Dundee

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Aberdeen midfielder Leighton Clarkson is "excited" to face former Liverpool teammate Billy Koumetio when the Dons visit Dundee on Saturday.

The 22-year-old made his first start in nearly two months on Saturday as Jimmy Thelin's side advanced to the semi-finals of the Scottish League Cup with a 4-0 win at home to Spartans.

He is hoping to keep his place in the team this weekend and test himself against a familiar face in Koumetio, whom he spent five years with in Liverpool's academy.

"He's a lad that I know really well, I've played with him since I was about 16," said Clarkson.

"He's a good centre-half and I know all the qualities he can bring.

"When I heard he was coming up here, I spoke to him and I told him he's going to play football and learn the Scottish game.

"It's a good move for a lot of the English talent to come here. I'm excited to see him tomorrow."

Koumetio joined Dundee in the summer on a permanent two-year deal from Liverpool and took advice from a couple of his academy teammates before making the switch.

"This weekend, a player who I know [Clarkson] is playing for Aberdeen," said Koumetio.

"I have seen how he is performing in the league and how his game is going up and up and up.

"Before I came, I also spoke with Owen Beck, who did a good year, we all know that.

"I was on the phone with Owen before I came and everything he said I just saw it, I experienced it, so Owen was the one I took counsel from."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Dundee defender Billy Koumetio says he was "shocked" by how well manager Tony Docherty knew him before he put pen to paper at Dens Park.

Koumetio, 21, joined the Dark Blues on a two-year deal, after arriving from Liverpool.

The Frenchman says that while there were a number of reasons why it was the right move for him, the "honest" conversations with Docherty and his coaching staff were right at the top of the list.

He said: "When I was speaking with him during the summer, even with the assistant, the thing that I saw [was] how well they knew me - that shocked me a bit to be honest and they were very honest with me in terms of what I do well and what I can improve on.

"That honesty and how well they knew me and how they even had the same vision I had in terms of what I wanted to do this season...really convinced me to come.

"It is true that sometimes, depending on the clubs and depending on the leagues, sometimes managers are different, sometimes they can just say, ‘oh just come’ and 'just do this, there is no project'.

"This is really a project here this season and he has really got a vision on what he wants to do and with the team so that really convinced me, the chats that I had with the manager, that was the big difference, 100%."

And Koumetio is hoping to make the same impact in Scotland as two of his form Anfield colleagues - Aberdeen's Leighton Clarkson and Owen Beck, who excelled while on loan at Dens Park.

He said: "Even seeing a few players in this league that I know personally and how well they have done, I know for example, this weekend is a player who I know who is playing for Aberdeen, and seeing how he is performing in the league and how his game is going up and up and up.

"Before I came, I spoke with Owen Beck, who did a good year, we all know that, he played well and even how the club helped him, everyone here spoke to me about Owen Beck, how he was.

"I was on the phone with Owen before I came and everything he said I just saw it, I experienced it, so Owen was the one I took counsel from."

• Dundee avoided defeat in all three of their league meetings with Aberdeen last season (W1 D2), picking up five points – as many as they had in their previous 17 such games against the Dons beforehand (W1 D2 L14).

• Aberdeen have lost two of their last three league visits to Dundee (D1), this after winning six such trips in a row beforehand.

• Dundee haven’t kept a clean sheet in any of their last 10 Scottish Premiership matches (23 goals conceded in this run), the longest ongoing streak of any side in the division.

• Aberdeen have won all five of their league games this season and could become the first non-Old Firm club to win their opening six matches of a Scottish Premiership campaign since Aberdeen themselves in 2015-16 (first eight).

• Aberdeen’s Pape Habib Gueye is the top scorer in the Scottish Premiership this season with five goals – the most by a player in their first four starts in the competition since Marc McNulty in February-March 2019 (also five).

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Dundee manager Tony Docherty insists "there is no dent in confidence" despite their four-game winless run.

The Dens Park side, who are seventh in the Premiership, are aiming to get back to winning ways at home to Aberdeen on Saturday.

Docherty's men have conceded nine goals in that last quartet of games.

