Mcpake calls on his side to maintain their spirit and character

Dundee boss James Mcpake hopes to have a fuller squad to choose from this weekend as the Dark Blues head to Aberdeen on Boxing Day.

Last weekend saw the Dens boss name a very inexperienced bench thanks to a host of injuries and suspensions.

They lost that match to Hearts thanks to a late Jamie Walker strike but Mcpake was delighted with the character shown by his side.

And he has called for a similar attitude at Pittodrie on Sunday, where he will welcome back defender Ryan Sweeney after his ban.

He is also hoping one or two of his injured stars can be fit in time to make the squad.

“I think we showed the spirit was there on Saturday,” the Dens boss said.

“We had 11 fit players. The players gave it everything and we didn’t deserve to lose against Hearts.

“We were on our knees and we had players on the pitch also carrying niggles. Players were putting their bodies on the line despite not being fully fit.

“We got no points and can’t dwell on it but what we can do is use that spirit. Hopefully we’ll have a few players back. Pittodrie is a tough venue and they are a good side.”

One result Mcpake does look back on fondly is the last meeting with Stephen Glass’s Aberdeen.

Dundee earned their first Premiership win of the season against the Dons as they heaped pressure on the underfire Dundonian.

Since then, Aberdeen’s form has improved and Mcpake is pleased to see the pressure lift on his opposite number.

“Aberdeen have picked up and I think that was always going to be the case,” the Dundee boss said.

“They brought in good players, very experienced players like Scott Brown. I’m glad Stephen Glass has turned it around because he’s a young manager and it was a tough night for him at Dens.

“He said himself, he could hear it from his

own fans and I can talk from experience as well.

“What he has shown is real character and determination to keep working and believing in what they were doing.”

Christie Elliott, meanwhile, believes the Dark Blues must be as one to overturn their difficult run of results.

“We just need to stick together,” the full-back said.

“It will come, we do create chances.

“We saw good play on Saturday and previous games, we have just not got the result that we needed.

“Once we do get that win it will push on from there.”

The former Partick Thistle player added: “Aberdeen have always been a tough team to play, always got a good squad, a good team of players.

“No matter the game in this league, it’s always a hard game to play but we are confident in ourselves and we are hopefully going to go there and get three points.”

The match will be played in front of just 500 Aberdeen fans following new coronavirus restrictions.

“It’s a big change, as we have seen from last season to this season, fans do make the difference,” Elliott said.

“Especially a Boxing Day game, the atmosphere is normally really good. You have to go into the game in the same way, it’s a game of football at the end of the day.”

James Mcpake.