The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
McCann well aware of dangers Hibs will pose
Dark Blues boss looking forward to ‘really good contest’
Dundee boss Neil McCann admits he is under no illusions about how difficult a task his side face against Hibs at Easter Road tomorrow.
The Dark Blues have already drawn against Neil Lennon’s outfit at home this season.
However, the Edinburgh side are currently on a three-game winning run, with McCann an interested spectator when they beat Kilmarnock 3-0 on the artificial surface at Rugby Park on Tuesday night.
The manager said: “Hibs are, without doubt, one of the best sides we have played this season at Dens.
“We got a point although it is probably the poorest we have played.
“Hibs were really impressive against Killie – who were playing on the back of two good results – on a really difficult surface.
“Hibs didn’t shock me in any way with how well they played. I left just before the late third goal but I saw enough there to know they will be really difficult opponents at the weekend.
“Hibs play football, we play football so if you are a purist, then you should get a really good contest.
“But with a team that plays football, they are open, they are expansive and they give you different types of problems so you have to come up with something.
“They have momentum but they have had that since the start of the season.
“They were already riding the wave of winning the Scottish Cup and then they came up having won the Championship. So there is a trust in their game–it works.
“There is a wee bit of a belief, a spark when they go forward and they look a threat.”
Dundee’s recent form is in sharp contrast to that of Hibs with McCann’s men having lost their last four games in a row.
The manager is fully aware of the failings that have been costing his side dear in that run and he has been working hard this week with assistant Graham Gartland on the training pitch to eradicate them.
He added: “Clearly, if you look at our game, it has been so good and easy on the eye getting up to the final third but we are maybe not taking our chances or being clinical in that area.
“I think it is hurting us but equally I think in our own back third we are coughing up a few soft goals. So we need to be mindful of that and we have done this week.
“We have looked at it and I will say it openly, I am not about to just think that the guys can get themselves out of trouble, they need my help, they need Graham’s help.
“So we have adapted our training this week in order to give us a little more time to work on those areas of the game because as a coach and a manager, you have to do it.”
During the recent poor run, Dundee have been without on-loan Celtic playmaker Scott Allan who last featured against Killie back on September 23.
Before then, the 25-year-old had been hampered with a groin problem, which ultimately required surgery.
However, McCann revealed that Allan has been making good progress and could return after next week’s international break.
He said: “Scott has been great. The operation has been really successful and he has been back training with the group now.
“We will look to try to get him a game next week. He has done great work with Gerry (physio Docherty) and he is champing at the bit.
“He has a really good, positive mentality about the injury. When the surgery was over he wanted to get forward and get his mind right.
“A lot of the time when you are injured it is really important that you get that focus and it can really help.
“So he has been looking great in training. We just have to make sure he is right for after the international break and then he should come into contention again.
“He had a lot of assists at the start of the season so of course you miss a player of Scott’s quality.
“The last couple of games he played, against Rangers and Kilmarnock, you could see he just wasn’t right and wasn’t firing on all cylinders.
“I have had hernias before and they can nag and hold you back a wee bit but he is flying now.”