Dundee

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

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Two-and-a-half weeks ago, Dundee fans were wildly celebrating after beating Celtic at home for the first time in 37 years.

Seventeen days - and two defeats later - head coach Steven Pressley is again facing intense heat from a support he is still struggling to win over.

The majority of the fanbase were underwhelmed by the appointment of the former Scotland defender, whose reign began with back-to-back League Cup group defeats to lower-league opposition - Airdrieonians and Alloa.

A deserved point at Ibrox flickered life into Pressley's tenure, with draws against Kilmarnock and Motherwell, plus a win over Livingston, coming over the next four games.

It is somewhat surreal to look at Dundee's form in the five matches that have followed.

Sandwiched between four away losses at St Mirren, Aberdeen, Falkirk and Hearts is that memorable victory against the reigning league champions.

Pressley was well worth his win over Brendan Rodgers, who has since resigned from his post as Celtic boss, but the goodwill of that triumph is quickly evaporating.

In the four away games split either side of that 2-0 success, Dundee have shipped 11 goals and scored just one.

The Dens Park side are yet to win a league game on the road this term, losing four and drawing two, including Saturday's 4-0 loss at Hearts.

Pressley's men sit 11th after 11 games, two points above bottom club Livingston and just one off League Cup finalists St Mirren in eighth.

Though it is still early in the campaign, things will have to improve given the Dundee board sacked Tony Docherty for leading the team to a 10th-placed finish last term, saying results "have not met the standards expected".

The manner of the defeats seems to be increasing frustration among the support, with Pressley's side scoring nine goals in 11 matches and averaging the lowest possession in the division (36%).

Although Falkirk and Livingston have conceded more goals, Dundee have faced the most shots in the league.

They also, by a distance, have the fewest shots, touches in the opposition box and successful passes in the opposition half.

However, despite being the team who have created the fewest chances, they have one of the best chance creators in the Premiership in Cameron Congreve, who leads the assists chart with five.

The on-loan Swansea winger has been a real bright spark for Pressley, who has also shown promise in his role by taking four points in two games against the Old Firm.

With Rangers visiting Dens on Sunday, the Dundee boss will back his team to cause another upset, but performances and results need to be more stable in order to keep a disgruntled fanbase off his back.

Ethan Hampton
Fan writer

After another brutal result on the road it would be easy to rub salt in the wounds of the players - to criticise performances and pile into the existing shaming on social media.

I will say, however, Dundee are displaying a weak mentality when facing setbacks. As we saw at Pittodrie, as soon as we fell behind there was no indication we could claw our way back.

It was one-way traffic and history repeated itself at Tynecastle, although Hearts were excellent. Easily the best team we've faced this season, and deservedly top of the table.

We simply fell victim to their great run of form - no different to most of the league, as only Motherwell and St Mirren have avoided defeat to Hearts.

So while I'm annoyed and frustrated by the result, I am in no rush to panic just yet. Not unless this sort of scoreline becomes a recurring theme.

Our away form has been dreadful. I knew the defeat to Falkirk was a big missed opportunity at the time, but a quick glance at our home record shows we're unbeaten in the last three at Dens.

After the disaster at Pittodrie we bounced back by beating Celtic, proving we're capable of a reaction. After this drubbing at Tynecastle, I'm hopeful we can deliver another emphatic response when Rangers visit on Sunday.

We have a full week to prepare. Dens Park has been a tricky venue for Rangers in recent years and they'll face us on the back of two high-intensity matches, the League Cup semi-final loss to Celtic and a Europa League clash with Roma.

This will be a test of Dundee's tenacity, but there may be no better time to take them on - and cause another upset.

Watch Sportscene pundit Neil McCann discuss Dundee's defence.

Defender Drey Wright admits Dundee were "outfought and outplayed" at Hearts. (The Courier)

Read the rest of Monday's gossip.

Watch highlights as Hearts cruise to a 4-0 win against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.

We asked for your views on Dundee's 4-0 defeat against Hearts.

