Dundee

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• Hearts have won their past three Scottish Premiership home games against Dundee, last winning more in a row on home soil against them in the top fight from September 1999 to November 2001 (six).

• Dundee have lost five of their past six league meetings with Hearts, winning the other 3-1 in August this season.

• Hearts have failed to score in their past three league games despite attempting 34 shots (11 on target) worth 3.35 expected goals. Hearts last went four without scoring in the Scottish Premiership in November 2018.

• Only Kilmarnock have kept fewer clean sheets (0) and conceded more goals (41) away from home in the Scottish Premiership this season than Dundee (one clean sheet, 35 goals conceded), who have shipped 2+ goals in each of their last five on the road (17 in total).

• Dundee's games in the Scottish Premiership this season have seen more goals (121 – 50 for, 71 against) than any other side, while only Dundee United's (81) have had fewer than Hearts' (87 – 43 for, 44 against).

With 21 goals in 41 appearances this season for a struggling Dundee side, should striker Simon Murray be in the frame for a Scotland call-up for this summer's friendlies with Iceland and Liechtenstein?

The uncapped 33-year-old says playing for his country is an "ambition" but insists his full focus is on helping to keep Dundee in the Premiership.

Ethan Hampton
Fan writer

This weekend Dundee return to Tynecastle for the third time this season. It's the toughest possible start to the split, but also the perfect chance to make a statement.

I can only assume the Hearts camp is deflated following their Scottish Cup semi-final defeat to Aberdeen in extra time.

The Dark Blues have a point to prove - the past three meetings with the Jambos have all ended in defeat. I'm hoping we go to Edinburgh fired up to do ourselves justice.

Goalscoring midfielders seem to be a dying breed in the modern game. Yet last season Dundee had two: Luke McCowan - now at Celtic - finished as the club's top scorer with 10 goals while Lyall Cameron chipped in with five. This season, Cameron has already matched last term's total with five games still to go.

Historically, it's an area Dundee have been consistent with. Gary Harkins, Mark O'Hara, Paul McGowan, Charlie Adam and even Jordan McGhee when played in midfield, these players were all capable of contributing to output in front of goal.

Last week, I stated the return of Scott Fraser and Cameron could just be the impact Dundee need to hit the ground running into the split.

As established, Cameron - objectively a talented midfielder - is also a source of goals. Only Simon Murray has scored more this season for the Dark Blues.

Fraser has only played three games this season due to injury - a massive loss, considering he was brought in with the view of replacing McCowan. With nearly 400 senior games and 139 goal contributions (61 scored, 78 assisted), his pedigree is obvious.

Regardless of how this season goes, a lack of goals from midfield is an issue Dundee will need to address in summer. Cameron is departing for Rangers and Fraser is out of contract, as is Josh Mulligan. Mulligan, in particular, has huge potential. If he polished his finishing, he'd be unstoppable. Yet he's still searching for his first goal of the season.

It's quite spectacular that only Celtic and Rangers have netted more goals in the league than Dundee this campaign, yet we have only had five goals scored from midfield - all from one man, Cameron.

Murray has done an excellent job as Dundee's main goal getter, but less weight needs to be put on his shoulders.

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

How many times have you heard a relegation-threatened manager talk about the need to hit the coveted 40-point mark?

Well, the truth is, no Scottish Premiership team has ever required that total to avoid the bottom two since the play-offs were brought back more than a decade ago.

However, that is projected to change this season.

Based on current points-per-game averages, 11th-placed Dundee are set to end on a total of 39, meaning 40 could be the magic number to guarantee safety.

If that is the case, that would mark the highest tally required to ensure survival in Scotland's top tier since 38-game seasons were reintroduced in the 2000-01 campaign.

That would also mean Hearts are effectively safe, given they are already on 40 points and four teams would need to make up ground on them, while eighth-placed Motherwell would need just a single point from five post-split games.

With Kilmarnock in ninth and Ross County in tenth both currently on 35, which is just one more than Dundee's 34, the fight to avoid 11th is clearly likelier to be between those three.

But that is not set in stone. The nature of the split means each team in the bottom half will face the other before the end of the campaign, so there is scope for points-per-game averages to fluctuate.

And what does all of this mean for St Johnstone? Well, the 33 points Simo Valakari's side are projected to finish on would be the highest for a bottom-placed team in the Premiership since 2017.

That would be no consolation for the Perth club if they go down, but that is certainly not guaranteed to happen just yet.

However, they have a real fight on their hands to make up a five-point gap while improving their inferior goal difference.

