Owners deserve credit for backing Dens boss

Ithink Dundee fans should look towards the boardroom and give a grateful nod in recognition of the club’s recruitment drive. It is easy to criticise the people in charge when things don’t go well but I would give them a load of credit for financing manager Jim McIntyre’s signings.

Thanks in large part to American owners Tim Keyes and John Nelms, there does seem to be a more positive feel about the Dark Blues at such a crucial stage of the season.

Let’s not forget that Dundee were pretty detached at the bottom not too long ago but I now fancy them to finish top of that mini-league they are in along with Hamilton and St Mirren.

OK, so they have dropped points in their last two matches, away to Accies and home to Kilmarnock.

However, my glass is definitely half-full when it comes to those draws.

They gained two points more than the bottom-placed Buddies and the new-look team has been playing well only to perhaps tire later on because of the need for match fitness.

Therefore, there are grounds for optimism.

There has been a massive transition in terms of the squad and maybe one or two of the signings won’t work out in the end.

That can happen in football.

Overall, though, it looks to be a job well done by McIntyre, as well as by Keyes and Nelms.

The American owners could have said to the manager: “There you go, two or three in and then you will have to persevere with what you’ve got.”

That they put their hands so deeply into their wallets is both a sign of how costly a relegation would be and of their determination to back their manager.

Fair play to them and I am cautiously optimistic that Dundee can bring something home from Livingston on Saturday.

“Thanks in large part to American owners Tim Keyes and John Nelms, there does seem to be a more positive feel about the Dark Blues

Decent draw

It was great to head up to the Highlands on Monday to do the draw for the quarter-finals of the William Hill Scottish Cup.

I was joined by Billy Dodds and it was good to catch up with him.

I think between us we came up with a decent draw for Dundee United after pairing them with the winners of the Inverness Caley Thistle v Ross County replay.

I think the United fans will be pretty pleased with that one.

Believe me, it could have been a lot worse.

Whisper it but the dummy run that we did drew the Tangerines out alongside Celtic so second time lucky for Robbie Neilson and his players!

Tim Keyes, left, and John Nelms backed Dundee manager Jim McIntyre in the transfer window.