Here's what some of you said:

Adam: We are in serious trouble this season, mainly due to the terrible set up and tactics employed by Steven Pressley. The players aren't as bad as the performances, so if he can't get a tune out them, get someone else in. Take John Nelms with him, who is never a managing director of a football club.

Ross: What can you say? It's another ridiculous chapter in the DFC book of poor managerial choices. He has to go, or we are doomed.

Richard: How long are Dundee willing to take this road to disaster? Eleven games in and the manager believes we are still improving. 20 games in and still rock bottom, what next?

Martin: Pressley is out of his depth. He only knows one way to play. Defend and try to hit on the break. Zero shots on target.

Peter: It's time for change, that performance was awful. Pressley is a failure and has to be removed. Going forward we will be relegated.

Alan: Absolutely dire yet again! Our manager is miles out of his depth, there is no cohesion to our play, very few goal attempts, schoolboy defending and a distinct lack of grit and fighting spirit.

Nelms has got it wrong once again in appointing Pressley. Dundee are doomed to relegation unless there are urgent and drastic changes!

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Dundee head coach Steven Pressley felt his side were in the game until Lawrence Shankland's 31st-minute opener in his side's defeat by Hearts and conceded they were well turned over by the Scottish Premiership leaders.

"We came here and had a genuine quiet belief around maybe getting a result here," he said. "We've demonstrated, against some of the best teams, that when we get it right, we can be competitive.

"I thought we started the game reasonably aggressively in the first 30 minutes. I didn't think we gave up many opportunities and frustrated Hearts without causing them too many problems, apart from Cam Congreve's effort.

"We then lost a really poor goal and a second one quite quickly after that. One of the real disappointments for me is that we came into this game as the only side not to lose a goal from a corner kick - and we lost two today.

"When you come to the top-of-the-table team, the one thing you can't do is lose two goals from set plays. That's really disappointing, because we really pride ourselves on that organisation."

Dundee miss a chance to move up to eighth in the Scottish Premiership after a comprehensive defeat away to leaders Hearts.

Steven Pressley's second-bottom side are now only two points clear of Livingston, who grabbed a late draw with Hibernian.

Read Clive Lindsay's match report.

Give us your thoughts.

Dundee defender Luke Graham is just concentrating on playing, with the Scottish Premiership club keen to improve his contract that runs until 2027. (Record), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

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Falkirk are still missing Leon McCann with a knock along with long-term absentees Lewis Neilson (ankle), Coll Donaldson (abdomen), Tom Lang (foot), Aidan Nesbitt (foot) and Jamie Sneddon (hernia).

Killie are assessing two unnamed players following Wednesday's defeat by Aberdeen. Goalkeeper Max Stryjek (medical issue), Lewis Mayo (calf), Jamie Brandon (ankle/groin), Djenairo Daniels (knee), Marley Watkins (heel) and Matty Kennedy (hip) are out.

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Hearts midfielder Calem Nieuwenhof (hamstring) joins Ryan Fulton (groin) and Finlay Pollock (hamstring) on the sidelines but defenders Frankie Kent and Christian Borchgrevink are both fit and back in contention.

Dundee have everyone available except on-loan Hearts playmaker Yan Dhanda, who is unable to face his parent club.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Former Tynecastle skipper Steven Pressley believes the stability at Hearts helps makes them a "powerful force" as his Dundee side try to stun the Premiership leaders this weekend.

Pressley knows how tricky a task it will be against this Hearts side having spent eight years in Gorgie, as well as captaining the club during their blistering start to the 2005-06 season before manager George Burley was sacked.

Asked whether the current campaign brought back memories of 20 years ago, Pressley replied: "Yes, but [the manager] has not been sacked, and I can't see them changing three or four managers in this season!

"The good thing for them is that they have got much more stability around the decision-making at the football club than what we had during that period."

While Pressley played under Burley, John McGlynn [as a caretaker], Graham Rix and Valdas Ivanauskas that season, Hearts are a lot more settled under head coach Derek McInnes.

And the former Hearts centre-half has been very impressed by what McInnes is doing in his few months in the capital.

