QUESTION TIME FOR McGHEE AS DROP LOOMS FOR DUNDEE
MARK McGHEE last night bristled after he was quizzed on why he subbed Dundee captain Charlie Adam just seven minutes into the second half of yesterday’s 1-0 loss at Aberdeen.
The Dark Blues boss claims his team can still achieve a great escape despite being consigned to at least a relegation play-off. Dundee’s defeat at Pittodrie means they can finish no higher than 11th position in the Premiership. McGhee’s men trail St Johnstone — who lost at home to St Mirren — by five points with three games remaining. Adam appeared angered after he was hooked just after the interval — but McGhee was irked when questioned on why he made the decision.
‘You would need to ask Charlie,’ he
said. ‘He wasn’t injured, it was a tactical decision. He is a player, that’s all he is.
‘He’s an important player who does a fantastic job but we took him off for our reasons.
‘It’s not anyone’s business why I took Charlie Adam off.’
Dundee’s dismal form continued but McGhee claims his team can win their remaining three matches and overtake St Johnstone.
‘We lost the game as we didn’t take our chances and that’s the first time I have been able to say that since coming in,’ he added.
‘That’s an improvement. I’m delighted with the performance, especially in the first half. If you don’t take your chances you won’t win games.
‘I don’t know if it is any more difficult to stay up after this game. I believe if we win the last three games we will be in the play-offs.
‘We have shown in the last four games what we are capable of. We didn’t lose through football but by missing chances and we have to take that into the last three games.
‘We have to believe we can win the last three and see what happens. They are disappointed as they want to win every game and they will feel hard done by.
‘Boys missed chances, like young Josh Mulligan who is beating himself up over his missed chance. But we will forgive him as he will be a brilliant player for Dundee and he will score goals in the future in those circumstances.
‘We still have positivity in the group that we can stay up. We can’t trust St Johnstone to lose all their games. We have to try and get ourselves in the play-offs. If we win all three games we have a chance of doing that.’