The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
McPake delighted with Nicholl’s coaching tips
DUNDEE: Dark Blues assistant picks up valuable insights on international duty
Dundee boss James McPake admits he is looking forward to assistant Jimmy Nicholl returning from international duty with Northern Ireland bursting with ideas for the Dark Blues.
The manager’s right-hand man fulfils the same role for his country alongside Michael O’Neill and he will be in the dugout for the Euro qualifiers in Holland tomorrow and then the visit to the Czech Republic on Monday.
The last time Nicholl was away, last month as Northern Ireland entertained Germany, he returned to Dens with ideas about zonal marking that were used when Dundee played Arbroath at the weekend.
Now McPake is hoping for similar useful insights this time around.
He said: “We are trying to arrange a friendly for later this week and then we will give the boys a couple of days off because they have worked hard.
“For me, it is weird because Jimmy is away and we miss him being about the place.
“On the other side, it is good because he is away with Northern Ireland and they are playing the Czech Republic and Holland.
“It is great because he comes back with ideas, bits and pieces of what these teams have done.
“They played Germany in the last international games and he came back and said how Germany zonal mark and they were zonal marking on Saturday.
“Jimmy brings stuff like that back and it is great.”
Dundee will have a free Saturday this weekend after being knocked out of the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Challenge Cup by Elgin, who will now try to make further progress against Airdrie.
McPake added: “Personally, it is good to get a wee break, having just become a dad again.
“It is also good to use the time to let some of the boys get over their niggles and also to get some, like Graham Dorrans, training done.
“I would much prefer we were away to Airdrie in the cup because that Elgin game still disappoints me, but there are pros and cons and it gives us the chance to get people rested or topped up.”