"For a team, at this stage of the season, to be six points ahead of Celtic surprises everyone, let's be honest," he said.

"But the one thing that doesn't surprise me is that they have got a very astute and a very knowledgeable head coach that understands the game, and he also very much understands Hearts as a football club.

"I think it is a football club where if you get some early results, and you get the momentum and you get the support behind you, they can become a very powerful force and we are seeing that at present."

Despite both turning out for Rangers and Dundee United during their playing days, McInnes and Pressley only played together once - for Scotland in a 2002 friendly defeat to Portugal.

Centre-half Joe Shaughnessy has revealed getting out of his Scottish football comfort zone was the reason behind the 33-year-old's decision to leave Dundee for Australian club Newcastle Jets this summer. (The Courier), external

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• None of the past 10 Scottish Premiership matches between Hearts and Dundee have been drawn (6 Hearts wins, 4 Dundee) since a 1-1 stalemate in October 2021.

• After their 1-0 victory in April, Dundee could pick up back-to-back away wins over Hearts in the top flight for the first time since December 1998.

• Hearts are unbeaten in 14 Premiership matches (W12 D2), since a 1-0 home loss to Dundee in April, winning eight of 10 games this season.

• Hearts' 26 points is their joint most at this stage of a top-flight campaign this century (also 26 in 2005-06), with Aberdeen last season the only non-Old Firm club to better that tally in the same period (28 points).

• Dundee are winless in all five of their away league games this season (D2 L3), their longest wait for a victory on the road from the start of a top-flight campaign since 2021-22 (won their sixth). The Dark Blues could lose four straight away games in the same Premiership season for the first time since December 2021/January 2022 (5).

• Hearts pair Lawrence Shankland and Claudio Braga are the joint top scorers in the Premiership this season with six goals each – Shankland will be aiming to score in three straight league outings for the first time since May 2024.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Dundee must "back up" their performances against the Premiership's big sides with results against teams around them, says defender Ryan Astley.

Dark Blues fans have endured a turbulent start to the season, marrying strong showings against the Old Firm - a deserved draw against Rangers and a convincing win over Celtic - with disappointing losses to Falkirk and St Mirren.

"We need to back up these results against the bigger teams with points on the board from other games," Astley said.

"I would say we have had a few good results, it's just against teams that are more around us we need to pick up more points against. Our away from has not been too great so we need to be picking up points away from home.

"It was building straight away from the gaffer coming in, and I believe you are starting to see more of how he wants us to play."

Dundee led Falkirk at one point last Saturday and could have risen, albeit briefly, as high as third had they held on and results gone their way.

They now seek a first away win of the Premiership season when they visit leaders Hearts on Saturday.

"It would be massive for everyone's confidence and we are going there hoping to win - 100% we believe we can do that," the 24-year-old said.

"We know we are going to have to be at our very best to get something there. It is a challenge as footballers, you want to play at these grounds against good teams so we are looking forward to it."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Steven Pressley has praised Willie Collum's "honesty and transparency" after the Scottish FA referees' chief told Dundee they were incorrectly denied a penalty in the 2-1 Premiership defeat to Falkirk last Saturday.

With the Dark Blues leading 1-0, Ethan Hamilton appeared to be fouled in the box by Kyrell Wilson.

However, the VAR agreed with referee Ross Hardie's decision to award Falkirk a free-kick instead of a spot-kick to the visitors.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's league visit to Hearts, Pressley said: "It wasn't me that spoke directly to Willie, it was David Longwell [technical manager].

"David had a very productive conversation with him and Willie was very open and transparent and said that the officiating, they got it wrong and that after reviewing it, it was a penalty kick.

"In the aftermath, that is all we can ask for - honesty and transparency. It doesn't change anything, we obviously want these decisions to be better in real time, but all we can ask for in the aftermath is a real honesty around it and Willie is very much doing that at present."

Tenth-place Dundee are now preparing for a daunting trip to Tynecastle to face table-topping Hearts.

However, Pressley believes his side's performances against both halves of the Old Firm this season are cause for optimism going into the encounter with his former club.

