Do Dundee need a striker before Monday’s transfer deadline?
It’s the biggest question at Dens Park after a positive month of business.
Tony Docherty’s squad is looking healthier than at any point throughout the campaign with four new faces and the injury crisis easing.
The problematic left wing-back position has been strengthened through Imari Samuels arrival plus Ziyad Larkeche’s return.
Central defence has been boosted by Aaron Donnelly coming in while Mexicans Cesar Garza and Victor Lopez have added something a bit different further up the pitch.
Curtis Main’s departure, though, has left a gap for an experienced striker.
But will there be a replacement coming before 11pm on Monday?
The current options
Main’s exit leaves the Dark Blues with Simon Murray and Seb Palmer-Houlden as out-and-out strikers.
Scott Tiffoney has played up top, too, while deeper options include Lyall Cameron, Seun Adewumi and possibly Victor Lopez.
The squad is big, bolstered by so many injured players returning. A few days before the transfer deadline, Docherty has 27 senior players to work with.
Two are currently injured and three are goalkeepers so for a league matchday at the moment there will be four senior outfield players left out of the squad.
In terms of sheer numbers they don’t really need an extra player in any position, though if there are outgoings before Monday night that could obviously change.
And there are other reasons why Tony Docherty is happy with his attack as it is.
Sharpshooting stats
Losing Curtis Main means one option has gone but he hasn’t featured much in the first team for months.
He hadn’t started since October 26, playing a total of 33 minutes in five sub appearances since.
Dundee have scored 24 goals in 15 games since that October clash with St Johnstone.
And a current Opta stat speaks to the finishing quality the Dark Blues have shown this season.
Ahead of this weekend’s clash with Hearts, the stat reads: “Dundee have scored 37 goals from 25.5 expected goals in the Scottish Premiership this season, with their overperformance of 11.5 by far the biggest of any side in the competition in 2024-25.”
The nearest rival on the xG front is Celtic, who have scored 3.8 goals more than their xG. Expected goals measures the quality of chances created and how likely it is the opportunity will be converted.
The stats show Dundee are the sharpest shooters in the Premiership by a distance.
What the manager said
And that’s what has Docherty “relaxed” about the make-up of his squad going into the business end of the season.
On Wednesday he said: “Our real strength this year has been scoring goals.
“We’re still the second-highest scoring team domestically behind Celtic and the third-highest in the league behind Celtic and Rangers.
“If I go through the strikers – Simon Murray has 15 goals, Seb Palmer-Houlden has eight, Scott Tiffoney four, Seun Adewumi three and Lyall Cameron in that advanced role has eight.
“And Curtis Main scored six so that’s 44 goals from your strikers.
“Curtis came to us because he was looking for guaranteed game time and I couldn’t guarantee him that because of the strength of the players in front of him.
“So I think I’m quite strong in that area.
“But if something does come up that can fill a gap, because we’ve lost Julien Vetro as well from the forward line, then we’ll look at it.
“But I’m really relaxed about the level of player and the level of competition I’ve got.”
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