Dundee boss Paul Hartley expects his side to start “on the front foot” against Rangers on Sunday as they aim to extend their unbeaten home league form.
In the Premiership, results at Dens Park has seen the Dark Blues push right up the table with last weekend’s draw with Kilmarnock seeing them into seventh spot.
That point made it 14 from a possible 18 in their last six league matches on home turf and that’s something the manager wants to keep going.
Hartley said: “We’re at home on Sunday and we’ve been actually decent in the league, we’ve won four and drawn two of our last six, so we have to be on the front foot and go and test them as much as we can.
“Last week against Kilmarnock, I wasn’t happy with certain things, the basic thing was keeping the ball better.
“If you don’t keep the ball then you won’t give yourself an opportunity.
“That was the big thing that was disappointing but there were no complaints about the attitude.
“Keeping the ball is something we have worked on this week and it’s a game where we have to try to turn the screw a little bit.
“Be on the front foot and really positive on Sunday.”
The Dundee gaffer also expects all the pressure to be on the opposing dugout with Rangers U/20s coach Graeme Murty taking the reins as caretaker following the departure of Mark Warburton.
Murty has quickly become the focus of attention for the media and Gers fans and that’s something Hartley reckons will have come as something of a shock.
“It’s all new,” said Paul.
“It’s all right doing the Press when you’re a player but when you’re thrown in as a manager — especially at a club that size — then the attention is much greater from every angle, from everybody.
“Not just the media but supporters, everybody wants to have their say and tell you what to do.
“It’s about how you handle that. I’m sure he’s pretty level-headed but it’ll be something new to him — I bet his phone’s never stopped.
“And I bet his days have been longer and then your preparation has to change from being a youth coach to a first-team manager, especially with that size of club.
“The pressure becomes much greater when you’re at the front of the football club and you have to make tough decisions.”
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