McIntyre’s more direct style suits striker Kallman
Benjamin Kallman reckons Jim McIntyre’s more direct style of football will help him shine at Dundee.
The Finnish international striker arrived at Dens Park in August, billed as one of his homeland’s hottest properties.
However, with the Dark Blues toiling, he has hit the net just once.
Former boss Neil McCann’s unwavering commitment to passing football might, on some level, have been admirable, but it wasn’t successful.
Now Kallman reckons his new boss’s willingness to get the ball forward quickly can help put both himself and the club on the right track.
“I think I’ll fit into the different style,” he said.
“The new manager likes to play the kind of football that is more how I like to play.
“Getting the ball forward a bit quicker is what I mean.
“If you look at my playing style, I like direct play.
“Obviously, I have nothing against playing the ball around and making small passes, as long as I can get delivery up top.
“But I like the direct play as well. I think this style can help me show my best side to Dundee fans.
“In the last game there was a lot of that. We played long balls and I think I did an OK job of winning them.
“That’s what I see as my playing style.
“We had a lot of different managers in Finland, too, but for the most part that’s how we played there.”
Having been brought to Scotland by McCann, seeing him depart was strange for Kallman.
But he insists he is adapting and believes the Dark Blues can turn their season around.
“It’s my first time living abroad and it’s not going how you’d want it to go,” he said.
“But still, the most important part for me is to get playing time, to do my work, and to perform on the pitch.
“We all believe in it, I believe in it, so it’s not a problem for me. As long as we have belief, we can turn it around.
“I have just moved into my permanent apartment.
“It’s the first time I have been in Britain, so it was a little bit odd at first, but you get used to it.
“At the end of the day, it’s not much different to Finland.”
Playing alongside a striker of Kenny Miller’s calibre is certainly different for Kallman.
But it’s one thing he is relishing amidst a tumultuous introduction to life in Scotland.
“I can definitely learn a lot from Kenny,” he said.
“He has been around a lot and achieved a lot during his career.
“He has a lot of wisdom for me to take in and I need to listen to what he has to say about my play, whether it’s criticism or something good.”