Dundee

We asked for your views on how Dundee are shaping up for the new Premiership season, which gets under way against Hibs on Sunday.

Here's what some of you said:

George: Need at least six players plus a good midfield general to replace the lost players. Need to concentrate for 90 minutes and not have any lapses. A few players are looking good but we certainly need some good reinforcements.

Steve: To win the odd derby and to finish 10th I'm sad to say. That's the best we can wish for with Steven Pressley at the helm.

Brian: Not very confident for the season ahead, do not think Pressley is the right man for the job. Some of the players recruited are poor, very poor. As a fan for over 50 years my motivation to head to home and away games is waning badly. John Nelms is killing our club.

Carl: Too early to give an opinion, but I feel more than a little pessimistic about the season. Losing 14 players from last season and we still need another five or six for this seasone. Looks like we're playing catch-up before a ball is kicked. Going to be a long season.

Alan: We are a total shambles and there is no sign of any ambition at the club. The squad is short in terms of numbers and lacking quality all over the park. Dundee do not have a playmaker. The facilities at Dens are dire and it is becoming increasingly clear that the much-talked-about new stadium will not materialise. We will be in the Championship next season and could be relegated by February.

Callum: First few games may be damage limitation, but Pressley knows what is needed. Dundee may be a tighter unit than a lot of folk believe. Could be a surprise package.

Stuart: I have supported the Dark Blues for nearly 50 years. I've long passed from childish optimism to pragmatic middle age, but never have I felt the fans so fearful and the squad so ill-equipped and under-prepared for a new season. No wins in the first eight games and then roll the managerial dice again.

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Steven Pressley says his Dundee side are moving in the right direction but remain "nowhere near" where they need to be as he prepares for his first league match in charge.

The former Hearts skipper endured a turbulent start as defeats by Airdrie and Alloa ended Dundee's hopes of League Cup progression before wins over Bonnyrigg and Montrose brought respite.

Pressley says it will take time to and patience to turn around the fortunes of the Dark Blues, who kick off the new campaign at home to Hibs on Sunday.

"I think people think that us managers can come in and change things immediately," he said.

"We can't. It takes time, it takes process, it takes working on the training field relentlessly before you really start to see the signs.

"I've seen us moving in the direction, but we're nowhere near where we need to be and that will happen only through time on the training ground.

"I'm realistic on the whole situation. We're not going to get anywhere near where we need to be short term. It's going to take time, it's going to take a real resilience from us and a real work ethic to get there.

"But every day on the training ground, every game, we hope we can see elements of improvement and certainly come Sunday we hope that we're another step forward from the Montrose game."

Pressley praised Hibs for sticking with head coach David Gray last term amid an awful start to his tenure in which the club were bottom of the table in late November.

"It shows you that when you work towards something, there's always challenges, there's always difficulties, as he experienced," Pressley added.

"But sometimes if you keep working that way and working towards a process, things can change, and that's what they did.

"The other thing was that Hibs as a football club deserve credit for sticking by him during that difficult period, and they got their just rewards.

"He's shown great resilience, great leadership, and they were rewarded with a really strong campaign."

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Former Dundee striker Rory Loy says the board's shock sacking of Tony Docherty put an "unnecessary amount of pressure" on successor Steven Pressley, who is now striving to overcome a rocky start.

Pressley's side were knocked out of the League Cup group stage after losing two of their four matches.

They open their Premiership campaign on Sunday at home to Hibs - who were beaten in extra time by Midtjylland in Europa League qualifying on Thursday night - and Loy sees it as a fresh start for the new manager.

"I think Sunday presents a completely clean slate for Pressley and Dundee," he told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"I do understand it's been a poor start but it's now the start of the league campaign. The only winners out of last night's Hibs tie, given that Hibs went out and went to extra time, were Dundee.

"So Presley will be looking at this going, 'Let's change the narrative, let's go and win on Sunday, beat the team that finished third last year, get the crowd up at home and approach the season in a positive frame of mind.'

"It is going to take time but I also think the Dundee board, given their actions in sacking Doherty, and that's not Pressley's fault, have put an unnecessary amount of pressure on Pressley because the fans were so split and so frustrated.

"I think with the sacking it automatically puts more pressure on the new manager, which isn't fair on Presley.

"But I think he'll see Sunday as a clean slate and a chance to go and start the season well."

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• Dundee's Steven Pressley will take charge of a side in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since leading Falkirk for their final 15 league games of 2009-10 (W3 D5 L7).

• Dundee are winless in their opening match in each of their past five Scottish Premiership seasons (D3 L2) since beating Ross County 3-1 in 2016-17.

• After winning six successive matchday one games in the Premiership from 2017-18 to 2022-23, Hibs have since lost both of their past two season openers (both v St Mirren – 3-2 in 2023-24, 3-0 in 2024-25).

