The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
McCann explains reasons for bringing in new arrivals
DUNDEE: Dark Blues manager reveals expectations for four outfield signings
Dundee boss Neil McCann admits he is delighted with his summer signing business so far and revealed exactly what he believes the new arrivals will bring to the club in the season ahead.
The Dens manager has snapped up five players – goalie Jack Hamilton, leftback Nathan Ralph, midfielders Kharl Madianga and Elton Ngwatala and at the start of this week, striker Jean Alassane Mendy.
And McCann explained why he made his moves for the four outfield players.
He said: “Nathan is someone I watched for a long time. He was on the radar for a number of months.
“We covered all sorts of matches, home and away.
“He is someone we think will fit in with the way we play here. We like to be open and aggressive when we have the ball. He is a full-back we think can get up and down the park so he will be ideal.
“The one thing he needs to add is more goals to his game. But he’s someone we believe we will be able to improve over the next while.
“It will be a step up for him and he’ll have to adapt to our game because Scottish football is a tough environment. But we have brought him in early and he’s done well so far.”
McCann added: “Midfield is a really important part of your side so I am really happy with the two we have brought in there.
“Elton is someone we watched a lot last season. I wanted a left-footed player in there to balance the team out.
“He is really quick, explosively so, and coming from the middle of the pitch it’s important you have that.
“He is creative with a thunderbolt of a left foot, so he’s the kind of player I was looking for.
“There were other clubs interested, he’s got a bit of leadership about him and I think he’s settling in well already.
“Kharl is someone we had already seen because he came in towards the end of last season.
“Like Glen Kamara, he was one I knew I would sign after just 20 minutes of watching him in training.
“You could just tell he moves well, he gets around the pitch and is a really good footballer. I am very excited about him – he’s going to do very well for us.”
McCann admitted he had tried to snap up his most recent acquisition Mendy at the start of this year but he is delighted to finally get his man now.
He said: “I missed out on Jean in January but he went to (Belgian side) Lokeren instead.
“It didn’t quite work out for him there but I kept tabs on him and thankfully we were able to get him this time.
“He is the type of striker I have been looking for, he’s quick and gets down the sides of people.
“He gets in between the sticks and that’s how he scores goals.
“One thing I like about him as well is that he’s got a very good work ethic because we are not the kind of team who can let people stand about.
“There are a lot of strikers who bang in goals but I am not sure whether they have the work ethic to be my kind of player.
“Jean definitely ticked that box for me. He’s got good English and has played in a few countries so I think he will settle easily.”
Dundee boss Neil McCann has revealed there are so many French-speaking players at the club now, he has decided to learn their lingo.
Monday night’s signing, striker Jean Alassane Mendy, brought the number up to six along with Faissal El Bakhtaoui, Kharl Madianga, Elton Ngwatala, Sofien Moussa and Genseric Kusunga.
McCann is keen that the French foreign legion fit in and like his former Rangers boss Dick Advocaat insists everyone speaks English in the Dens dressing room.
However, the manager is also making a big effort himself to be able to talk to the players in their own language.