He said: "Going to Tynecastle just now is probably the hardest game of the season.

"I would say we have demonstrated this year, going to Ibrox and getting a point, beating Celtic at home, that we are a very capable team.

"Like I said when we visited Ibrox, when we played Celtic, it is going to take an elite level of performance, a really near perfect performance from us, to win the game.

"But we have seen that on occasion this year so we will go there and will certainly try and repeat that."

Despite winning only two of their opening 10 league games, Dundee are just five points off third place.

Pressley said: "It is amazing because my wife messaged me at half-time at Falkirk - just to make this clear I didn't see the message at half-time, I got it at the end of the game - but she messaged me to say 'you are third in the league'.

"Then by the end of the game we are third from bottom so I think that shows just now how tight the league is.

"But we are also aware that to try and propel ourselves we need to show a level of consistency."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Dundee head coach Steven Pressley has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premiership trip to leaders Hearts.

Here are the key points:

• Pressley says Scottish FA head of refereeing Willie Collum has told Dundee they should have been awarded a penalty in the 2-1 defeat to Falkirk last time out.

• While disappointed not to get the spot-kick, Pressley says: "In the aftermath, that is all we can ask for - honesty and transparency."

• The Dark Blues boss says his side have shown against the likes of Celtic and Rangers they can be "extremely competitive" but insists it is going to take an "elite level of performance, a really near perfect performance" to get a positive result at Hearts.

• On the challenge they face at Tynecastle: "Just now it is probably the hardest game of the season."

• While being surprised to see his old club eight points clear at the top, Pressley says: "Am I surprised with what he [Derek McInnes] is creating there? No I'm not."

• He adds: "I think it is a football club where if you get some early results and you get the momentum and the support behind you they can become a very powerful force and we are seeing that at present."

• Hearts' stunning start reminds him of the 2005-06 season: "The good thing for them is they have much more stability around the decision-making at the club than what we had during that period."

• On Brendan Rodgers' Celtic departure this week: "I'm really disappointed to see Brendan go because I think our game up here requires elite level managers."

• Team news: "All our players are fit and ready to go" but Yan Dhanda misses out under the terms of his loan from Hearts.

Billy Koumetio is back in training at Dundee following injury. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Ethan Hampton
Fan writer

After an encouraging first half, Dundee failed to adapt in the second half to Falkirk's tweaks and fell to defeat.

VAR has stolen headlines again – this time for their failure to award Dundee a penalty at a pivotal stage of the game.

That's not said to excuse Dundee's performance. Their showing after the interval was not enough to win the game despite holding a lead - but the refereeing unfairly denied the visitors a huge advantage to take a further stronghold on the match to win it.

Both things can be true.

The Dark Blues could have potentially gone 2-0 up and possibly against 10 men given Kyrell Wilson was already on a yellow card before committing a reckless foul.

Simon Murray, who was such a crucial player last season, is still lacking match sharpness. He got on the end of a handful of chances you would favour him to score last season – these are the kind of games where he would tend to be the difference.

With all that taken into account, I wouldn't be surprised if we beat high-flying Hearts on Saturday. Dundee seem to capitulate this season when expected to kick on and go on the front foot, while our best results - like the victory over Celtic and draw at Ibrox - have come when we are the underdogs.

With a young squad we have to be braced for inconsistencies, Steven Pressley has stressed that several times.

It is a long season and the complexion of the league can change very quickly – we were sitting joint third at half-time on Saturday!

But I can't help but feel the result in Falkirk was a huge missed opportunity for us, especially given that we have some very challenging fixtures ahead.

We won our last game at Tynecastle and generally have a decent record against Hearts. It's just a coin toss at the moment which Dundee side will show up – the fearless underdogs or the stumbling challengers.

Dundee have bolstered the team handling the new Camperdown stadium application as the wait for a council decision goes on. (The Courier), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Watch Sportscene analysis as Dundee were denied a penalty in their 2-1 defeat to Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership.

Watch highlights as Falkirk came from behind to secure a late victory over Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.