Dundee need every bit of help they can get right now.
As well as defeats piling up, injuries are too.
It’s pretty much every man to the pump right now.
And when a player acts like Jason Cummings did last week, turning up unfit to train the day before a game, strong management is needed.
James McPake’s job is to manage the team and the personalities in it.
Some of them are going to be more difficult than others.
Cummings certainly falls into that category.
From the player’s point of view, you can see where the decision came from.
He’ll be frustrated not to be playing and he seems like the type of character that might get carried away in an atmosphere like the one at Open Goal Live.
And he’ll be regretting that now.
It’s probably unlikely he’ll be at the club beyond January but between now and then Dundee have some massive games.
And not many players to call upon.
From Dundee’s perspective you can only hope the whole situation sees Cummings screw the nut and take last week as a kick up the backside.
The irony of the situation is that he’d probably have got more game time against Hearts on Saturday than any other game for the past few months.
He has to take the punishment, though.
For Dundee, they need strong leadership right now from their manager.