The Dundee boss believes "our form is still really good just now and I think we are getting stronger and stronger as a squad".

However, Docherty concedes that he needs to improve his defence and says they have been working to try and tighten things up.

"Before last week’s game I think we were the top scorers in Scotland," he said. "So it is always trying to make sure you have got the balance between scoring enough and not conceding.

"And probably that is where we fell down last week (a 3-0 League Cup defeat at Rangers), we are still creating the chances but never executed them, which is very unlike us.

"But the way I see the team playing, training, the energy in the team, the individual ability in that top area of the pitch, we will always create chances, so I am really confident in that.

"And I think something Clark Robertson will help us with is that defensive edge in making sure that behind the ball we are balanced and we don’t give up counter-attack goals.

"That is probably something you could say we could improve on, it is something we have been working very hard in training to make sure do."

Dundee welcome a Dons team that have amassed 11 wins in the 11 games they have played in all competitions so far this season.

In fact, Docherty's side were the last team to beat Aberdeen in the league - winning 1-0 at Dens back in March.

"They have had a very good start, similar to us through their League Cup campaign, and have gained momentum," Docherty said.

"They were probably a wee bit more fortunate with the draws they have had rather than ours.

"We know there is a team coming here that are high in confidence, but it is our job to try and stop that momentum."

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Dundee manager Tony Docherty has been speaking to the media prior to Saturday’s Premiership visit of Aberdeen.

Here are the key lines:

• Amid a four-game winless run, Docherty says "there is no dent in confidence" and "our form is still really good just now and I think we are getting stronger and stronger as a squad".

• On the challenge they face against an in-form Aberdeen side, he said: "They have gained that momentum, but it is our job to try and stop that momentum".

• He says they have been "working very hard in training" to tighten things up at the back and has spoken of trying to "make sure you have got the balance between scoring enough and not conceding".

• With three of their next four games at home, Docherty is looking forward to being back at Dens Park and highlights their good record there.

• On being one of a number of names linked with the Hearts job, Docherty said: "I really don’t get drawn on speculation, I have got a big job to do here at Dundee and that is my full focus".

• Team news: Clark Robertson returns from injury, while new signing Scott Fraser also comes into contention, but Jordan McGhee misses out with a calf injury.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Just as winning can become a habit, so can not winning.

Dundee's League Cup quarter-final defeat at Rangers made it four games without a victory for Tony Docherty's side.

But statistics can be spun any way you want, and they don't always tell the full story.

Three of those four games have been on the road, and in each and every one of them Dundee have offered plenty - including at Ibrox.

However, they will be keen to get back on the victory trail sooner rather than later. With three of their next four games at home, they will fancy their chances of doing just that.

What will perhaps be a bigger source of concern for Docherty will be their propensity to concede goals.

In this last quartet of games, Dundee have shipped nine goals - an average of 2.25 a game.

And for all the undoubted qualities his team possesses, winning games is always going to be a big ask if the opposition are regularly finding a way through the door at the back.

Docherty will know that is something he'll need to find a way of addressing if his side are to be in the mix for the Premiership top six and European places again this season.

Ethan Hampton
Fan writer

The League Cup dream turned into a nightmare at Ibrox as Dundee were swept aside by a Rangers side who have finally found their footing.

In the build-up to matches like this, I often hear players speaking to the media about being up for the challenge and excited to face Rangers.

But from the stands, I sensed something entirely different: fear.

Dundee panicked on the ball, we looked frightened to get in their faces, hesitant in winning duels and ultimately failed to play with any kind of bravery.

In stark contrast, Rangers kept cool heads and played first-time passes effortlessly, as if the weight of the match didn't faze them. Meanwhile, Dundee couldn't hold on to the ball for any meaningful stretch of time.

In these kinds of games, being clinical is essential. We mustered up three great chances but couldn't convert any of them. Each opportunity fell to a different forward but we simply lacked composure.

A question must be raised about our mentality. The way we performed suggested Dundee were dreading this quarter-final tie, not relishing it. We played as though we were afraid of the occasion rather than rising to it.

