The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Playing at Dens not an ordeal for Dundee: Parish
Elliott Parish has insisted that playing at Dens Park is not an ordeal for the Dundee players – even if their home record would suggest otherwise.
Saturday’s humiliating defeat to St Johnstone was their fifth loss on their own turf in a row
And in that time they have scored once and conceded 12.
They are grim statistics – and the derby defeat was undoubtedly a grim performance – but the Dark Blues keeper maintains that he isn’t finding it harder at home than away.
“Not personally,” he said. “It doesn’t matter where I play. It’s a game of football, isn’t it? Same lines, same rules, same goals. Not for me, no.
“It’s a terrible run of form at home. As players, we’ve got to take the flak. As everyone has seen today, that’s nowhere near where we need to be. That is solely on us.
“It was a terrible day. It was down to the players. We didn’t deliver on any front today. It’s solely on the players – that was terrible.
“As a collective, we’re annoyed at each other, because we’re all in this together. It’s just frustration because after putting on a performance like that it’s tough to swallow.
“Every game matters but this is a derby as well so it means a lot to the fans. That for me is the worst performance of the season from our team. It hurts a lot.”
Parish, who couldn’t hide his frustrations at times when options to pick out a man weren’t opening up for him, found it hard to use a phrase that no footballer wants attributed to their team.
“It’s tough to come off a pitch and say they’ve outworked us,” he said. “Maybe they have.
“That hurts a lot to say that a team outworked you. You should give nothing less than 100% every week.
“We just have to go and win games. That is on us. That hurts a lot today.”
Neil McCann said: “I’m embarrassed by the performance and embarrassed by the result. I’m ashamed.
“We’ve been beaten heavily before by Ross County but it was the manner of the defeat today that doesn’t sit well with me – no fight, no guts.
“There’s no positives to take. None.”
It was a terrible day. It was down to the players. We didn’t deliver on any front today. ELLIOTT PARISH