Dundee’s trip to Hearts in the Scottish Cup was supposed to be a game without the pressure of relegation for the Dark Blues.
However, the same old problems leading to defeats have put even more pressure on them before Sunday’s derby.
There’s big pressure, too, on manager Tony Docherty.
He did what managers do in situations like this – he tried to be positive about the performance.
But it’s clear from the way they started the game the players are feeling the tension.
They couldn’t keep possession and simple things were looking much harder than they need to be.
Despite a good spell in the second half, Dundee were well-beaten by Hearts.
And if it wasn’t for Trevor Carson, the score line could have been a really heavy one again.
That is a positive for Dundee, in a weird kind of way. Guys like Carson and Joe Shaughnessy and Simon Murray in recent weeks are rising to the challenge set by this awful run of form.
It’s a relegation battle and you need big characters to step up.
They are doing that but Dundee need more.
Manager Docherty certainly needs more. He’s got to win this derby.
Maybe not in terms of keeping his job – we don’t know the feelings of Tim Keyes and John Nelms – but certainly in terms of keeping any sort of positive relationship with the fans.
Emotions will be high on Sunday at Tannadice, no matter what happens.
The supporters had a glimmer of hope at Tynecastle on Friday – at 1-1 they were on top and creating chances with a trip to Hampden there to be grabbed.
But then the same old, same old happened shortly afterwards.
The cup dream is gone, another ember of positivity in this increasingly poor season snuffed out.
Now they are left with four tough Premiership games before the split and then five against the teams in the bottom six.
Lose again this weekend and people will rightly wonder if the manager has a future at the club.
There is a lot of pressure on Docherty but, as always, he will keep things positive with his players.
That positivity only lasts so long with fans when results don’t follow.
United fans, too, will be only too happy to see more pressure piled on the Dundee boss this weekend.
Nevertheless, I do still think this is a 50-50 game.
Regardless of league positions, Dundee still have some real talent in their squad.
I said before the Hearts game that the cup tie was perfect for them because when things click, the Dee have shown they can take on anybody.
In a one-off game, like a derby, that can happen.
It might turn the game into a tough watch but I really do think if Dundee just go into this game being hard to beat first and foremost they’ll give themselves a real chance.
Keep things tight and then they can rely on their attacking talent to do something up front.
It’s such a massive game for Dundee. They must turn up.
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