No pressure on us, claims grounded Gayfield boss

Dick Campbell insists all the pressure will be on Dundee when his Arbroath side visit Dens Park this afternoon.

The Red Lichties could claim their fourth consecutive win today by beating the Dark Blues – a result which would also see them leapfrog their hosts in the Championship table.

But their manager reckons Dundee have a right to expect the opposite outcome.

“Dundee are strong from back to front,” said Campbell.

“They’re a good side and I think they’ll be in the play-offs come the end of the season. That’s their expectation level – it’s very different from ours.

“Dundee would have started the season expecting to at least be in the play-offs, while we started it just hoping to still be in the division at the end of it.

“We’ve given ourselves a chance of that, but I’m not targeting anything other than finishing eighth.

“That’s how it has always been and that hasn’t changed.”

Arbroath only saw 45 minutes of action last weekend before their game with Ayr United was abandoned due to strong winds.

Nevertheless, Campbell saw enough in his side’s display to convince him to stick with the tried-and-trusted line-up that has served him so well of late.

“I won’t be changing the team,” the Gayfield gaffer said.

“Michael McKenna is out, but everyone else is available.

“The players we have been using have done an excellent job for us over the last few games, so they’ve earned their places. I’ve got players who are desperate for a start and they’ve had to be patient.

“But when a team is winning games, there’s no point in changing it.”

Dundee have taken four points from their two meetings with the Lichties so far this season, with a Declan Mcdaid double clinching a 2-0 win at Dens in October while the game at Gayfield in early December ended 1-1 after goals from Bobby Linn and Kane Hemmings.