Dundee

Dundee fans, what did you make of your side's League Cup exit at Ibrox?

Have your say on the game here, external.

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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This was a tough draw for Dundee as they sought to end their 18-year wait for a cup semi-final.

To their credit, Tony Docherty's side held firm after Dessers' early goal and found a way to generate some possession up the park without initially testing Butland.

They did that as the game progressed but relied on Trevor Carson to keep them in it on more than one occasion. The penalty concession then made progression extremely unlikely.

To their credit, they stuck at it throughout and had two or three incredible chances that they just couldn't take.

Dundee can have few arguments about the outcome but they showed enough here to take forward for their Premiership campaign.

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Dundee manager Tony Docherty tells Premier Sports: "I'm disappointing in the goals that we lose. I thought we created good opportunities, especially in the second half.

"The game is about scoring at one end and defending at the other. I feel we've got good, young players, so it's a group that are gelling. They will learn from those mistakes.

"It's hard to recover from that [penalty], but they do recover. That's their character. They create opportunities and we should score them. I think we are the top scorers in Scotland, so we can score them."

Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Souttar, Propper, Jefte, Barron, Sterling, Lawrence, Cerny, Bajrami, Dessers.

Substitutes: Kelly, Cortes, Diomande, Dowell, Kasanwirjo, Balogun, Igamane, Raskin, McCausland.

Dundee: Carson, McGhee, Portales, Koumetio, Braybrooke, Sylla, Tiffoney, Cameron, Larkeche, Adewumi, Murray.

Substitutes: McCracken, Ingram, Astley, Mulligan, Main, Reilly, F Robertson, Palmer-Houlden, Vetro.

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

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Huge sighs of relief will ring round Ibrox on Saturday as Premier Sports Cup holders Rangers return from their temporary Hampden home in the second of two all-Premiership ties following Motherwell's victory over Dundee United on Friday.

The Copland Stand will not be full as delayed renovation work continues, but the switch from the other side of Glasgow will be a welcome boost not only financially but also in terms of atmosphere.

Dundee's chances of a cup shock would also be greater if their nine-game unbeaten start to the season had not been ended last weekend as Rangers got back to winning ways after their own Old Firm reality check.

The Dark Blues' 2-0 defeat by Ross County in Dingwall means they have now gone three games without a victory, while the Light Blues recovered from their derby loss to Celtic by beating Dundee United 1-0 to secure their first away win.

It kept Rangers five points behind early Premiership leaders Celtic and Aberdeen and, just as importantly, eased some of the tension around the club after John Bennett's announcement that he was standing down as chairman citing health problems exacerbated by fan criticism.

Even playing at Hampden, Philippe Clement's side have won all three of their domestic home games, their only reverse coming against Dynamo Kyiv in Champions League qualifying.

History is also heavily on their side, with Dundee having to go back to October 1951 for a League Cup win over Rangers - 3-2 in the final.

A Steven Davis goal was enough for the Glasgow side to win their last League Cup meeting two years ago at Ibrox.

And, overall, Rangers are 13 unbeaten against Dundee since losing at Dens Park in November 2017 and have won 17 in a row at Ibrox since goals from Claudio Caniggia and Steven Milne secured the Dark Blues their last win there in March 2001.

However, Tony Docherty's current side have shown they can give Rangers a bit of a fright, following up April's goalless draw at Dens Park a month later by leading twice at Ibrox before losing 5-2.

The visitors will be hoping Clement and his players this time have one eye on Thursday's Europa League visit to Malmo.

Read Premier Sports Cup Picks in full here.

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Scott Fraser aims to "get back to enjoying my football" after joining Dundee on a one-year deal.

The 29-year-old midfielder, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Hearts, was a free agent after terminating his contract with League One Charlton on transfer deadline day.

Fraser through the ranks across the road at Dundee United and spent three seasons in the first team before moving down south where he had spells with Burton, MK Dons and Ipswich before signing for Charlton two-and-a-half years ago.

Fraser said of his Dundee move: "It's good to get the deal done, it feels like it’s been a long time coming and I’m happy to finally get it over the line.

"I got a good feeling for the manager and I know Si [Simon Murray], who has told me good things about the club and I'm looking forward to getting started.

"I just want to get back to enjoying my football, it has been a while since I've felt that enjoyment.

"From the chats I've had with the gaffer it seems like he will suit me and bring that enjoyment out of me and help me get back to my best."

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Dundee defender Luke Graham has joined Championship leaders Falkirk on loan until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old was promoted to the club's senior squad this summer after a loan spell at Montrose.

Graham made his Dundee debut in the League Cup win over Annan and has made three appearances, including a start in the 2-2 derby draw at Tannadice on the Premiership's opening day.

Dundee, Hibernian, Kilmarnock, Motherwell, Ross County, St Johnstone and St Mirren will each take in £1.6m in solidarity payments due to Celtic's Champions League qualification, with Aberdeen and Dundee United receiving £1m and £650,000 going to Hearts and Livingston. (Mail), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

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Jordan McGhee wants Dundee "to give the fans the day out they deserve" by stunning Rangers to set up a League Cup semi-final at Hampden.