• Dundee have only lost one of their past five Scottish Premiership home games against Hibs (W2 D2), suffering a 2-1 defeat in November 2023.

• Hibs have suffered only two defeats in their last 18 top-fight meetings with Dundee (W9 D7), although both came away from home (3-1 in May 2022, 4-1 in November 2024).

Ross County striker Ronan Hale is not on Dundee's target list despite a report suggesting interest in the 26-year-old Northern Ireland international. (Press & Journal), external

Former Dundee midfielder Charlie Adam says he received no reply to his application to be head coach before Steven Pressley was appointed and the former Fleetwood Town boss is keen to return to management. (Daily Record), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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New captain Simon Murray says the Dundee squad are "buzzing" with the new ideas Steven Pressley is implementing but admits "patience" is required from the support.

Pressley's tenure began with a League Cup group-stage exit as back-to-back defeats to Airdrie and Alloa were followed by wins over Bonnyrigg and Montrose.

The Dark Blues get the new Premiership campaign under way on Sunday with the visit of Hibs.

Striker Murray, who was appointed skipper by new boss Pressley last month, told Sky Sports: "It's a privilege to be named captain.

"It's been great so far. The boys have been buzzing in terms of the ideas and the way that we want to play.

"When you change the system, it's just getting that practice all the time, keep doing it and just getting used to it. When we get results, we'll all be happy.

"There's been change in the summer, and it's just new ideas.

"We've had some players come in, so it's just building these relationships and trying put into play what the manager wants, and that will take time. He knows that.

"It's just asking the supporters for some patience. We've got an exciting season to look forward to starting on Sunday.

"We're working hard on the training ground, getting the ideas in, working, building the relationships with our team-mates. Hopefully it will come good."

Ethan Hampton
Fan writer

Where will Dundee finish in the league and why?

Dundee have been clear in their ambition to get into the top six, hence why they parted ways with Tony Docherty after a 10th-place finish last season.

We are still lacking half a dozen players to complete our squad so it is very difficult to make a prediction at the time of writing.

What I will predict is 10th or higher. I think we will retain our Premiership status despite the social media hysteria around our fortunes.

We have a good nucleus of players and I expect the two newly-promoted teams to be scrapping to dodge the drop.

Who is the best signing or has he not signed yet and who should it be?

Tony Yogane from what we have signed so far looks the pick of the bunch - lively, direct, skilful and very composed on the ball. Steven Pressley worked with him at extensively at Brentford before securing his services on loan for the season.

What do you want from your manager this season?

When he was asked what kind of philosophy he wanted to implement at Dundee, Pressley stressed he didn't want one particular playing style but rather a team that is adaptable and pragmatic.

He said he wanted a team with plenty of dynamism that can perform in various styles. I want him to coach a team that can portray exactly that and to be much more defensively astute compared to last year.

Who will be the breakout star in your squad?

Billy Koumetio signed last season and on a physical basis he has all the right attributes to be a success. He is a strong runner, 6ft 5in, athletic, great in the air and very good with the ball at his feet.

However, he lacked an in-game maturity and struggled to read passages of play. But I am backing him to improve his decision-making and blossom into a key player this season.

Imari Samuels, our left-back, also looks like he's ready to be unleashed after racking up several assists in the League Cup. He had to play second fiddle to Ziyad Larkeche since arriving in January, but now the spot is his to lose.

Samuels and Yogane on the left flank could prove to be a very formidable partnership - definitely one to watch.

What is your one major concern?

That we fail to replace departing key players like Lyall Cameron and Josh Mulligan with additions of equal impact.

Luke McCowan and Amadou Bakayoko were never properly replaced and that was a huge setback for us last season, so naturally I am fearful of a repeat.

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Herald football writer Stephen McGowan thinks Dundee's 5-0 win over Montrose will help "steady the ship" at Den's Park, despite their League Cup exit.

After a disappointing start to the group stage, Steven Pressley's side recorded back-to-back wins over Montrose and Bonnyrigg Rose but won't progress to the last 16 of the competition.

"It's been a ropey old start for Stephen Pressley," McGowan told the BBC's Scottish Football podcast.

"I think it was always going to be a really difficult time.

"A lot of people felt that the sacking of Tony Doherty was pretty harsh, pretty unfair. That wasn't really Stephen Pressley's fault.

"He just came into a slightly unenviable situation where people were dubious about him from the start and against that backdrop, the very last thing you want to do is go out the League Cup in the first couple of games.

"So five goals against Montrose will be welcome. It will help to steady the ship a little bit but I don't think there's any question that they have an awful lot to do.

"I think right now if you were looking at the teams people would expect to struggle in that Premiership right now, I think Dundee would be one of the main picks."

