Dundee boss Mark McGhee told players ‘we’re not going to win very many games’ on his Dens Park arrival

When he arrived at Dens Park, Dundee boss Mark McGhee told his players they wouldn’t win many games this season.

The Dark Blues have recorded three draws in their seven league matches under the former Aberdeen gaffer and have fallen six points adrift at the foot of the table.

And he admits he warned the Dens Park squad there would be a lot of Saturday nights where they’d be going home disappointed.

McGhee says it has been his job to keep spirits up despite poor results.

“The most important thing for me, and I think it’s one of the reasons I was brought here, it’s not just about playing on the pitch and tactics, but how you react,” he told Sky Sports News.

“And that’s the most important thing that I’ve kept driving home to the players.”

McGhee added: “I said to them on the first day, look we’re not going to win very many games, so we are going to be going home on a lot of Saturday nights disappointed.

“So for instance, we played Livingston here and lost badly.

“But we came out against Hibs in the next game still positive, still on the front foot.

“And that’s probably been the most important thing during this time is to keep them positive, even when you are losing.”

‘It’s not head in the sand’

McGhee insists the Dark Blues can get out of trouble, though they need to overhaul St Johnstone’s six point lead.

“It’s not head in the sand,” he added.

"That's been the most important thing during this time."

Dundee manager Mark McGhee says his players have to remain positive in their battle to avoid relegation 💪 pic.twitter.com/HA1u7FbPYL

— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) April 7, 2022

“But I think we can mitigate it.

“We only have to win a couple of games to stay up, we don’t have to win seven games.

“The important thing is that message that we keep going again and again until we do that and get the couple of results we need.”