Dundee boss Neil McCann has been keeping a close eye on rejuvenated Kilmarnock ahead of their big game at Dens.
The Rugby Park side travel east tomorrow for what is sure to be a tense occasion, with the Dark Blues looking to end a run of five straight Premiership defeats.
While Dundee have been struggling, new manager Steve Clarke has had an extremely positive impact on Killie.
Their last four away results have been a win at Partick Thistle, draw at Ibrox, another draw at Celtic Park and a victory at Murrayfield over Hearts last time out.
Spoiling an otherwise terrific set of results is the 3-0 home defeat to Hibs at the end of October but even that scoreline is widely regarded as being harsh on the Ayrshire players, who were clapped off the park by their fans that night.
So McCann has, understandably, been paying attention.
The Dundee gaffer said: “I have watched a number of their games now and I think you can clearly see that there has been a great deal of work put in.
“I don’t see it as being a different animal in terms of how they play but Steve does have his own style.
“They got a very good result away to Hearts recently and I watched that game again the other day.
“It was so close and they got the win right at the death on the counter-attack.
“It could have been a Hearts victory but they then went up the pitch and it was a Kilmarnock win.
“So it was about small margins.
“We know what we have to go against when we face Killie.
“But at home I think we have played some really good stuff.
“The Hamilton game was poor and I’d probably say that we have had four games (over the season) in which the players haven’t played the way I want them to play.
“But this is chance for us to go out and show how good a team we are.
“We have to work so hard to get the things right that we need to get right, especially in the final third.”