The Dens Park side haven't won at Ibrox since 2001, and last reached a semi-final 18 years ago, but McGhee insists they head to Glasgow with confidence.

The defender added: "These are the venues you want to play it. It’s the quarter-finals, the chance to get to the national stadium, and it’s something we’re striving to do.

"There's no doubt Rangers are a top team with top talents but we trust and believe in ourselves. We will try and carry out our gameplan as well as we can and come up with a result.

"This is my sixth season here, it's [a semi-final] something I hope to give the fans. Records are there to be broken, we've always said that and we've slowly ticked off a few things in the gaffer's tenure at the club.

"We've always done well in bigger games and there’s none bigger than Saturday.

"Getting to the semi-finals, it’s the least the fans deserve for their support and everything they do for the club. For the size of the club, it’s been too long since we've been to the national stadium."

Winning a trophy with Dundee, who visit Rangers in Saturday's Scottish League Cup quarter-final, would be a dream for defender Antonio Portales, 28. (Courier - subscription), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

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Tony Docherty says it would mean "everything you can imagine" to guide Dundee to their first Hampden semi-final in almost two decades.

The Dens Park side have not reached the last four of a major cup competition since 2006, a 3-0 Scottish Cup defeat to Gretna.

Docherty's men will have to overcome a "real top, top opponent" in Rangers to end the 18-year hoodoo after their unbeaten start to the season was ended by Ross County on Saturday.

The Dundee boss says his squad have put the weekend defeat behind them and are now relishing a trip to Ibrox, where their opponents will play for the first time this season after their temporary relocation to the national stadium.

Speaking prior to Saturday's last-eight League Cup tie, Docherty said: "We realise the difficulty of the task, but we'll relish that. We had good games against Rangers last season.

"We know what we need to do as a team. It's an unusual situation [with them returning to Ibrox]. We need to be confident, we need to be brave. You've got to play with your head, there's a lot we've got to do right.

"[To progress would mean] everything you can imagine. We want to keep on an upward trajectory. It’s a really mouth-watering tie. Of course it would mean everything [to win].

"We'll be doing everything we can and it would be a great reward for the fans. I'd love to give them that day [at Hampden]."

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Dundee manager Tony Docherty has been speaking to the media prior to his side's League Cup quarter-final with Rangers on Saturday.

Here are the key lines:

• Docherty says Saturday's defeat at Ross County "was disappointing" but "we've moved on" and "put it behind us".

• He adds that his side are "a good, good team that had a bad day" in Dingwall.

• Docherty said he would like to "applaud" Scottish FA head of referees Willie Collum for contacting him to discuss an incorrect decision not to award his side a penalty in Saturday's loss.

• Dundee will face a "real, real top opponent" in Rangers, says Docherty, who adds that his team "will relish" the occasion.

• He says securing progression to a Hampden semi-final would mean "everything you can imagine" and his players "will be doing everything" to give "a great reward to the fans".

• Docherty adds that he was "surprised" to learn Craig Levein had been sacked by St Johnstone and confirmed he has reached out to the former Scotland manager.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

There are many positive characteristics that can be attributed to Tony Docherty’s Dundee.

One of them has been their ability to quickly bounce back from setbacks.

There haven't been many since Docherty took over last summer. But when they have suffered the odd bad result, generally they have reacted well by getting the desired performance and outcome in the following game.

That kind of character epitomised the team of season and Docherty will be hoping that is also the case for the class of 2024-25.

After an impressive unbeaten start to the season, Dundee's 2-0 Premiership defeat at Ross County last weekend was perhaps a surprise.

It is the first blip in what has been an otherwise good start to the campaign, but next up is a difficult League Cup quarter-final assignment against Rangers on their return to Ibrox this weekend.

Despite the tough challenge they will face in Govan, Docherty will be confident the bouncebackability of last season will be evident once again.

One thing is for sure, it will need to be if they are to spring a cup surprise and book their place in the last four.

Ethan Hampton
Fan writer

I travelled up the Highlands with high hopes, but ended up witnessing Dundee's first defeat of the season.

It felt all too familiar, reminding me of the derby last month with another terrible start. Once again the right substitutions were made, but this time there was no comeback. It was all too little, too late.

We're continuing to leak cheap goals, and it's infuriating when simple defensive discipline is missing. These lapses overshadow all the hard work and effort on the pitch, ultimately costing us the result.

Creativity was severely lacking, we didn't cause enough problems in the final third. To be honest, Ross County goalkeeper Ross Laidlaw could've set up a hammock in the goalmouth, taken a nap for the entire match, and still woken up with a clean sheet!

On the positive side, Josh Mulligan and substitute Oluwaseun Adewumi stood out. Both were direct and eager to get involved all across the pitch, showing the kind of energy we needed more of.