Dundee manager Tony Docherty is backing "huge talent" Seun Adewumi to finish his loan spell from Burnley on a high, with he and the 20-year-old midfielder having five matches to steer their side clear of relegation trouble. (The Courier), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Dundee have dropped 23 points from winning positions in the Scottish Premiership this season - more than any other side.

Hibs, who are currently third, have dropped the second most points (20).

However, a positive for the Dark Blues is they have gained 11 points from losing positions - their highest tally since before the 2014-15 season.

Only three teams - Rangers, Kilmarnock and Hibs - have recovered more (13).

Dundee technical director Gordon Strachan says the Camperdown stadium project must be built to take the club and the city to the next level. (The Courier- subscription), external

Read the rest of Thursday's Scottish gossip.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

If Dundee are going to get themselves away from the Premiership relegation play-off spot - or even completely clear of the threat of dropping down automatically - they are going to have to do it the hard way.

The post-split fixtures were published earlier this week and they have handed Tony Docherty's team three away games - to Hearts, Kilmarnock and St Johnstone - while only Ross County and Motherwell will visit Dens Park.

More generally the Dark Blues' record against the five teams they will be battling it out with over the next few weeks hasn't been great.

Of the 15 league games they have played against those sides, they have lost eight, won five and drawn two.

But there is cause for optimism. Yes, they have got the worst defensive record in the league, but they are also comfortably the top scorers among the bottom six.

If they can maintain that level of attacking threat against teams that may not be able to hurt them as much, Docherty's men should be fine.

Ethan Hampton
Fan writer

Hibernian slaughtered Dundee to meet their best record in the league since 1948.

Sometimes you have to take your hat off and just say 'fair play'.

David Gray's side are deservedly leading the race in third place and were a level above what the Dark Blue's could cope with.

The silver lining, despite another awful day at the office, is that Dundee will now face teams more within their level for the remainder of the season.

Tony Docherty's side head into the split with a healthy squad, with Scott Fraser and Lyall Cameron back in training. Players of their ilk could be the difference in avoiding the play-offs.

It's do-or-die now. In my view, Dundee will likely need to win both home games and take at least a point on the road to secure complete safety.

Only one point separates ninth and eleventh but based on the last four-six matches, Dundee are in better form than Ross County and Kilmarnock.

This is where we'll see if Dundee have learned their lessons from earlier in the season. The fixtures aren't kind.

Hearts away is arguably the toughest challenge in the bottom six, and it comes first. Kilmarnock away has always been a tough trip, while County have beaten Dundee in all three meetings this season.

And St Johnstone away has the potential to become a 'relegation final' – a straight shoot-out between the bottom two teams. Hopefully, it doesn't come to that.

Dundee have a history of making things difficult for themselves, so I'd expect everything to go down to the wire, but if they could turn up at Tynecastle and right the wrongs of the Easter Road display and get off to the perfect start in the split, then it would be a massive lift. More so for the fans who are lacking faith in the team right now.

There's a recipe for survival in this team.

Joe Shaughnessy's return has been monumental, Simon Murray is in top form, and Josh Mulligan and the aforementioned Cameron have earned widespread praise.

But my one to watch is Mo Sylla. I've said it before, when he plays well, Dundee play well.

The lack of alternatives when he's off the boil has hurt us. Hartlepool fans warned us he goes missing in relegation fights. He can prove them wrong now, when it matters most.

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"We've got five massive games coming up to try and save this club from relegation."

Dundee defender Clark Robertson is well aware of the task facing his side to preserve their Scottish Premiership status and insists they have to be "a hell of a lot better" than they were in the 4-0 thrashing away to Hibs at the weekend.

"It's a sore one," said Robertson on their dismal Sunday afternoon at Easter Road, which leaves them one point adrift of Kilmarnock and Ross County in the relegation play-off spot

"We've been here too many times this season now, conceding very poor goals, so we've got five games now to save our season."

Tony Docherty's side were up against a rampant Hibernian, but the 31-year-old admitted they just "weren't at the races".

"They were better than us in every department," he added. "It's not great saying that, and it's just a sore one to take.

"Nobody means to make mistakes, but we've got to be better in those moments.

"We need to regroup because we've got five massive games coming up to try and save this club from relegation.

"We've got to know what's at stake and we've got to fight and show that we care and like I said, five games to keep us up."

With Scottish Cup semi-final weekend up next, the Dark Blues have to wait an extra week until they can right their wrongs, something Robertson wishes wasn't the case.

He added: "I would like another game, but we've got two weeks now to prepare properly and make sure we're in the right frame of mind going into the last five games and work hard on the training pitch these next two weeks and make sure that come the first game of the split that we are bang at it.

"Because, like I said, we've got to be a hell of a lot better than we were on Sunday."

