NO CONCERNS

McPake sure of further backing despite £1.8m Dens loss

Dundee boss James McPake is confident the club’s American owners will continue to back him despite suffering another significant financial loss.

The dark Blues’ accounts for the year ending May 2019 were released at the weekend and made for grim reading.

dundee lost £1.8million in a disastrous season that saw them relegated to the Championship and part company with two managers in neil McCann and Jim McIntyre.

In total, the dens outfit have haemorrhaged over £3m in just four years but, despite that, owner Tim Keyes and managing director John nelms continue to see dundee as a long-term project.

McPake, however, acknowledges that financial faith also comes with added pressure on him to take the club back to the Premiership.

‘Like any other manager at this club — Paul Hartley, neil McCann and Jim McIntyre — we’ve all been backed regardless,’ he said ahead of his side’s Championship clash with Alloa tonight.

‘The owners would have known what was coming out and I was still backed in January to bring in players of the quality of Christophe Berra. From my point of view, nothing’s changed and there’s no need for any concern.

‘From day one, I’ve watched how they’ve backed managers and every single one has seriously been backed, me included.

‘That’s not going to change and that’s of credit to Tim and John.

‘They give the manager the funds and the budget to go and try to manage and spend it the best way you can.

‘But we need to get back to the Premiership. We are under no illusions. We need to get out of this league.

‘Taking away the financial side, we need to be in the Premiership for footballing reasons — to attract players, to get the revenue and the prestige of playing against the likes of Hibs, Rangers, Celtic, etc.’

Meanwhile, dundee’s Shaun Byrne has admitted that dropping down a division has proven to be much tougher than he expected.

The midfielder left Premiership Livingston to sign up at dens in the summer and he has taken time to adjust.

now, though, the 26-year-old feels he has finally found his feet and is determined dundee will extend their recent unbeaten run to four games against Alloa.

‘You always want to come into a new club and start off flying,’ said Byrne.

‘We were maybe struggling as a team and you can start doubting yourself, but there are no excuses.

‘earlier on, I wasn’t good enough. I think, as a team, we weren’t good enough as well.

‘But I am feeling good now and, hopefully, I can kick on until the end of the season.

‘This is a really difficult league. It is maybe harder to play in this league sometimes just because of the way the games are with a lot of battles.

‘You get a bit more time in the Premiership whereas, in the Championship, there are a lot of second balls.

‘But it has been really positive recently and we need to build on it.’