Football Season Guide

Dundee made the surprising decision to sack manager Tony Docherty last summer after a relatively successful spell at the club. It was a call that was made all the more puzzling by the club’s decision to appoint Steven Pressley as his replacement. Immediately, the new manager provoked controversy by admitting that he is not the man to appoint for a club seeking a track record of success, setting the tone for an alarming first few weeks in charge. Dundee immediately crashed out of the League Cup from a comparatively easy group, notably losing against Airdrie and Alloa. Pressley, admittedly, has been handed a difficult situation. Over the summer, Dundee lost several of their most influential players. Offensively, they had a good deal about them but have seen key figures Josh Mulligan, Scott Tiffoney and Lyall Cameron all depart. Furthermore, experienced defender Jordan McGhee has also gone along with Joe Shaughnessy. With much of the team stripped away, the board have tasked themselves with finding replacements. They have primarily picked players up from England’s lower leagues and on the early evidence, they are not good enough for a club the stature of Dundee. Drey Wright has arrived from relegated St Johnstone in another move that hardly smacks of being inspired. So Dundee go into the season with a sub-standard manager and a sub-standard squad. Action could, of course, be taken on both fronts. Pressley is already under fire and will do well to last, and it already appears that the quicker the Dark Blues admit their mistake and get rid of him, the better a chance they have of making this season a success. The evidence for optimism is otherwise limited. They do possess one of the league’s best scorers in the form of Simon Murray if he can be harnessed properly, but the attack that was their strength last season, particularly at home, looks significantly diminished.