Reality bites for Dundee in Airdrie defeat as Steven Pressley admits 'there is so much work ahead'

The Courier

12-07-2025

Dundee's home defeat to Airdrieonians was a reality check says Steven Pressley.
Rhys McCabe's Championship side came out 1-0 winners to take charge of Group C thanks to Chris Mochrie's first-half strike.
After a couple of early headers from Billy Koumetio and Luke Graham, Airdrie took control in the first half.
First Alex King clipped the crossbar before player-manager McCabe played Mochrie in behind to finish smartly on 22 minutes.
From there Dundee huffed and puffed and did create chances but without finding that crucial equaliser.
Fin Robertson stung the palms of Cade Melrose before half-time and the goalie pulled off a good save to deny Cesar Garza when one-on-one on the hour.
Koumetio then had two headed efforts cleared off the line, both by McCabe, within 60 seconds and debutant Tony Yogane also saw a header saved by Melrose.
But there would be no equaliser as Pressley's time in charge began with a defeat met by some boos from the stands at the full-time whistle.
'I didn't expect anything else. For Dundee to lose to Airdrie you have to accept you will get criticised. That's football,' Pressley said post-match.
'There's no excuse for the result, we have to do better.
'The reality is we need to work harder and have to improve in so many ways.
'I'm really disappointed to lose the game but over the piece we probably didn't do enough.
'What it highlighted is that there is so much hard work ahead of us.
'If we were under any illusions just how much work we have ahead of us the evidence is there today.
'We have worked on certain aspects on the training ground, there have been 19 days and we've given them a lot of information.
'At times today there were signs of it but others we were completely out of sync.
'It will take time and a lot of hard work.
'Sometimes when you come in and there is that freshness in a honeymoon period, we think we are ahead of where we are.
'Today there was reality. The real ball came out and suddenly we realised 'wow, we have a lot of work to do'.
'It's the whole package – from the performance to bringing in the right types of players to the physical performance of the team.
'All of those aspects we have to improve on.'
Transfer business is clearly needed with Pressley admitting in the lead-up to the game his squad was 'very bare' in certain positions.
Midfield in particular needs additions and a lack of creativity was on show in this one.
Asked if there would be any new faces coming in before Dundee are next in action at Alloa next weekend.
'It is hard to say. We are trying. We are all pushing trying to find the solutions but it isn't easy,' Pressley added.
'For many of our players they have only played two 45 minutes. There was a rustiness.
'It wasn't just the way the team functioned. That is natural in pre-season.
'We wanted to avoid the result today but it hasn't changed anything.
'We will keep working hard and driving what we have to do.'
Defeat leaves Dundee behind Airdrie and Alloa in Group C – they face the Wasps away next weekend.
Carson, Ingram (Wright 64), Astley, Koumetio, Graham, F Robertson, Digby, Garza (Samuels 77), Yogane, Murray, Acquah (Hay 64).
McCracken, C Robertson, Donnelly, Galabov, Chespi, Crombie.
Melrose, McGinty, Mochrie (Cooper 78), Gallagher (D Williams 83), McStravick (Barjonas 59), Henderson (C Williams 83), McCabe, Ross, McGrattan, King, Armstrong.
Hutton, Aird, White, Chisholm, Webster.
David Dickinson
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