Dundee were dreadful in defeat at Dunfermline on Friday night – the only good news is surely it can’t get any worse.
You’d hope so anyway and, with a few new faces in the squad for Saturday’s trip to Morton, there’s bound to be a lift.
The team – and James McPake – certainly need it.
The Dens gaffer will be first to accept it’s not nearly good enough from the Dark Blues.
The good news for him is he has very supportive bosses in John Nelms and Tim Keyes who will back him despite growing disgruntlement from the stands.
And they certainly have backed the manager this month.
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Ollie Crankshaw, Ross Callachan and Conor Hazard have all arrived on loan in the past week and could be joined by one, or maybe all, from Christophe Berra, Fraser Murray and free agent Ross Wallace.
The end of this window is starting to look like the kind of sweeping changes manager McPake has been keen to avoid.
With his team’s form so poor, though, he’s almost forced into taking the gamble.
Never mind last year, 2020 has been a complete bust for the Dark Blues.
Three matches, three defeats, no goals scored and seven conceded – the only positive result was the Ayr match being called off.
The pessimists supporting Dundee will say that it certainly can get worse but surely not.
This has to be the lowest point of the season, rock bottom, a point where things start to get better.
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It’s been a long, long time since that happened at Dens Park – and upping the overall quality of the squad – one I have to admit looked a good one in the summer – will surely do that.
It’s all about adding good players in key positions.
A goalkeeper is one that’s been filled – Hazard was a very confident young keeper the last time around.
Crankshaw looks like he’s got plenty about him and will give balance from the wings with Declan McDaid on the other side.
Callachan has added much-needed energy in the middle.
These are all plus points but none of that seemed to change the malaise Dundee seem to be playing with right now.
Even their steadiest players like Jordan Marshall are making costly mistakes and the Dark Blues can’t give themselves a break.
Get the first goal at Morton this weekend and all that will, hopefully, begin to change.
It certainly needs to – they can’t go buying anybody next week.
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