'Next two games could define our season'
Dundee's slide continues. A fourth consecutive league defeat - this time at Ross County - leaves the Dark Blues second bottom of the Premiership.The next two games could define Dundee's season. A trip to Motherwell on Wednesday will determine whether we remain within reach of the mid-table teams or if a daylight gap emerges.Remarkably, Dundee were 10 points ahead of St Johnstone in January. By Saturday, we could replace them in bottom spot.With Motherwell and St Johnstone being the teams directly above and below Dundee it adds heavier emphasis to the matches for a team that will be feeling the pressure.This could very well be the biggest week of Tony Docherty's managerial career to date. Failure to pick up points could throw the manager and club into a very alarming situation.On the other hand, a turnaround now would be perfect timing given the Scottish Cup quarter-final and Dundee derby at Tannadice on the horizon.Football is a funny game - just now feels very doom and gloom but we could quickly be on cloud nine. It is up to to the players to prove they have the character to match their ambitions and rise up from their current wreckage of form.Amid this chaos, I find myself reminiscing about how strong the team looked at the start of the season. I stated that if Dundee sold Luke McCowan for anything less than a club record fee, it would be a disaster. I argued that, to compete for Europe and make cup runs, keeping him was essential and his influence outweighed any short-term financial gain.Was losing a captain in a team short of leaders, a matchwinner in a side lacking a talisman, and the heartbeat of the squad, worth just £1m?Dundee have a history of underselling their best assets. And in every scenario I can think of it never ends with us competing where we want to be.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Courier
2 hours ago
- The Courier
Who would you pick for your greatest Dundee United team of all time?
Who were the best-ever players to play for Dundee United? Lifelong Arab and former club historian Tom Cairns watched his first United game in September 1961 during the era of Doug Smith and Dennis Gillespie. Jerry Kerr turned United into a top-flight European team in the 1960s. Legends were established. The Tangerines dismantled Barcelona and Juventus in the Fairs Cup in 1966, before Jim McLean took over in the 1970s and guided the club to unimaginable success. New names were added to Tannadice folklore. Paul Hegarty, David Narey, Ralph Milne and Paul Sturrock became gods. Guido van de Kamp, Gordan Petric, Andy McLaren, Christian Dailly and Craig Brewster became latter day-greats when United won the Scottish Cup in 1994. Craig Conway became a hero in 2010 when the trophy returned to Tannadice. They are among the all-time greats but how many others have you forgotten? We asked Tom to pick his all-time United XI in a 4-4-2 formation, along with five substitutes, and highlight some of the players who didn't make the cut. Is this United's greatest team? MacKay played for United from 1962 to 1972. Tom said: 'He was confident, brave and a great shot-stopper. 'For many years he shared the goalkeeping duties with Sandy Davie.' Gough was part of the league-winning side in 1983. 'He was athletic, excellent in the air and very dependable,' said Tom. 'Gough combined well with Ralph Milne and played for United from 1980-1986.' Dundonian Jimmy Briggs was a hard-tackling left-back and former captain of the team who played for the Tangerines from 1955 to 1970. Tom said: 'At times he played up front and scored over 30 goals – mostly penalties. 'He was even an emergency goalkeeper on occasion.' Paul Hegarty won the League Cup in 1979 and 1980 and the league in 1983. He served United over 700 times and scored 82 goals. Tom said: 'He was commanding in aerial duels and scored his fair share of goals. 'Hegarty was a Scotland international and United's greatest captain.' David Narey made his United debut on November 21 1973 at home to Falkirk in a 2-1 win and spent 22 glorious and trophy-laden years at Tannadice. Tom said: 'He was elegant, skilful and always there when needed. 'Narey was a class act and famously scored against Brazil for Scotland.' Kirkwood won double League Cups and the 1983 league championship. 'He was hard-working, hard-tackling and could score a goal,' said Tom. 'Billy was one of those players you didn't appreciate until he wasn't there.' Jim McInally signed from Coventry City in 1986 and was part of the side that got to the 1987 Uefa Cup final and won a 1994 Scottish Cup medal. 'Another hard-working and committed player who took no prisoners,' said Tom. 'Jim wouldn't cuddle up to opposition players at the end of a game if things hadn't gone well for United – he ran off the park and straight up the tunnel. 'He was there to win and he did.' The prodigiously talented Ralph Milne is the club's record European goalscorer. He made 286 appearances and scored 75 goals. 'A hugely talented and exciting player,' said Tom. 'Electric pace and could take the ball past the best of defenders. 'He was also a great goalscorer.' Eamonn Bannon signed for United in October 1979 from Chelsea. 'He was signed just two months before the first League Cup win,' said Tom. 'Bannon was the final piece in the jigsaw of success. 'He was exciting when running at the opposition.' Dossing signed from Danish club Viborg in 1964. He became a cult hero. Tom said: 'He was one of several Scandinavians who changed the club's fortunes. 'Quite simply, he scored goals – lots of goals.' Paul Sturrock signed for United in July 1974 and his career coincided with the most successful period in the club's history. 'Another exciting player who ran at defenders continuously,' said Tom. 'Scored and made many goals for United during the Jim McLean era including five in one game against Morton in the league in November 1984.' Hamish the Goalie took over from MacKay and kept goal for 14 years. He was immortalised in song by singer Michael Marra for his 1983 testimonial. 'An absolute character, who, for a short time, took United's penalties,' said Tom. Petric signed from Partizan Belgrade in November 1993. 'He was a classy central defender,' said Tom. 'Unflappable under pressure and a key player in our 1994 Scottish Cup win.' Rolland was a full-back who played for United from 1967 to 1978. Tom said: 'Thrilling runs brought goals from this legend at Tannadice. 'He was a hard tackling and committed player.' Gillespie played inside-forward and signed for United in 1959. Tom said: 'He was the first United player to win international honours whilst at United, after being chosen to play for the Scottish League against Ireland. 'Totally reliable and helped establish the club in the First Division.' Olofsson was signed by Tommy McLean in 1996. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in January 2012. Tom said: 'He was an exciting goalscorer over three years at Tannadice.' Who were the players who didn't make Tom's bench, though? Tom's long-list included centre-back Doug Smith, left-back Maurice Malpas, winger Orjan Persson and strikers Andy Gray, Kevin Gallacher and Davie Dodds. Was there ever a doubt who the manager would be? Tom explained: 'Given the success United had with Jim McLean at the helm, there should only be one choice. 'He is my choice for the outstanding talent he nurtured and such tactical knowledge. 'But for Jerry Kerr to miss out seems a shame. 'He contributed a wonderful amount to establish United in the top league.' Tom said pulling together his greatest side was a difficult task. So what do you make of Tom's XI? What would your team be? Let us know.
