O’Dea calls on players to give 100%

Dundee captain Darren O’Dea was non-committal when asked about the possibility of Neil McCann staying in charge beyond the current arrangement.

He said: “No player is playing for the manager – they are playing for the club.

“Whoever is in charge, you are playing for the club.

“You represent the club and I don’t care who is in charge, as long as every player when they are here gives 100% and that’s certainly the case right now.”

The McCann factor added a few fans to the gate on Saturday, with an excellent crowd of 6,812 inside Dens and only a couple of hundred of those hailing from the Highlands.

O’Dea paid tribute to the Dundee supporters for turning out in such fine numbers.

He added: “We were aware before the game that there was going to be a big crowd.

“They stuck with us and we finished strongly.” Dundee may have been outplayed by Ross County in the early stages of this game but by the end they could argue that they should have won it.

They finished much the stronger side and that helped keep the feelgood factor going at Dens despite not getting the win that Neil McCann wanted on his home debut as interim manager.

Sometimes a draw can feel like defeat but this result left a positive impression.

It didn’t quite make the Dark Blues safe but it would be a reckless gambler who would place even a pound on them being in the play-off spot now.

That they will stay up has to go down as a considerable achievement on McCann’s part.

He has helped lift the club and given a set of players, who had been on a chronic run of defeats, belief that they could finish the season as winners.

Now it will be over to the board to decide if the job is his on a permanent basis.

Love Is In The Air may be a song associated with a certain team up the road but it is looking like McCann and Dundee are made for each other.