• Hearts v Dundee - Saturday, 26 April 2025

• Dundee v Motherwell - Saturday, 3 May 2025

• Kilmarnock v Dundee - Saturday, 10 May 2025

• Dundee v Ross County - Wednesday, 14 May 2025

• St Johnstone v Dundee - Sunday, 18 May 2025

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

Here's what some of you said:

Danny: A gutless and shameful performance when much more was required against this good Hibs team. Our defending continues to be all over the place, with huge gaps left in our final third. Tony Docherty is totally incapable, after two seasons in charge, of addressing the issue.

Mark: Shambles from start to finish. Every goal was avoidable and made life too easy for Hibs. Need to get back to the performances from the previous few games, or St Johnstone might just catch us.

John: Dundee shouldn't take it for granted that St Johnstone won't catch them. Docherty is again saying we need to learn from defensive mistakes, he's been saying that all season.

Steven: Here we are again, another thrashing. Let's face it; it could have been double figures, and he's still in a job. He must have some hold over John Nelms. I've seen a few managers over the years with his football ethos; they all fall on their own swords eventually.

Jimmy: How many lessons are we needing to learn? Another abysmal performance just when we thought things were on the turn. Our only saving grace is that the Saints are just as bad. Three wins in the last five games should hopefully do the trick.

Alan: Docherty needs a reality check. Our midfield has been lightweight all season, a glaring weakness which has never been addressed, and our defending is ridiculously poor. My crystal ball says a play-off with Livingston beckons!

Watch highlights as four-goal Hibernian extend their remarkable unbeaten run by thrashing Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.

Available in UK only

Dundee manager Tony Docherty believes his players' "mindset" was wrong in their heavy Premiership defeat by Hibs on Sunday. (Courier), external

Read the rest of Monday's Scottish gossip.

Hibernian claimed a thumping win over Dundee to equal a club record unbeaten league streak of 17 matches - set in 1948 - and consolidate third place in the Scottish Premiership.

David Gray's side moved three points clear of Dundee United and Aberdeen, who squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Rangers earlier on Sunday.

Second-bottom Dundee remain a point behind Ross County and Kilmarnock but five clear of St Johnstone.

Dundee fans, give us your thoughts on the game here.

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Dundee manager Tony Docherty tells Premier Sports: "We just didn't look like the team we have done in the last few performances, I didn't see that side in the first half.

"I let the players know that at half-time, and I thought we looked the better team when we started the second half.

"We had to chase the game, and the goals were very disappointing from our point of view.

"It's important we learn our lessons from that and be the side from the last few games again. Be the team that beat St Mirren and Dundee United, and should have beaten Rangers.

"Our destiny is well in our own hands.

"If we reference previous games, we'll be okay. If we play the way we did in the first half, we'll be in big trouble. If we can reference those performances, though, we'll be fine."

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Tony Docherty had been full of praise for his defence prior to this game, but there is no doubt the Dundee manager will be asking questions about this performance.

The opening goal for Bushiri was just too easy and that put the visitors on the back foot.

There was little creativity or opportunities for Murray up front either and that will also be something that has to be addressed in the coming weeks.

Hibs were very good and that fact cannot be lost, but if Dundee are to escape relegation they will have to play much better than they did at Easter Road.

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Tony Docherty wants Dundee to spoil Hibs' party when he takes his side to Easter Road on Sunday.

The resurgent third-place Hibees will equal a club record of 17 league games unbeaten - set in 1948 - should they take at least a point against the visitors.

Dundee, on the other hand, occupy the relegation play-off spot and are five points ahead of St Johnstone at the bottom with six games to play as they chase survival.

"We play the same way all the time," manager Docherty said.

"In every game we set up to win the match, but we are playing against a good team in Hibs.

"They have done exceptionally well recently, but in the last four they are on the same run as us, they've also won two, drawn one and lost one [Hibs were beaten by Celtic in the cup].

"So two teams on form, but they are at home and I think they have a record to try to break so that is another motivation for us, to try and make sure they don't do that.

"But any game you analyse your opponents, they have their strength and weaknesses and we have worked on that all week.

"We always set out to win every match we play but we know there has to be a balance between in possession and out of possession and we'll be endeavouring to do that.

"Hopefully we can give ourselves a shot in the arm by going into that split with another victory under our belt, another three points and putting ourselves in a decent position."

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Hibs remain without Joe Newell (groin) and Elie Youan (toe), while Kwon Hyeok-kyu (ankle) and Rudi Molotnikov (groin) are both doubts.

Dundee have had a full squad in training but Scott Fraser is still short of match fitness after groin trouble.