Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Last ’Well trip a positive for Dee
NEIL McCann believes the memory of a 5-1 February win at Fir Park can help his Dundee players as he leads them into his first game in charge at Motherwell tomorrow.
But the interim boss has also warned that result — their last victory — will also act as a spur f or t he Steelemen.
When five first-half goals were blasted past ’Well in what turned out to be their boss Mark McGhee’s last game i n ch a rg e , Pa u l Hartley’s team looked on course for the top six of the Premiership.
Seven straight defeats later, that gaffer’s also gone and McCann’s been handed the j ob of pulling t he Dark Blues away from the top-flight relegation zone.
As he tries to halt that losing run, he knows the performance on that last visit to Lanarkshire is a positive.
“It is, it was a good result, and the players remember it,” he said.
“So will Motherwell and they will want to do better this time.”
When he arrived at Dens Park just over a week ago, the interim boss was adamant there was enough quality in the squad to pull away from danger.
Seven training sessions and a lot of hard work later, he is even more convinced of that.
“Having worked with them (the players) and placed the demands I have on them, I am even more positive about what I’ve got here to work with.
“I’ve tried to bring enthusiasm and passion on to the pitch in the few days I’ve had with the team.
“And I haven’t seen any player with their shoulders stooped. I haven’t seen anyone with their head down. I’ve actually seen the opposite — and that i s exactly what I want.”
Dundee have no injuries worries for tomorrow, though Cammy Kerr is out through suspension.