Scott Fraser says he decided to join Dundee because he and his wife were unhappy living in London and the 29-year-old midfielder revealed that he had offers from a number of clubs after leaving Charlton Athletic a year before the end of his contract. (The Courier), external
Read Sunday's Scottish Gossip in full here.
Five without a win for Dundee.
Do you agree with manager Tony Docherty that the Dark Blues deserved more from this afternoon's narrow Premiership defeat to Aberdeen.
Whether you were at Dens Park or following from home, let us know your thoughts on the game here, external.
Image source, SNSDundee manager Tony Docherty tells BBC Scotland: "It’s not very often both managers say the better team lost. Fair play to Jimmy, he said after the game that we deserved more. Which is quite a good summation of the game.
"If I get that consistent level of performance from our players we will win more than we lose.
"Our level of performance was excellent today, especially in the second half. We gifted them two goals. They had two shots on target, we had six. Sometimes you don’t get your rewards in a game. I’m gutted we didn’t win a game we deserved to win.
"We’ll analyse the performance and see what we done wrong. We are culpable for the goals we lose and that’s the real frustration for a manager. I like to think these things level themselves out over the season."
Cam Wanstall
BBC Sport Scotland
Image source, SNSDundee were hampered by early defensive errors.
Former Liverpool centre-back Koumetio was not the only one to struggle with the pace of Finnish winger Keskinen, but his two mistakes cost the hosts dearly.
The Dundee defence continually looked out of shape before the break, as Aberdeen found plenty of joy in behind the hosts’ backline.
Ethan Ingram and Clark Robertson impressed despite their side’s defensive frailties, while energetic pair Lyall Cameron and Scott Tiffoney did well in attack.
But there was not enough creativity from the remainder of the side to craft enough chances to threaten Dimitar Mitov.
Despite the defeat, Dundee can be pleased with their intensity in the second 45, which might have paid off on another day.
Image source, SNSScott Tiffoney persevered despite his side's struggles to create clear-cut chances.
The attacker brought energy to Dundee's attacking line and continually pushed forward with the ball at his feet as the hosts chased an equaliser.
Image source, SNSFabian Caballero was back at Dens Park in November last year for Cammy Kerr's testimonial
Prior to kick-off at Dens Park, there will be a minute of applause in memory of former Dundee striker Fabian Caballero, who has died at the age of just 46.
The Paraguayan will be fondly remembered by fans of the Dark Blues after five seasons at the club in the early 2000s.
"I was really shocked to hear that news this morning," Dundee manager Tony Docherty told BBC Scotland. "A complete surprise to everyone.
"He was here last year at Cammy Kerr's testimonial. Such a popular figure, quite rightly as he was a fantastic footballer for Dundee. And a brilliant servant.
"The Dundee family is mourning his loss and pay all respects to his family. Hopefully we can put on a performance befitting of that player.
"He was part of a fantastic team and he left a mark which is clear in the reaction. I was at Dundee United at the time - and I don't think we won a derby in that time. Caballero was a thorn in the flesh.
"From everything I hear about him too, clearly a wonderful character."
Image source, SNSSimon Murray captains Dundee this afternoon
Tony Docherty makes three changes following last weekend's League Cup quarter-final defeat to Rangers.
Goalkeeper Jon McCracken, full-back Ethan Ingram and centre-back Clark Robertson each return to the starting XI.
Trevor Carson and Oluwaseun Adewumi both drop to the bench, while defender Jordan McGhee misses out entirely with a calf injury.
Follow our live coverage here.
Dundee: McCracken, Ingram, Portales, C Robertson, Koumetio, Larkeche, Braybrooke, Sylla, Cameron, Murray, Tiffoney.
Substitutes: Carson, Astley, Mulligan, Main, Adewumi, F Robertson, Palmer-Houlden, Fraser, Vetro.
Aberdeen: Mitov, Devlin, Rubezic, Molloy, MacKenzie, Heltne Nilsen, Shinnie, McGrath, Clarkson, Keskinen, Nisbet.
Substitutes: Doohan, Duk, Besuijen, Palaversa, Sokler, Morris, Milne, MacDonald, Ambrose.
Image source, SNSDundee defender Jordan McGhee drops out with a calf injury but Scott Fraser, Charlie Reilly and Clark Robertson are back in contention. Joe Shaughnessy (knee) is a long-term absentee.
Aberdeen could have Duk in their match-day squad for the first time this season while Dante Polvara remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Image source, SNSAberdeen 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
Image source, SNSDundee 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
Image source, SNSDundee 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."
Image source, SNSDundee 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.
Image source, SNSTony 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?
Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter
Image source, SNSThis 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.
