Last week was Aberdeen, this time Craig Cairns assesses the eye-catching start to the season made by Paul Hartley’s Dundee.
Dundee, in only their second season back in the top flight, sit fourth with seven points after four matches. Not quite as many points as Paul Hartley would have liked, but impressive nonetheless for the manner in which they have approached those matches if nothing else.
Greg Stewart has continued where he left off last season – after picking up a nomination for Scotland’s PFA Player of the Year award – and is now making cutting inside on the right channel and curling in a left-footed scorcher his trademark. New recruits Kane Hemmings and Rory Loy have also found the net despite the season still being in its rudimentary stages. In fact, all three of Dundee’s first-choice strikers have scored at least two goals so far – Stewart (3), Hemmings & Loy (2) – and even their emergency striker James McPake has netted twice.
Post-match interview questions directed at Robbie Neilson recently have centred upon comparisons with George Burley’s Hearts side of which he was a part. However, there are definitely more comparisons to be made with the way Hartley, also part of that side, sets Dundee up to play. Attacking with a high tempo from the off, which obviously cannot be sustained for the full ninety minutes, in an attempt to batter their opponents into submission as early as possible.
Hartley has conceded, however, that this side still need to do more to kill games off: “It was a bit nervy towards the end. Like some other games we’ve had this season already, we again had some good opportunities and then we let them back into it by not taking them”, he said after their recent 2-1 victory at home to St Johnstone.
The other matches he refers to are the defeat to Hearts and their subsequent derby draw, both of which they probably should have won. In the former, they took an early lead before missing a whole host of chances to put the game out of sight. That profligacy continued into the match versus Dundee United, where they also created a number of chances, until late in the second half when they were already two goals behind.
Granted it’s a small sample size, but six of Dundee’s nine goals so far this season have come in the first half of matches and all five of the goals conceded have come in the second half. Even though they start matches reminiscent of that Hearts side (however short-lived it was) they, as yet, haven’t quite matched their ruthlessness in front of goal or their defensive solidity.
Nevertheless, it is encouraging that they created as much as they did against Hearts; that they displayed so much character to tie the match at Tannadice; and that they were gritty enough to hold out against St Johnstone, who had come from behind to equalise in all three of their previous matches.
There are one or two other concerns though. Loy made a blistering start to his Dundee career with a brace and an assist in the win over Kilmarnock but missed out on the next match through injury. The former Falkirk striker then returned for the derby before missing out again against St Johnstone. Given the lack of depth his side possess in forward areas, Loy’s absences could become a concern for Hartley if they remain as frequent and if the manager is to stick with the 4-3-2-1/4-3-3 he has deployed so far. A move to a back three, like when Daryll Meggatt was introduced versus St Johnstone, may ease the burden on the attackers and solidify the backline.
That said, there are many more positives than negatives surrounding Dens Park at the moment. As well as their exciting style of play, Gary Harkins looks revitalised in a new, deeper role and is now able to affect games for their entirety – in the derby, it was he who robbed Charlie Telfer in the 94th minute as they found their equaliser. As well as this, new signings Nicky Low, Nick Ross (even if he has missed a few chances) and Kevin Holt have all made positives starts and, even though it may be concerning that they’ve had to rely upon him so much thus far, Dundee possess a goalkeeper who is quickly becoming one of the best in the country, producing a top-class save in most matches.
All that is not even to mention the state their neighbours, and bitter rivals, are in at the moment.
Thanks to Gary Cocker (@gary_cocker) for the contribution
To listen to the latest episode click here.