Defender Luke Graham, 21, believes it's time to show he is good enough to play for Dundee. (Courier - subscription required), external

Read Monday's Scottish gossip

We asked for your views on Dundee's League Cup win.

Here is what some of you said:

Thomas: Yet again, poor open play against lower league opposition. Fear for the opening day game against Hibs

It could be an embarrassing hiding

Rod: Glad to see Simon Murray get some goals. I'm hoping being captain doesn't distract him from his main task, as we are really going to rely on his goals again this season. When are we getting more players?

Robert: Take any win right now, but it still won't paper over the cracks. We need at least another six half-decent players or we're going down.

Stephen: Wouldn't get carried away, just papered over the cracks

Peter: A win should always raise the confidence within the club, unfortunately this only papers over the massive cracks.

I am very concerned with the head coach's inability to raise the team's tempo during long, boring spells in games, but he doesn't have the know-how.

My glass is half empty.

Brian: Boring match, not sure what tactics are by the coach, but they baffled me. Not a lot of players are standing out. We are in deep trouble

Logie: Yes, we are out of the cup, but I have seen enough in the defeats to Airdrie and Alloa to suggest this is an improvement on last season's Dundee team.

In Elvis we trust.

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Dundee manager Steven Pressley was pleased to see a second-half turnaround from his side after a "concerning" opening 45 minutes.

A Simon Murray penalty - the captain's first of the season - set Steven Pressley's side on their way early on, but the new Dens Park boss felt his side were lacklustre for periods of the first half.

Dundee ended a disappointing group campaign with a 5-0 hammering of third-tier visitors Montrose, to finish third in their league cup group.

"I was obviously pleased with the result, and I thought in the second half in particular we were much better," said Pressley.

"Much better as a unit, as a team, more synchronised in our pressing and our decision making, but I was a little bit concerned in the first half.

"We actually started the game really well, really aggressively and I was excited with our opening 10 or 15 minutes, but I just felt that we became a little bit disjointed at times.

"There were some good things in the second half and of course, three set-play goals again, which is a big part of what we're working on.

"So, the second half, [I was] much more satisfied, first half a little bit concerned on certain aspects."

We asked for your views following Steven Pressley's first win in three Premier Sports Cup group games as Dundee edged past Bonnyrigg Rose.

Here's what some of you said:

Kevin: Yet another lacklustre performance and for 75 minutes you would have struggled to work out who were the Premiership team. Only really got over the line when Bonnyrigg ran out of steam.

Albert: I'm backing Steven to the hilt. He talks common sense and doesn't sugarcoat anything.

Jimmy: Okay, it was a win but realistically it didn't happen until the final five minutes. We should really be able to win that type of game far easier than the final few minutes. The jury is still out on the manager.

Harry: Dundee are at their lowest for years. Being held by a non-league team to the last 10 minutes is an embarrassment. Shocking excuses already, blaming players' fitness, when that's something that should be a given. I don't see any points from the first quarter of league games. Pressley will be sacked by end of November.

Iain: It's hard to be positive about a late, late win against a non-league side. We should be winning games like this with ease. I know this is pre-season, but these aren't friendlies. Pressley has a lot of work to do to convince anyone that he was the right choice of manager.

Gary: It felt weird. Almost like there was no joy in the win - that's where we are at just now. Baffling first-half team selection and the token subs on the hour to try to salvage something. Little creativity, no domination, just stuttering along. If we start the league like this we'll be humbled every week.

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Herald football writer Stephen McGowan thinks that Steven Pressley will need time to "put his stamp on the place" at Dens Park.

The new Dundee manager has lost his first two cup games, which means his side have an uphill battle if they want to progress in the comeptition.

While McGowan thinks it will take time for it to come together for the Scot, he believes the fans won't give him the luxury.

"I know it sounds counter-intuitive to say it, I don't really blame Steven Pressley for this situation," said McGowan on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"I tend to blame the people who decided that Tony Docherty had to go and he had to come in in the first place.

"I spoke to Docherty and the more I read, the more I looked at it, the more I thought he'd been really harshly dealt with.

"Dundee finished 10th with a relatively young team. Docherty played more young players, under 21, than any other manager in the league, and he was dismissed.

"I thought that was really harsh, that was hard and I think it looks more harsh given the start that Pressley has made.

"Now Pressley, I suppose a bit like Russell Martin, will need bit of time to put his stamp on the place. He says he needs more new signings in.

"But the fans are already pretty unhappy with the way things are going, and the one thing he's not going to get is lots of time because many of them wouldn't have chosen him in the first place. That puts him in really difficult predicament."

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Joe Shaughnessy insists his former Dundee team-mates are "very positive" about working under Steven Pressley, despite the head coach's difficult start at Dens Park.

Saturday's League Cup group defeat at Alloa was a second straight loss to lower-league opposition.

