Being a born-and-bred Dundonian has left Lewis Toshney in no doubt just what being an SPL team has meant to Dundee and their fans.
Toshney may be on loan from Celtic rather than a permanent signing for the Dark Blues but that does not stop him feeling the pain of being stuck at the foot of the table.
Indeed, the Dens club’s plight has been highlighted to him on a regular basis thanks to Dundee-supporting friends and family, particularly his uncle Ron.
The defender, who will travel north tonight to Aberdeen with the rest of Barry Smith’s side hoping to get a win that could just give them a bit of a spark, said: “Being from Dundee, I know what being back in the SPL means to the supporters.
“Just because I am on loan here does not mean I feel it any less. I have family members who are Dundee fans and a lot of my pals are supporters too.
“The club has been through so much and spent so long in the First Division that people don’t want to go back there. Because of being from the city, I feel the pressure on us.
“There are a lot of people I know watching every week and telling me if we have done well or not done well. For example, my uncle Ron lives down in Scarborough but he is a huge Dundee fan and is on the phone constantly.
“Although he is down south he watches the games when he can and was on at me after the Ross County defeat last Friday. He was not too happy. But I don’t mind that pressure. You just have to put it to one side and blank it out.”
Dundee travel to Pittodrie this evening for a second successive Friday fixture and while it is usually seen as a tough venue, a glance at the Dons’ results should give encouragement to Toshney and his colleagues.
You have to go back to December 22 and a 2-0 success over St Johnstone to find the last time Craig Brown’s side claimed three points on their own park.
Also, Aberdeen have yet to record a win of any kind this year, with their last victory coming back on December 29, when they travelled down the A90 to beat Dundee 3-1.
Despite the stats, the Dons still represent formidable opposition but Toshney insists the visitors will be giving it a real go.
“It’s a big game again but they’re all the same now,” he added. “We just want to get back out there and stick in together.
“It’s been hard going, especially as Ross County and St Mirren are picking up points but we have to just focus on ourselves. We need to start winning every game is a cup final for us.
“The margin for error is getting less and less so we’ve got to make it turn. We’ve been training hard ahead of the Aberdeen game and we just want to take our chances when they come along.
“That has been the thing we’ve not been clinical enough and that’s got to change.
“We’ve got a good dressing room, the lads have stuck together and are pulling in the right direction.
“Everyone is just desperate to pick up some wins and, hopefully, we can start doing that against Aberdeen.”
Dens boss Barry Smith, meanwhile, saw for himself how bad the playing surface is when he watched the Dons draw at home to St Mirren.
However, he does not believe it should be allowed to muddy the waters.
“We know the pitch at Aberdeen is not the best at the moment but it’s the same for both teams,” said Smith.
“I don’t think it will be a major factor. We will go there and try to pick up the three points.”