Dundee better be ready to get moving over the next few weeks.
I don’t just mean on the pitch.
But getting from pitch to pitch.
Because the early-season fixture list will see a fair bit of travelling before any sort of home comforts.
With five friendlies and then two Viaplay Cup matches to play away from home before their first date at Dens, they’ll be forgiven for pining for home turf.
Tony Docherty’s home debut as Dundee manager remains almost a month away when Dumbarton come calling in the League Cup group stage.
Before that it’s a trip to Brechin then across to Ireland, going to Bray for one game and then to the south coast to face Fleetwood in Waterford.
Back to Scotland and we’ll have trips to Arbroath and Cove to complete the pre-season schedule before the real ball comes out at Bonnyrigg Rose on July 18.
There will certainly be plenty of bonding time on buses and planes for the players.
Ireland
And the fact the club are going on a first pre-season trip since 2019 shows how much they are backing Docherty to be a success.
Jim McIntyre was the last manager who convinced John Nelms a trip away was worth the layout.
He was gone, though, before the Dee headed to La Manga to kick off James McPake’s tenure. Since then there’s been no sign of anything like that.
And moves in the transfer market this summer also point to a real backing for the new boss.
We can now confirm that we will play two matches while in Ireland. On Wed 5 July we will play Bray Wanderers and on Sat 8 July we will play Fleetwood Town.
The full announcement along with travel information can be found on the club’s website.https://t.co/uQ54ge9J7T#thedee pic.twitter.com/py1cE839CI
— Dundee Football Club (@DundeeFC) June 14, 2023
That’s a good sign, especially with club finances still running at a loss.
The desire is there for Dundee to remain a Premiership club.
You worry after 10 years in charge that a little bit of complacency might set in from the Americans.
However, the early days this summer are very positive across the board.
Action
This weekend, though, we will finally see a Tony Docherty Dundee team in action.
The trip to Brechin City will be an interesting one.
Always a pleasant place to watch a game, it will be intriguing to see how the new manager sets up his team.
The squad is evidently a work in progress.
There are 17 first-team players in the squad right now – Antonio Portales won’t be around and Tyler French is only just back in training after breaking his leg last season.
So I fully expect to see a few new names involved, some of the club’s promising youth players.
The likes of Jack Wilkie, Euan Mutale, Jamie Richardson and others have all been taking part in pre-season training with the first team.
So, as much as there is a clean slate for all the senior players, a new manager in place is an opportunity for young players to stake their own claim.
The chance is there and there are positions up for grabs – go take your chance.
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