‘McPake will need to prove himself this year’

Promotion should be the aim for Dens boss, insists Hall of Famer Glennie

Dundee legend Bobby Glennie reckons boss James McPake needs to prove himself in the Dens Park hot seat next season.

Rookie gaffer McPake led the Dark Blues to a third-place finish in the Championship in a debut campaign cut short by the coronavirus.

It seemed the 36-year-old’s side were gathering some momentum on a sixmatch unbeaten run towards the end of what was a difficult first term.

Dee Hall of Fame centre-back Glennie’s challenge to McPake is to find that consistency throughout his second season in charge.

“I think this will be the season where he needs to prove himself,” the 62-yearold said.

“I hope it does work out for him because he’s had a tough first year at it.

“The second year is usually the hardest but I hope he gets the right blend of players he wants to get that consistency.

“He’ll need to bring in a bit more quality but, the way he speaks he seems to get the backing of the board anyway.”

Glennie, who made more than 300 appearances in dark blue from 1978-88, concedes strengthening his squad could be a tough task despite McPake’s strong relationship with John Nelms and Tim Keyes.

No 2 Jimmy Nicholl and sports scientist Cammy McDermid recently became the first victims of cost-cutting at Dens, while captain Josh Meekings left after rejecting the new terms offered to him as his old team-mates consider a request from Nelms to take salary reductions.

However, Glennie still thinks the aim of a club the size of Dundee should be promotion.

He continued: “I wish him the best of luck because it’s tough times for them losing money.

“That’s only going to continue with no people through the gate, no hospitality – just no money at all really.

“The better you do, though, the more supporters that come through the gate.

“Hopefully they have a successful season and they get that backing from the season ticket holders.

“They need to get behind them to get them back up again. Dundee should be in the top division, they’re a big enough club.”

Doing so will be easier said than done, however, with Hearts and others like Ayr, Dunfermline and Inverness all vying for the division’s top spots.

“It’s hard to get out of that division,” Glennie said.

“If you don’t do it in the first couple of seasons you could be stuck there for a while.

“You only have to look at United, they were down there for four years.

BOBBY GLENNIE

“The longer you’re in there you can get dragged down but I hope McPake can get them up this season.

“Whether that is by winning the league or through the play-offs it’ll all depend on whether Hearts come down and are a power.

“You would expect Hearts to win the league but maybe not walk away with it.

“There’s only 27 games so that’ll make it a lot tougher for Hearts and Dundee.

“You’ve also got Dunfermline, Inverness, Ayr United, it’s not just a case of the big two. The other teams aren’t mugs either.”

One man who Glennie reckons has a point to prove and will make the difference when second-tier action returns in October Hemmings.

The English hitman was a sensation in his first spell at Dens, scoring 25 goals in 42 games in 2015-16.

He managed 10 last season but Glennie reckons there’s more to come from the 29-year-old.

He added: “Hopefully Hemmings can find the levels he did previously at the club because he only really had half a season or so last term.

“It’ll only be 27 games next time out but, hopefully, he kicks on from where he left off the first time.

“I think there’s more to come from him.” is striker

Kane

“I hope it does work out for him because he’s had a tough first year at it.