Dundee manager Jim McIntyre labelled his players “meek” after they crashed to a 5-1 defeat in Aberdeen last night.
The Dark Blues didn’t really show up at Pittodrie and were second best to the Dons from kick-off.
The dismal defeat saw them dive back to the bottom of the Premiership on goal difference behind St Mirren and they now face another daunting-looking trip to Celtic Park on Saturday.
The only bright spot on a very dark night in the Granite City was Calvin Miller’s consolation goal, which was sandwiched between Aberdeen’s fourth and fifth.
That didn’t make McIntyre feel much better though.
He said: “It wasn’t good enough – simple.
“No excuses. We were miles off it.
“Aberdeen were stronger, quicker and bullied us.
“We were too meek.
“We need to show far, far more.
“On Saturday (the 3-1 loss at Kilmarnock) we had a bad 25 minutes and did quite well around that.
“There was no doing well tonight. It was poor all round.
“It was frustrating and disappointing.
“It was our game in hand and it was an opportunity.
“After a performance like that it’s sore but you can’t feel sorry for yourself.”
McIntyre sent out a message to his board asking for them to provide funds for fresh faces during the January transfer window or face a struggle to the end of the season.
He added: “We know work is needed to be done.
“That was always going to be the case no matter the result.
“That’s not a reaction to this result.
“We’ve got some good players but we need some help.
“We are bottom for a reason so we’ve got to try to strengthen, otherwise it will be a long season.
“I said a couple of weeks ago when we went second bottom on goal difference it’s not all about being there in December, it’s where you are in May.
“I don’t look at where we are just now.
“I look at performances, responsibility taken by players in games, the consistency of what we’ve been getting, the decisions being made when a couple of things go against us and how we react.
“That is what I look at and will determine what I need.”
Dundee saw central defender Genseric Kusunga go off injured right before Aberdeen’s second goal, while Lewis Spence was injured just before the third.
McIntyre said: “Kusunga looks like he has hurt his hamstring.
“Spence is fine. He just aggravated a nerve. He could maybe have played on.”
Dons boss Derek McInnes, meanwhile, was a very happy man indeed as his team moved to within a point of league leaders Rangers.
He said: “I’m really pleased.
“I think from the outset our appetite was very clear. There was a real edge and a good intensity.
“The only blemish was the (Dundee) goal but to score five against a team when Jim McIntyre always organises his side means I’m really pleased.
“Ten goals in three shows the importance having that threat from the other end of the pitch is.”
