Dundee’s dismal descent from 5th to 11th – what has happened since December win over Motherwell?

The heady heights of fifth place following a 4-1 home win over Motherwell feel like a long time ago for Dundee Football Club.

The Dark Blues were looking up the table and thinking of a possible tilt at European football after picking up 10 points from the last 15 available.

Since that win over the Steelmen on December 4, though, things have not gone to plan.

Tony Docherty’s side have plummeted to 11th place in the Premiership table and are staring at a relegation battle as they face up to Motherwell once more.

So what has happened since that big win at Dens Park?

The numbers

These don’t make good reading for Dundee, to put it mildly.

In the 12 Premiership matches since December 4, the Dark Blues have picked up just eight points from a possible 36.

That’s two wins, two draws and eight defeats.

They have scored 12 goals but conceded a massive 31 to see their goal difference trashed, dropping from zero to minus 19.

No side in the Premiership has picked up fewer points than Dundee in that time.

Both Aberdeen and St Johnstone have also won just eight.

At the start of December, Hibs and Hearts were the bottom two teams. Hibs have won 25 points and Hearts 23 points since.

By comparison, midweek opponents Motherwell have picked up 12 points.

A Premiership table of results since December 4 has Dundee bottom of the pile.

Goals

After the 4-1 win – the second in a row at Dens Park – Dundee had scored 27 goals in 15 Premiership games.

Since then only 12 in 12.

The make-up of those are five from Simon Murray, two from Seb Palmer-Houlden and Seun Adewumi while Lyall Cameron and Aaron Donnelly have one each. An own goal from Cameron Carter-Vickers makes up the 12.

What has changed?

Dundee followed the win over Motherwell with three defeats to Hearts, Rangers and Ross County with no goals scored.

Their home form has fallen off a cliff, too, with no league victories at Dens Park since. There were two very positive draws against Rangers and then Celtic – only the fourth time the champions had dropped points all season.

Those two good results were followed by a big cup win over rivals Dundee United.

But then that high was brought down to earth with a crash.

A collapse at home to Hearts and a thumping at Parkhead saw two 6-0 defeats within the space of five days.

Desperate search

Jon McCracken lost his place in goal after the December defeat at Tynecastle with Trevor Carson coming in for 10 matches until the pair switched again after the two 6-0 losses.

Big changes have also been seen in defence since the start of December.

Clark Robertson and Ziyad Larkeche were already out injured alongside skipper Joe Shaughnessy. They’d be joined by Billy Koumetio, Jordan McGhee and Antonio Portales.

Luke Graham would come back from loan at Falkirk and has since returned to the Bairns.

Aaron Donnelly and Imari Samuels have been signed to bolster the ailing backline.

Since the 4-1 win over ’Well, Dundee have used a massive 14 different players across the back three and wing-back positions in both league and cup.

Injuries have played a big part in that with the likes of Fin Robertson filling in at left wing-back.

But it has also been through choice with a busy schedule and new players to integrate in the squad.

And a desperate search to find a combination that could keep out the goals Dundee have been conceding.

That search continues with this squad on course to concede more than 80 goals in a league season – the most any Dundee squad has done in the club’s history.

And the risk of relegation from the top flight for the third time in six years.

Player futures

Another spanner in the works has been the number of players in the final months of their Dundee contracts.

Of the 25 players in the squad, 12 are either leaving, retiring, heading back to parent clubs or considering their options.

That means half the squad have already made up their minds or are wondering if they really want to stick around for next season.

Speaking to that are four players who have been offered contract extensions but haven’t signed them.

They could be waiting to see what offers come their way or possibly aren’t completely happy with life at Dens Park.

All may still stick around.

However, doubts over contract extensions, others signing pre-contracts with rival clubs and general poor form all come together to paint a picture that says things aren’t as happy as they could be behind the scenes.

All things the team and manager could do without at this key stage of the season.

The mood can change very quickly, though. Results will do that.

Can they dispel some of that feeling by pulling off another big win against Motherwell on Wednesday?