Hateley insists harsh truths are vital for dire Dundee
IF Dundee are to maintain at least some interest in this Scottish Premiership season by reinvigorating a relegation battle slowly going the way of this year’s underwhelming ‘title fight’, brutal honesty must be embraced.
Sure, it may be easier for Paul Hartley’s men to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, whistle a happy tune and assure each other that things always work out for the best.
But the Dens Park side, on a six-game losing run and without a win since the opening day of the league season, already look like the worst team in the top division. Kind comments do nothing to aid their cause.
‘We are honest with each other,’ insisted much-travelled midfielder Tom Hateley. ‘The door gets shut and we have a good chat. That’s the way it has to be.
‘If harsh words need to be spoken for the sake of the team, they have to be spoken. Sometimes harsh things need to be said — and that’s definitely the situation we’re in.
‘We do all the video analysis. We do everything we can looking at ourselves. It’s just the fact of putting it out on the pitch. It’s all there to give us the best chance of getting a result.
‘But it’s a waste of time talking about it unless you do something about it. You can’t sit around and sulk. You have just got to go again. The slump we’re in is all down to us — so it’s up to us to get out of it.’
It’s impossible not to feel for footballers brave enough to front up and talk about their concerns in the midst of such a horrific run of form. There are times when it feels like an intrusion upon private grief.
Inevitably, the good professionals chosen to speak on behalf of a team fall back on declarations of support for the manager and promises that they possess both the individual and collective character needed to win this fight, plus a warning against letting confidence fall too low.
Humbled at home by Partick Thistle on Wednesday night — the visitors leaving Dens with a 2-0 win that might have been more convincing — Hartley’s side head to Hamilton tomorrow in their latest bid to halt a downward spiral. The Dark Blues boss, experienced enough at all levels of the game to recognise signs of rot, cut a gloomy figure in the aftermath of the Partick loss.
Yesterday brought an official club email informing media that there would be no pre-match Press conference at Dens today. No explanation was given for why Hartley was in hiding.
Hateley, predictably, came to his defence. ‘The players are 100 per cent behind the gaffer and the coaching staff,’ said the former Motherwell, Tranmere and Slask Wroclaw midfielder.
‘There are no cliques here, with people in little groups having chats amongst themselves. We are all behind him and confident that, with him, we can get out of this.
‘We’re in a bad situation but we have put ourselves here. Along with the gaffer, we will find a way out of it.
‘We have to stand up and be men. We have to be bold and confident on the ball because we have put ourselves in a difficult situation. It’s only us, the players, who can get out of it. The manager can give us tactics and tell us how to play but we have to be the ones to do it.
‘We have to be more difficult to beat. We need to shut up shop. Over the next few days we will work hard and do everything we can to get out of this.
‘The last thing we want to do is start drifting away at the bottom of the league. We believe we have more quality than that,’ added 27-year-old Hateley, son of former Rangers star Mark.
‘I can tell you everyone is together and working hard but it doesn’t mean anything if you’re not doing it on the pitch.
‘It’s time to stand up and be counted. The situation is horrible and, for the sake of the club, we need to get a result against Hamilton.
‘It’s a waste of time talking about getting the breaks. The sooner a good result comes, the better. The longer we stay down at the bottom and drifting, it’s no good for anyone.
‘I genuinely believe we have a lot more quality than the position we’re in. I’ve been in football long enough to know if we have players to get us out of it — and I believe we have.
‘We’re not that far adrift. We’re a few results from being back in the mix.’