Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Dee were great, now they have to repeat it
AFTER such a fine victory for Dundee, I don’t really want to start with a negative.
But I will. The Dark Blues were excellent against Rangers on Sunday as they chalked up their first Dens Park win over them in 25 years.
So why can’t they be like that most weeks?
Since just before Christmas they’ve beaten three established top-six teams in the Gers, Hearts and St Johnstone.
But they’ve dropped points against too many of those in the bottom half of the Premiership.
Delighted as he had to be with Sunday’s fine performance, I’m sure that thought has crossed gaffer Paul Hartley’s mind.
It must be leaving him tearing his hair out. What he’ll want from his team between now and the end of the season is for them to play with the same intensity as against Rangers every time they run out on a pitch.
If they do, a top-six place will be theirs for the taking.
The thing that struck me about Sunday was this wasn’t one of those victories over the Old Firm where they rode their luck at times.
Dundee looked the better team throughout and probably deserved a bigger margin of victory than 2-1.
They looked well organised and up for the game.
Every player did his job to a high standard and that will be very pleasing for the manager.
I particularly liked the way Hartley got them to press high.
As I’ve said before, it frustrates me how often teams sit back when they play Rangers or Celtic.
It means even if you are winning the ball back, you are deep in your own half and have a long way to go to get to the opposition goal.
Dundee didn’t do that against the Gers. They repeatedly won the ball high up the pitch and that’s why they were able to create plenty chances.
Now the challenge for them is to use this to build a bit of momentum and consistency.
The message the manager will be hammering home to his players now will be, if that level of intensity can work so well against Rangers, what will it do when they come up against the likes of Partick, Inverness and Hamilton.
Hopefully, the players listen to what he’s saying.