Dundee’s derby performance has set the standard now says Tony Docherty as he plots the downfall of a “different” Rangers this weekend.
The Dark Blues ended a two month wait for a league win with a rampant first-half at the home of fierce rivals Dundee United earning a vital victory.
It was their second derby win in a row but the first at Tannadice since 2004.
Now Docherty wants to earn a first win over Rangers as Dundee manager when the Gers come calling in the Premiership this Saturday evening.
It will be the first time he’s come up against Barry Ferguson in the opposing dugout.
Philippe Clement was in charge when Rangers last travelled to Dens, going behind early on before drawing 1-1.
However, his services were dispensed with last month with Ferguson taking interim charge, assisted by two former Dundee players in Neil McCann and Billy Dodds.
McCann, of course, is also a former manager at Dens Park and a Deefiant hero.
And Docherty is expecting something different from Rangers this time around.
“We have performed well against Rangers this season,” he said.
“We had a really narrow defeat at Ibrox where Vaclav Cerny scored and we thought at the time it was offside. But we performed well that day and could have got something from it.
“The last league encounter was at Dens, where we got the 1-1 draw. Unlucky not to win that one, Seb Palmer-Houlden scores and the goal gets disallowed.
“We want to replicate that level of performance.
“It is two form teams going against each other.
“Rangers have changed their system, going to the back three. Between Barry Ferguson, Billy Dodds and Neil McCann they’ve put their stamp on the team.
“There has been a difference and it will be a different game for us but we’ll be making sure we do all we can in training this week.
“Of course, they’ve got real strengths, they’ve got brilliant players, they’ve got a huge budget, great resources and all that.
“But we are at Dens – that’s the most positive thing – and we’ll be doing our utmost to make sure we can get a result.
“The crowd were brilliant at Tannadice and we know they’ll all be absolutely onside for us at home at Rangers.”
Set the standard
Consistency has been the desire for Docherty all season.
However, putting together any kind of consistency has been beyond this young Dundee side for much of the campaign.
Now is the time to put that right says the Dee boss.
He added: “I see the way the players are now. They’re absolutely buzzing after the derby win and the performance.
“They’re in a good place now.
“We have now set that standard.
“That’s what we want to be. We want to try and maintain that level. That’s us.
“We want to try and remain at our best as long as we can and as consistently as we can. That’s what I’ve been saying.
“We are looking for that consistency. Hopefully, we can ensure that that’s the case if we can take that into Saturday’s game and games beyond that.
“Saturday is a challenging game. But the fact that we’re at home, the fact that we’ll have the punters right behind us because of what we’ve just done recently, it’s a game I’m very much looking forward to and I know the players are too.”
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