Brechin v Dundee: Angus men could be tougher than Manchester millionaires, says Hartley

Dundee boss Paul Hartley believes Brechin could give his team a tougher test than English champions Manchester City.

The Dens boss has his reasons for saying Brechin could be the tougher of the two Cities.

“Instead of it being about winning or losing games for me, all I am looking for is a performance from the players while getting fit,” said Hartley.

“We could win every game in the summer and then turn up for the first match of the season and it doesn’t work for us.

“On the other hand, you could lose every game in close season but be bang on for the first day. So I don’t particularly like pre-season games, to be honest with you.

“And in many ways this one could be a tougher game than the Man City one. Brechin came back a week to 10 days before us so will be bang at it for fitness.

“Our players will have to be in the right frame of mind to perform up there because it will be a tight pitch, a bit of a derby and the Brechin players will be wanting to do well against a team that has been promoted to the top league.

“There will definitely changes, with guys who didn’t start against Man City getting their chance but we will still put out a strong team.”