Dundee mean business this month.
Off the park anyway. On it, they couldn’t have asked for a worse start to 2024.
However, it is just a start and better days will come.
I hope so anyway!
Three minutes in against Kilmarnock and their Scottish Cup hopes were already in the bin.
Not the way Dundee boss Tony Docherty would have planned it.
And not the way his squad players getting a chance again would have planned it either.
Adam Legzdins hadn’t played since the League Cup group stage, Lee Ashcroft since August.
There were a few others who have struggled to nail down a starting spot and new faces like Dara Costelloe coming in.
The long wait over to finally get your chance, the last thing you want is to concede two poor goals in two minutes.
That’s the stuff of nightmares.
Rustiness
Across all the Premiership sides at the weekend, there was a bit of rustiness after the winter break.
This game was no different.
And rustiness had a big part in the first goal.
I’m not excusing anything but it was definitely part of it.
There were three things to highlight in that goal – nowhere near sharp enough on the ball to start with, Legzdins hesitated and then rushed forward.
Had he stayed on his line, I reckon Joe Shaughnessy sorts it out or at least cuts the angle enough that the shot isn’t a dangerous one. Commit to coming out and he gets there first.
That hesitation showed a player who hasn’t played for ages and a lack of understanding between a goalkeeper and centre-back who have barely played together at all.
For the second goal, I’m looking at the starting position of the defenders there. They gave control of the situation to the striker and it cost them.
And that was that.
Hearts
The good news is they have a game nice and quick to get themselves going again.
Hearts away, though, is not an ideal fixture.
The Jambos are third in the table for a reason.
But Dundee shouldn’t fear anything at Tynecastle. They’ve proved this season they can compete with the top teams.
Get through the first four minutes without conceding and they’ll feel a lot better!
Cammy Kerr
I started this column saying Dundee mean business.
Their transfer dealings so far this month show that.
Four players in already and more expected to arrive, Tony Docherty isn’t hanging about.
And he’s not shrugging the big decisions on player exits either.
I feel for Cammy Kerr. He’s been a great servant for Dundee and deserves huge credit for what he’s given the club.
But if he’s not in the plans, he has to get himself out somewhere to play. Same goes for Zak Rudden.
I always like to see local lads doing well and Kerr has been great for Dundee. As a player, I know I was always happy to stay if things were good and looking back I regret maybe not taking some chances I had to play elsewhere.
I hope Cammy can see this as an opportunity to try something different.
Docherty could have taken the easy route and kept Kerr as a squad player.
He’s a great pro, wouldn’t moan, would be dependable if you needed him.
But no, he made the hard decision – hats off to him for that.
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