Dee strike pair need to be more clinical – McPake

Dark Blues boss confident there’s more to come from Hemmings and Nelson

Dundee boss James McPake believes there is more to come from Dens strike force Kane Hemmings and Andrew Nelson.

Hemmings managed 10 goals in 27 appearances in all competitions last season, with Nelson’s record just the four strikes in 25 games.

It was a difficult season in general in front of goal for the Dark Blues as they finished third in the Championship.

However, they did pick up in the final stretch and in their six-game unbeaten run to end a coronavirus-curtailed term the Dee created a host of chances but only managed the five goals.

This encouraged gaffer McPake – but he admits he expects more from his main men up top when the action restarts in October.

“I think at the start we had to get better defensively and we got that balance later on in the season,” he said.

“I was just happy we were making the chances because we went through a spell where we didn’t look that much of a threat and were struggling to break teams down. I think what we were doing from the end of January onwards showed a completely different Dundee side.

“I’ll always say I want to be more clinical.

“I remember how devastated Andrew

Nelson was after the 0-0 draw against Alloa. He got in the positions to score goals but he wasn’t quite fit and was misfiring.

“If he keeps doing that the goals will come and we know exactly what Kane brings as well. The biggest thing is creating the chances and I believe in my strikers that, if we can create them on a consistent basis, they’ll get the goals.

“Obviously I’d like them to score more next season but I think the all-round play from Kane, in particular, was fantastic.

“He bullies defenders, gets you up the pitch, he can take the ball in – he can do everything. He presses, gets after people and you saw his composure in our last game where he scores against Ayr.

“He’s one on one almost from the halfway line but he doesn’t overthink it and he’s a good finisher.

“I’ll always be challenging my strikers to go and get more goals but I’m more than happy with the work rate and desire they’ve shown.”

With over three months until the new season kicks off, McPake has been working hard while the rest of his playing squad and coaching staff are on furlough.

He’s been prepping a pre-season programme for when they get the green light to return to the training pitch.

McPake cites the influence of former Liverpool coach Andy O’Boyle in helping to develop Dundee’s regime.

Of the challenges of working alone, he added: “The difficulty was not having the league start date, not knowing what we were planning for.

I think what we were doing from the end of January onwards showed a completely different side. JAMES MCPAKE

“I know that’s subject to change but, as soon as we got that, it became easier.

“I’m lucky in a sense that my preseasons are easy to plan because I’ve got, in my opinion, one of the best coaches in that field at the other end of the phone in Andy O’Boyle.

“He did it last year and he has been guiding me again. He’s head of elite performance in the Premier League and he’s been there to help me right throughout my coaching career.

“From starting with the 18s through to now he’s been there.

“He’s been busy doing work with Project Restart in the Premier League – he’s quite high up in that – but he’s still been a great hand. I’ve had no issues with planning my pre-season because of that relationship. I’ll always utilise that.

“For me, he’s outstanding and that’s why he’s worked with the likes of Jurgen Klopp and Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool.”

Off the pitch, McPake has been working on getting new faces in the door at Dens Park, insisting his quality over quantity mantra remains true amid Covid-19 financial constraints.

He continued: “It’s about bringing quality in where we can find it to complement what we already have here at the club.

“Last summer was different because we had to completely rebuild it because we’d lost so many.

“I’d never say ‘I want this position or that position’ because at the time I wasn’t looking for a central midfielder and then Graham Dorrans popped up.

“If a player with quality pops up and it’s something that interests me that’s where we then go and ask.

“That’s still the case – it’s quality over quantity. Last year was very different. That’s something you’ll not seen from me again, hopefully.”