Dundee’s defeat at Ayr and Paul McGowan’s post-match comments absolutely must be a watershed moment for the Dark Blues.
A lot of blame will fall at the feet of manager James McPake.
That’s what comes with the job – he signs the players, picks the team and sends them out on the pitch.
I’m not surprised Dundee fans want a change in the dugout after the way the season has started.
Having played at Dens Park I know just how demanding they can be – Dees expect much better from their team.
That’s just part of playing for the club.
And McPake will know that better than most.
He’ll know there is added pressure on his shoulders, too, and it’s up to him to find a formula that can turn Dundee’s fortunes around.
But it’s also up to the players. They now need a response.
You don’t often see players coming out after a game and slaughtering their team-mates in the press.
But it shows that there’s a feeling in the dressing-room that there are some players just not stepping up when needed.
It’s frustration boiling over.
And it’s come to point where senior players are coming out in the public with the problems in the changing-room.
What we want to see is that spark something in all the players at Dundee.
There are no excuses for not battling or working hard.
That’s what they need right now.
Even if somebody isn’t playing well, if they at least run their socks off and make it difficult for the opposition that can make a difference.
In that respect, I’ve got to say hats off to young Max Anderson.
He’s showing exactly what Dundee need from the rest of the squad – he’s getting up and down the pitch, getting involved as much as possible and generally being a positive influence.
Considering how inexperienced he is and how the team as a whole is performing, that’s impressive.
Next up is Hibs away – probably the last fixture you want when you are having so many problems defensively.
Hibs will be going into the game off the back of a good performance against Celtic and are one of the best attacking sides in the country.
Right now, Dundee being so easy to score against, it doesn’t look good for the Dark Blues.
They’ll certainly need some fight and doggedness to get anything at Easter Road this weekend.
I like the signing of Liam Fontaine and I hope he can bring the benefits of his experience to the team like Christophe Berra did last season.
Having an assuring presence at the back can do wonders for the rest of the team.
He’s maybe not as good these days as he was a few years ago but they need something different at the back.
Fingers-crossed he can help bring consistency – right now Dundee are too easy to score against and it’s killing them.
Much of Dundee United’s match against Hamilton was pretty poor – the result was anything but.
Going behind and coming back to win is a great boost for Micky Mellon’s men.
Two more goals for Nicky Clark is fantastic to see but more important for me was the influence of Marc McNulty.
He might not have scored yet for the Tangerines but he showed a touch of class against Accies that really made the difference.
You could see the quality he has and it looks like he is starting to settle into things at Tannadice.
The next game on Saturday week is another big chance for three points.
Livingston are a tough old side but they’ve been struggling lately and another victory would put United well clear of the bottom sides.
Mellon also has a welcome headache in terms of his team selection.
What does he do with his three frontmen?
Clark is obviously scoring goals, McNulty is playing his part in them now and he’s also got Lawrence Shankland around.
I do expect once safety is in sight for the Tangerines that they begin to open up a bit and make the most of their striking talent.
They are making a great job of job No 1 this term in staying up.
Hopefully, now they can start to relax and play with more freedom going forward.
It’s looking good for Rangers right now at the top of the Premiership table.
The Ibrox club are going so well at the moment and to win so convincingly against Aberdeen on Sunday was impressive from Steven Gerrard’s side.
They will also be taking great heart from the struggles Celtic seem to be enduring.
This season has been so unlike the Hoops – I’ve always been amazed by their relentless consistency.
They don’t have any of that right now. And I can’t see Rangers letting up either.
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