Tony Docherty has revealed the head of referee operations, Willie Collum, personally called to apologise for the officials' failure to award us a penalty for a Kacper Lopata challenge on Simon Murray. The incident occurred early in the second half, and it could have changed the game.

I'm flabbergasted that such decisions aren’t resolved correctly under VAR. How can I, and many others, spot the foul live, yet the paid professionals at the monitor fail to get it right? There's no excuse.

On the other hand, County looked like everything we weren't. Sharp, organised, and ready for the challenge in front of them.

We were renowned for our strong responses to disappointing results last season, and now it's time to see if that still holds true.

Next up is the League Cup quarter-final. It's a total free hit, with the pressure off, so we can go to Ibrox and play without fear.

We asked for your views on Dundee's 2-0 defeat against Ross County.

Here's what some of you said:

Kevin: Lots of praise for the manager since he took over, probably the best one for years, but finding it hard to understand his selection. Jordan McGhee has been our most consistent performer, yet he drops him to the bench, no idea why.

Gary: A frustrating day for Dundee. These are the games where we should be picking up points. The team selection was confusing again, dropping McGhee was a mistake, clearly. He gives us that steely side and an experienced head, like what we need in defence. Josh Mulligan finally getting a start is great, he'll run all day but it's often unnoticed.

Phil: Well it's just what I expected. Without the talisman Luke McCowan our midfield will struggle. It is going to be a long season for us if this is any indication. Sorry but this should never have happened. I love Tony Docherty but he has got to get in a central defender and right back, namely Calum Butcher and maybe Charles Dunne, before it's too late!

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• Ross County have managed to keep a clean sheet in two of their first five Premiership games - only Celtic have a better record this season.

• Dundee attempted just eight shots in this game, which is their lowest total in a single match this season.

Ross County comfortably dispatched Dundee to pick up their first Scottish Premiership victory of the season.

Akil Wright opened the scoring early on when he towered above visiting full-back Ethan Ingram to turn in Noah Chilvers’ corner.

Ingram was at fault once more when he recklessly hauled down Jordan White in the penalty area, allowing the County forward to convert from the spot right on half-time.

A quiet period followed the restart until an arrowed strike from White hurtled towards the top corner of Dundee’s goal. A fantastic, outstretched stop from McCracken kept Dundee within reach.

An even final half-hour played out at the Global Energy Stadium, with Dundee’s desperation exemplified by two long-range Billy Koumetio efforts that failed to effectively test County ‘keeper Ross Laidlaw.

County rise to ninth in the table, while Dundee drop to seventh-place following their first loss of the season in all competitions.

Dundee fans, give us your thoughts here.

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Tony Docherty tells BBC Scotland: "It was a disappointing afternoon. I thought the conditions really contributed to that. I think whoever had the wind in the first half had the advantage. Ross County played the conditions better than us, they had the wind behind their backs in the first half.

"They score from their first corner, which is poor from us and uncharacteristic. I wanted us to play with the ball on the floor and we got a goal from that, though it was offside. I would have liked to have seen a little more of that from the team.

"We lose that second goal. And I’ve got to question it. It is a VAR intervention and nobody on the pitch claimed for it. Ethan Ingram goes up and wins the header. He does grab Jordan White but does that affect the play or what happens?

"I’m an advocate of VAR but I think that was the wrong decision today. I’m disappointed but I have to be fair to the players, those performances are few and far between.

"It doesn’t need to happen. The referee has seen it, he’s smelled it. Someone in the VAR room has brought it back. I don’t think it’s a penalty. I’ve spoken to some opponents who also don’t think it’s a penalty. It’s a poor decision. But I won’t make that an excuse for our performance today that ends our unbeaten run. We will come back fighting again."

Cam Wanstall
BBC Sport Scotland

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Tony Docherty's formerly unbeaten side struggled in every department.

Much could be made of Luke McCowan's absence as he concurrently made his mark at Celtic Park versus Hearts, but the defeat can not be chalked up to one player's departure.

Other than goalkeeper McCracken, it is difficult to pick out a Dundee player who appeared either a threat in attack or entirely solid in defence.

Jordan McGhee impressed following his necessary introduction at half-time for Ingram - who was culpable for both goals - while Murray remained a goal threat despite often feeling like a lone striker at times due to his multiple partner's struggles.

The game largely came down to the midfield battle and Dundee were bested by the energetic trio of Randall, Chilvers and Joshua Nisbet and failed to get a foothold for any period.

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Tony Docherty opts to make three changes to the Dundee side that drew 2-2 with St Mirren two weeks ago.

Ethan Ingram, Josh Mulligan and Seb Palmer-Houlden all start, as Jordan McGhee, Sammy Braybrooke and Curtis Main drop to the bench in their places.

Charlie Reilly and Clark Robertson - who are both back in full training - do not make the squad, while Joe Shaughnessy remains out (ruptured ACL).

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