Season So Far....

[mydadwasadee]

Go easy with me , this is my first post on this forum!!!

We had a great start to the season and our performances, results and league position were all well above expectations.

The general feeling before we kicked a ball was that we would all accept finishing 10th this season. To find ourselves so much further up the league has maybe built up expectations to an unrealistic level for some.

After a great start we have hit a rough patch which was probably to be expected. Injuries, loss of form etc have all contributed.

Our young manager (who many were calling to be tied up on a long term deal - and who also turned down Cardiff City) is going through a new test for him and when he comes out of the other side he will be a better manager for it - and Dundee FC will benefit.

The game on New Years Day was a VERY hard one to take; but maybe it really showed where our deficiencies lie and also (say it quietly) showed that the opposition that day have some high quality forward players (that will hopefully soon get transferred!!!)

The main thing for me having seen both St Mirren and Ross County at Dens in the last couple of weeks is that they are both brutal and I don't see either of them getting 10/11 more points than us between now and the end of the season.

Keep the faith. We (still) have a good young manager and (still) have some good players - and it is still a new team really......

Remember, we were all generally happy to finish tenth at the start of the season; and if you had offered me to be 10 points clear of St Mirren and Ross County at New Year I would have bitten your hand off.............as I guess most of us would.

I agree that some of the fans only go to the game to have a moan; but that is sadly nothing new at Dens. The fact that 5,000 plus turned up after the previous game once again just shows the overall loyalty of the support and the potential the club has...

Hopefully we all stick together and support the manager and the players until the end of the season - and remember this is our first (proper) season back in the top flight for many years and we need to rebuild the team and club...

Tin helmet on.........I must be (Dundee) mad to have started posting here....!!!!

[Reverend Lovejoy]

I totally agree that most would've taken being 10 points clear in Jan if offered this at the start of the season.We were 17 points clear(if memory serves me right)at one stage though and that lead had been clawed back.If we were steady and finding our way in the league,picking up wins here & there and had built up a 10 point gap then fair enough but we're not,we are on the brink of freefall.Confidence is extremely low,lose next weekend and it'll hit rock bottom.We've really gotta win that game to halt the slide.Ross County & St Mirren wont feel sorry for us and go down without a fight,they'll rally,just like we did last time round.If we continue with our current form we'll go down,St Mirren & County cannot be expected to win less points than us because we think they are crap.That we now have a few away games,away from Dens & maybe less pressure,after we play Motherwell,might be blessing in disguise

[Pablothedee]

I agree with you mydadwasadee. Every single mistake is getting punished just now. In the balance of possession and chances there's no way County deserved anything from that fame yesterday and like you say St Mirren and Ross County are very poor sides. My main worry is moving Boyle on and Roberts not playing we again have no real pace in the side.

[Reverend Lovejoy]

Are you not worried though Pablo,that very poor sides,that don't deserve anything from their games against us,ARE taking points from us,along with practically everybody else.In football you make your own luck i've allways found.

[cookie]

We wont miss Boyle.  Harris put more balls into the box yesterday than both Boyle and Roberts  have managed all season!

[Pablothedee]

Yes I'm worried about it. Hopefully the new centrehalf is the answer regards being a commanding defender we could also do with a big no nonsense left back in the mould of Brian Easton.

It's going to be a struggle if Clarkson and a Tankulic keep missing sitters as easy as yesterday's.

Tin hat on....I like Roberts and think he could do a job for us, he's still only 20.

[Spiritof62]

I was enjoying my football at dens this season even if our home record was pretty poor, the football being played was pretty good.

Since the end of November the train has hit the buffers, mainly due to our poor midfield and shaky defence.

The thing that bothers me recently is that the players are not responding with anything like passion and urgency, they should be coming off the park absolutely knackered.

If I was Hartley I would be very concerned, by this lack of response from the team.

It must be made clear to them that getting pulled into the relegation zone will not be tolerated by the manager and directors.

The guys that are letting us down must be dropped and or got rid off.

People must be blind not to see that Wighton and Kerr would produce more than some of the ever present crowd that get a jersey week after week.

[Reverend Lovejoy]

I was enjoying my football at dens this season even if our home record was pretty poor, the football being played was pretty good.

Since the end of November the train has hit the buffers, mainly due to our poor midfield and shaky defence.

The thing that bothers me recently is that the players are not responding with anything like passion and urgency, they should be coming off the park absolutely knackered.

If I was Hartley I would be very concerned, by this lack of response from the team.

It must be made clear to them that getting pulled into the relegation zone will not be tolerated by the manager and directors.

The guys that are letting us down must be dropped and or got rid off.

People must be blind not to see that Wighton and Kerr would produce more than some of the ever present crowd that get a jersey week after week.

We're in the middle of an injury crisis so are not in a position  to just drop players.We cannae just get rid of players either,if the player doesn't want to go then he doesn't go unfortunately.Confidence is the key to turning this around I think.Boosting our shattered confidence & halting the slide is easier said than done though.Wighton & Kerr will serve us well but it's unfair to expect them to turn around our season when their development right now is more important.The players still at the club are more than capable of turning things around though,provided they apply themselves properly and understand they are NOT too good to go down.

[McDee]

We've taken points off every team on the league bar the mank and Aberdeen, which would suggest on our day we are a match for any team on this league. We've hit a rut bit I'm confident we will come through and both the players and manager will be better for it.

[Prince Buster]

I was enjoying my football at dens this season even if our home record was pretty poor, the football being played was pretty good.

Since the end of November the train has hit the buffers, mainly due to our poor midfield and shaky defence.

The thing that bothers me recently is that the players are not responding with anything like passion and urgency, they should be coming off the park absolutely knackered.

If I was Hartley I would be very concerned, by this lack of response from the team.

It must be made clear to them that getting pulled into the relegation zone will not be tolerated by the manager and directors.

The guys that are letting us down must be dropped and or got rid off.

People must be blind not to see that Wighton and Kerr would produce more than some of the ever present crowd that get a jersey week after week.

Why are you so convinced that two teenagers could be the saviours of our season?

Not saying you're wrong, in fact would love it to be right, but just don't get why you're so certain of two players untried at this level.