I have raised concerns on Dundee's creative spark since deadline day of the recent transfer window. Dundonian Scott Fraser is our latest recruit and while he is yet to kick a ball in dark blue, he arrives with a decent reputation.

I feel this is a good signing to provide some much-needed quality into our midfield, which in turn will buy time for the likes of Sammy Braybrooke to blossom at his own pace.

As the newly-promoted side last season, Dundee showed resilience by avoiding back-to-back defeats until February. Prior to the split, it only happened twice.

Now, with high-flying Aberdeen on the horizon, we could be facing three consecutive losses.

Last campaign, we were known for bouncing back quickly, this weekend will see a question asked about our character and at Dens Park I fancy Dundee's chances against anyone.

We're still unbeaten at home, and these players will have the opportunity to make amends after what has been a disappointing few weeks.

The stage for redemption is set and we're all expecting to see a reaction.

Dundee boss Tony Docherty says fit-again Clark Robertson brings "dominance and organisation" to his defence. (The Courier)

Read the rest of Tuesday's gossip.

Scotland Under-21 international Lyall Cameron has admitted he would love to follow in the footsteps of his former Dundee midfield partner, Luke McCowan, and win a move to a major club like Celtic or Rangers in future. (The Herald), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

We asked for your views on Dundee's 3-0 defeat against Rangers.

Here's what some of you said:

Harry: Jack Butland should have seen red for his tackle outside the box. The penalty for me was a stick-on and deserved. Dundee showed some good football.

Carl: Unlucky. Three gilt-edged chances went abegging. We carried no luck the complete game, but heads never went down, this team has a never-say-die spirit. No one deserves criticism, we did alright against a strong side who have an outstanding keeper.

Brian: Trevor Carson was the only player with pass marks, our senior players yet again failed the test and didn’t turn up at all. When are we going to get consistency?

Roberto: My goodness. What chances missed. They'll have to sharpen up a bit at the back and up front as well before next Saturday v Aberdeen or it will end up the same result.

Mark: Could not take their chances when they came along, actually getting worried about the rest of the season.

Brian: Absolutely shocking display all round, only pass mark goes to Carson. Set up was awful, Josh Mulligan should have been on from the start, we needed grit in the middle.

Rocky: For the second season running, sadly Dundee can't defend and we make it so easy for other teams to score against us and yet again, never win tackles anywhere, with zero shape and tactics. If we are really lucky we might finish tenth, but Tony Docherty's post-match interviews are now laughable, own up to your failures, one win in 13 Premiership games.

Steven: Get that defence sorted Tony or this season is dead already. Remove Antonio Portales quick. Try Ryan Astley or get Jordan McGhee in the middle, he's no right-back. Play Ethan Ingram at right-back and keep him there, give him a run, we need a settled defence. No great need to panic yet. Ziyad Larkeche was man of the match, the rest were poor.

Gary: A quarter-final at Ibrox was always going to be tough, though I was optimistic when I saw the decent starting line-up, but as usual in these situations we don't take the opportunities when they fall and make poor defensive decisions so another frustrating evening. Hope McGhee isn't badly hurt, we'll need him for winnable league games coming up.

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Tony Docherty insists there are positives to take from Dundee's 3-0 League Cup defeat at Rangers into the Premiership meeting with Aberdeen next weekend.

The Dens Park outfit had their moments, with Simon Murray, Seb Palmer-Houlden and Scott Tiffoney all missing good chances, but ultimately it is two games without a win for the Taysiders after starting the season nine games unbeaten.

"When you lose a game, you want to show a reaction and I did see that this week in training, from last weekend," said manager Docherty.

"We go into a difficult game next, Aberdeen coming to our place, and they're in buoyant mood. So we need to make sure that as a squad we keep resolute.

"We're not bad team. We don't become a bad team overnight. We were playing against really tough opponents at a tough venue.

"We created good opportunities that on another day we score because we do score a lot of goals.

"So there is positives to be taken from the game, but I am disappointed because I do want this club to get to the latter stages of cup competitions."

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]."