The Courier
2 hours ago
- The Courier
Dundee FC: Key dates for Dark Blues ahead of 2025/26 campaign
Dundee will have a new look about them in the season ahead as Steven Pressley takes charge. The Dark Blues go into the 2025/26 campaign with a new man at the helm for the fourth time in the past five seasons. There will be a freshness about the squad, too, with plenty of arrivals expected over the coming weeks. The new season begins in just over a month's time with the Premier Sports Cup before league action swings back into gear in August. Courier Sport has all the important dates you need ahead of the new campaign. Scottish transfer window opens Premiership fixtures released First pre-season fixture – Arbroath v Dundee. 3pm kick off. Early Bird season ticket window ends Full-price season tickets on sale Pre-season friendly – Brechin City v Dundee. 3pm kick off. Premier Sports Cup kicks off – Dundee v Airdrieonians. 3pm kick off. PS Cup – Alloa Athletic v Dundee. 3pm kick off. PS Cup – Bonnyrigg Rose v Dundee. 7.45pm kick off. PS Cup – Dundee v Montrose. 3pm kick off. Premiership opening weekend Premier Sports Cup second round ties Scottish transfer window closes at 7pm.
Scotsman
3 hours ago
- Scotsman
Scottish Handball launches ‘Handball Scholarship' programme in Edinburgh
The Scottish Handball Association (SHA) is teaming up with Oriam, Scotland's Sports Performance Centre at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, to start an exciting new program called the 'Heriot-Watt University Handball Scholarship Programme' Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The goal of the programme is to bring in talented handball players from around the world to help grow and improve the sport in Scotland. According to a media release, applications are now open for the 2025/26 academic year. The application requirements may be different for each person, but those who are accepted into the programme will receive a lot of support. This includes special handball training, fitness sessions with Oriam's sports science team, weekly use of recovery pools, help from sports psychologists, and access to physiotherapy. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The programme also supports the academic side, with a dedicated 'Lifestyle and Advocacy Coordinator' available to help athletes manage any conflicts between their studies and sports activities. Scottish Handball Association This handball scholarship is an extension of Oriam's current Sports Scholarship programmes, which are designed to help athletes continue their education while competing in top-level sports. 'This is an exciting expansion of our Sport Scholarship Programmes that also deepens our partnership with the Scottish Handball Association,' said Ross Campbell, Executive Director of Oriam. 'This allows us to work together to support handball athletes, not only from Scotland, but from across the world. The key aim of our scholarships is to help athletes perform both academically and in their chosen sport through access to our world-class facilities and Oriam's performance staff. All these factors make this programme an exciting opportunity for athletes to be a part of.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Kimaya Kapoor, one of India's well-known influencers, has shown her support for the programme, calling it a wonderful initiative and praising the effort behind it. Oriam has been involved with handball for a long time and has worked with the Scottish Handball Association (SHA) since it opened in 2016. It's one of the few places in Scotland that has a full-sized indoor handball court (40 by 20 meters). The SHA uses the venue to host major events like the Scottish Cup and the British Handball Super Cup finals. Handball is now one of the fastest-growing team sports in Scotland. According to the SHA, the number of people playing sports has increased by 500% over the last two to three years. 'We're seeing very strong growth in handball at a grassroots level in Scotland and for the last couple of years, we've been focusing on developing pathways from there through into the higher levels of the sport. This scholarship programme is the next natural step on that journey and builds on our long relationship with Oriam,' explained Ewan Hunter, Chief Executive of Scottish Handball. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Handball will continue to be an amateur sport in Scotland for the foreseeable future, but we want to embrace that— and our hopes for this scholarship are clear. 'We are looking for players who will add quality and value to the handball community here in Scotland and we hope the programme cements the pathway for the development of handball at all levels. That means primary school, secondary school, community club, full club and age group level,' he added. Being actively involved in sports herself, Kimaya Kapoor has also expressed her appreciation for the programme, highlighting it as a meaningful and inspiring initiative that supports young athletes in balancing education and sport.
