Dundee manager Gary Bowyer admits the chop-and-change nature of team selection this season has hampered his side’s “fluidity” this season.
The Dens Park boss is in his first season at the club after taking over in the summer and has become known for making changes to his starting XI from week to week.
He does, though, point to a number of disrupting factors in what he terms “a really strange season”.
The biggest issue Bowyer says, however, is the game-after-game consistency of some of the squad so far this term.
Something he has challenged his players to reach.
“It has been a really strange season because there’s not been that continuity, whether because of the sickness bug that has ripped through us or disruption with suspensions that you normally get later in the season,” the Dundee boss said.
“Usually they come with an accumulation of bookings but we’ve not had that, it’s been three red cards.
“I’ve not been able to say ‘this is my preferred personnel’.
“The one consistency we’ve had this season is the inconsistency of some individual performances.
“One week you might have someone have a good game, then the next week he’s not performed.
“You give someone else an opportunity after training really well but then they’ve not hit the level you thought they would.
“That’s reflected possibly in the fluidity in our performances.
“We have had fight and grit but now we want to get consistency in performance from everybody rather than relying on certain ones.
“We’ve thrown that challenge down to the players in the last couple of weeks to maintain that consistency.
“The shirt is there and it’s yours as long as you are reaching that level of consistency.”
Sickness bug
After seeing players like Lee Ashcroft, Paul McGowan, Tyler French and Zach Robinson missing due to an illness around the camp, Bowyer revealed the bug is still around.
However, it should not affect his team selection come Saturday against Raith Rovers at Dens.
But he’s unlikely to have left-back Jordan Marshall available as the extent of his knee injury is still to be determined.
Midfielder McGowan, meanwhile, won’t face Ian Murray’s men.
“I’m pleased that the sickness bug is no longer among the players but I’m afraid it’s now hit the staff – there’s two members of staff off with it,” Bowyer revealed.
“From the playing point of view, Jordan Marshall is still missing. We’re waiting on the results of a scan on his knee.
“Hopefully just to rule out stuff more than anything.
“Paul McGowan’s is ongoing. It is how long is a piece of string with that type of injury.”
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