HARTLEY HANDS OUT TOP-SIX CHALLENGE
DUNDEE manager Paul Hartley has challenged his players to cope with the pressure of trying to pull off back-to-back top-six finishes. The Dark Blues, who host Dundee United in tomorrow’s Tayside derby, finished in the top half of the table on their return to the Premiership under Hartley last season and are striving for the same this time round. They currently sit ninth after a stuttering campaign to date but a win over their neighbours would get them back on track. Hartley is aware expectations have risen on the back of last season’s achievements, and has called on his side to cope in the face of increased demands. ‘Last season was good but then everyone expects you to do better this time,’ he said. ‘So that becomes a pressure. But it’s a pressure we have to handle. ‘We’ve had to make a lot of changes here in terms of personnel since we’ve come in. When we looked at the stats, we’ve brought 30 players in and 29 have gone out. ‘To get that team to finish in the top six and then be challenging there again is obviously a positive thing. ‘We’ve had to gel a team again pretty quickly. It’s never easy but, since coming here, we’ve tried to establish the team again in the top flight. ‘We are a club who’ve been out of the top flight for the majority of the past 10 to 12 years. So, over the past 20 odd months or so, there’s been a lot of hard work. ‘If we can achieve that (top six) again, then it would be great.’ Dundee have slipped out of the top half following a poor run of results, including a 5-2 Boxing Day defeat at Ross County, but Hartley insists they can take any flak coming their way. ‘We can accept criticism. I don’t have a problem with that.’ he said. ‘I don’t think we have ever complained about injuries. That’s sometimes an excuse which managers can use ‘We’ve always just got on with it and used the squad.’