Many fans were against the appointment of Pressley, who is now facing added pressure from the support after a challenging start to his reign.

But centre-back Shaughnessy, who left Dens this summer to sign for Newcastle Jets in Australia, says the Dundee boss is making a good impression on the squad.

"I've spoken to a few of the players and they are very positive about it all," the 33-year-old told BBC Sportsound.

"They're enjoying working with him. He's trying to get his idea across. When I talk to Simon Murray and some of the other lads, they enjoy the training and they are being worked hard.

"The fans jumped on him saying he's not going to win titles or whatever, but the players are enjoying what he's come in and started doing.

"They are onside and trying to build towards something. Hopefully it happens sooner rather than later."

Shaughnessy added that any talk of sacking Pressley based on the League Cup group results is "very harsh".

We asked for your views after Steven Pressley's Dundee suffered a second straight defeat to lower-league opposition in the Premier Sports Cup.

Here's what some of you said:

Stuart: What any absolute shambles. How many managers have been sacked before the league season has actually started?

Kenny: Complete and utter disgrace. Absolutely amateur, pure shambles.

John: Sack Pressley now. If we don't we are relegated before a ball's kicked in the league.

Ian: It's clear Dundee still have quite a bit of squad bolstering to do. Mr Pressley should be given at least until Christmas to set out his table.

Kevin: Absolute disgrace. No tactics, no running on or off the ball and playing like a bunch of guys who had never met before. Can't always blame the manager, it's about time the people at the top come out and be held accountable for this utter shambles.

Mark: Despite there being two disappointing results so far in the League Cup, it's important we as Dundee fans take a balanced view on the situation. It's very early doors yet and I can see the manager's philosophy, build from the back and work through the phases. He's built a really good group of players and I've been impressed with the signing policy. Give it time and I bet you it's "I told you so" from me.

Richard: The appointment was bizarre, he'd had a poor record and been out of the game for years. Head-scratching to say the least. Doesn't inspire the fans at all.

Paul: Dundee were terrible. No meaningful attempts on goal. Alloa played the better football and deserved to win. With performances like this Dundee will struggle to stay up.

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Steven Pressley's Dundee are facing an early exit from the Premier Sports Cup as defeat at Alloa leaves them pointless in Group C.

The result is a second successive loss against lower-league opposition after a home defeat to Airdrieonians last weekend.

Speaking to BBC Scotland's Chick Young post-match, here's what head coach Pressley had to say:

Clearly not the result you wanted, what about the performance?

"I think I've said we need another five or six in, but the reality is, even with that group of players, we have to perform better than we did today. So I take ownership of that. I take full responsibility around that. We have to go away and work again."

Can you put your finger on it? Is it quality of players? What is the issue?

"The issue is a combination of a number of things. We do need more players in, but as I've said, I don't think we did well enough today with the group of players we had on the pitch. I think choices in possession weren't good. I thought we played too long on too many occasions.

"And also, we have to take greater ownership and responsibility and make things happen. We need players that are going to change games. But listen, that's my responsibility. That's my job to get the confidence in the players, the belief in the players, and that's what I fully intend to do."

Did nervousness come into it?

"Maybe a little bit of nervousness. Maybe that was evident in the second half. But I didn't think we created many good opportunities in the game. Our best opportunities came from set plays, something we have been working hard on.

"I've seen improvements in our defensive principles, but we're still nowhere near where we need to be. And as I've said, I take responsibility for that because I think with the group of players we have out there, we can do much better."

Do you see reason to believe?

"Of course I do. It's very difficult for a number of players. I still look at them from a physical perspective, and they're not at the level we need them at.

"Some of them tired significantly in the second half and we looked a team, at times, lacking in that intensity in the second half. We have to find solutions to that."

Dundee have lost out on Scottish FA funding for a proposed new training centre. (Scottish Sun), external

Dundee's interest in AP Brera Strumica midfielder Martin Gjorgievski, 20, has cooled. (The Courier, external - subscription required) & (RG.org), external

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Aberdeen have exercised their right to postpone their Premiership match against Dundee United, which fell in between the two legs of their Europa League play-off.

Jimmy Thelin's side were due to travel to Tannadice on Saturday, 23 August but have successfully requested it be postponed after the SPFL board agreed the rule change in April.

Previously, postponements had to be agreed by both clubs, but now a team playing in Europe can unilaterally delay a game.

The Dons will learn their European opponents on 4 August, while the new date of their match against United will be decided once the European league phase draws are confirmed.

Meanwhile, the first two Dundee derbies of the league season are to be televised. Premier Sports will show the first at Dens Park on Sunday, 31 August (kick-off 14:00 BST) then the New Year derby at Tannadice will be on Sky Sports on Saturday, 3 January (15:00 GMT).