Dundee’s Jim McAlister insists his new boss John Brown is much more than just a “Mr Motivator” when it comes to footballing matters.
The Dark Blues midfielder watched “Bomber” when he was a fiercely-competitive player for a rampant Rangers side.
He has brought that never-say-die attitude into management and it appears to be rubbing off on the Dundee players who are unbeaten in the league since Brown took over in the dug-out.
However, McAlister has seen a different side to his new gaffer and has been really impressed by his tactical nous.
And he hopes Brown can mastermind a win over bitter rivals Dundee United on Sunday at Tannadice as the Dark Blues attempt to cut the 14-point gap at the bottom of the SPL table.
McAlister said: “I watched the gaffer towards the end of his time at Rangers and he was always a player I admired.
“He was a really committed professional, the kind of player you would want in your team each week. You could see he wore his heart on his sleeve every time he went out onto the park.
“To be fair, he’s putting across that same sort of spirit into the team now which can only be a good thing. He has certain standards and doesn’t want anybody to drop below them because he believes in giving everything.
“We’re all really enjoying working under him and are obviously prepared to give 110% for the cause.”
He added: “That’s obviously the biggest thing which people associate the gaffer with, this great determination and being able to motivate people around him. But I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves.
“He has a great understanding of the game and is astute when it comes to setting teams up and telling players what he wants from them. After all, he was a youth coach at Rangers so he knows how to work and get the best out of younger players as well.
“When you put those two things together, you realise he has a lot to offer. He will have us right up for Sunday’s game but he will also remind us that he wants us to play to our full potential.”
McAlister scored a cracking goal when Dundee faced United in the cup two weeks ago. However, Jackie McNamara’s side still ran out winners, the third time they have tasted victory over the Dark Blues this season.
Now, the player is determined that the Tangerines’ winning run will come to an end on Sunday.
He said: “It was nice to score in the last derby but, at the end of the day, it means nothing as we still went out of the cup. That was very disappointing so it’s all about trying to get the right result this weekend because United have enjoyed the upper hand until now.
“That is something which will be spurring us on going into Sunday’s game, to try to end that run of defeats.
“We can take a lot of confidence from pushing them so hard in the cup and there’s no reason to fear this match. We want to keep chipping away at the points difference at the bottom of the table and try to put pressure on the teams directly above us.
“A win on Sunday would help massively and could give us a big lift for the games remaining between now and the end of the season.”