certainly for me,” he said.

“I have been really pleased with the pre-season and to get through in the cup competition was imperative.

“We didn’t do that as a club last year and the way it has worked for us is probably better than if we had topped the group.

“We have improved and there were things in the United game that I was happy with as well as things I wasn’t pleased with.

“So it has been about gearing up to the cup on its own merits and then that would take us naturally to the start of the league this weekend.

“I watched the United game back and, although I said I wasn’t pleased with the first half, when I saw it again we were dominant.

“United had good chances because Paul McMullan gave us a bit of a threat because he wasn’t a conventional striker.

“There were a lot of pleasing things.

“We moved the ball well, stretched the game and the fullbacks were purposeful in their runs forward.

“I would have to compliment United for their defending – particularly at the front post – but there was a lot of good stuff in there for us.”

Neil McCann: reminded his squad of standards expected.