Latest news with #Dundee
Belfast Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
Linfield finally offer David Healy a new deal… but allow him to talk to Scottish Premiership side
Exclusive | Linfield have given David Healy permission to speak to Dundee about their vacant manager's position, Sunday Life Sport can reveal. The Blues have also offered Healy a new contract, but the interest from the Scottish Premiership side has left a question mark over his future at Windsor Park.
BBC News
6 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
What do the stats say about United's impressive season?
Dundee United's impressive fourth-placed finish on their return to the Scottish Premiership has garnered plenty of what do the stats say about how Jim Goodwin's men fared?United were solid rather than spectacular, an effectiveness amplified by their results. Only twice did they win a league game and score more than two goals in the process. Eight of their 15 league wins were by a 1-0 loanee Sam Dalby bagging 15 goals on his own certainly racked up an xG (expected goals) of 48.53 - below the league average of 52.79 - so their 45 goals in the league is a slight underperformance and they outscored only the bottom two Ross County and St errors led to goals being conceded, too, the league's third-highest number. A sturdy defensive unit was key to their success, Goodwin's side were content to cede possession - their average of 42.93% ranks them eighth in the Premiership - their clean sheet tally of 12 is bettered only by Celtic and Rangers, and goalkeeper Jack Walton impressed again on loan from Luton overperformed compared to their xG against of 56.31 - pretty much bang on the league average - by conceding 54 goals, further suggesting a stout defence. And only four sides let in fewer goals than the Tannadice the post-split fixtures, United never went longer than four games without a top-flight matchday seven in early October, they beat St Mirren 1-0 away and climbed to fifth. Remarkably, they would never be lower than that for the rest of the season.
The Courier
7 hours ago
- Sport
- The Courier
Dundee and VAR: Willie Collum insists ref was right on Ross County penalty that relegated St Johnstone
Willie Collum says Nick Walsh was right to award the penalty kick that denied Dundee a crucial victory over Ross County and relegated St Johnstone. Heading into stoppage time in the penultimate fixture of the season, the Dark Blues were leading 1-0 at Dens Park. A win would see the Dee safe from relegation and would also give Saints the opportunity to overtake the Staggies on the final day. However, ref Nick Walsh controversially punished Antonio Portales for handball and Ronan Hale equalised from the spot. The decision was branded 'an absolute disgrace'. However, head of refereeing Collum has backed his official. In the monthly VAR Review from the SFA on YouTube, audio from the incident has been released. After the ball brushed Portales's arm, VAR Andrew Dallas said: 'I need to check that.' Referee Nick Walsh: 'Penalty. Handball. I think the arm is above shoulder height.' VAR: 'Slight touch on his head and then it hits off the hand. VAR: 'Nick, it's Andrew. We're just going to check the APP (attacking phase of play). Just to tell you his team-mate's headed it and [Portales] has his back to him. 'But the arm is above the head, above shoulder height. It's close proximity but it does hit his hand and it's above shoulder height. 'There's no impact from the attacker on the defender. 'Confirming on-field decision of penalty kick. Check complete.' Willie Collum defended the decision but admitted interpretation of the handball law may change for next season. He said: 'We have listened to a lot of the perception of the decision. I won't ever just defend decisions in this show. 'I'll be open and transparent. 'In terms of the laws of the game, this is a correct interpretation because the arm is far too high above the head. 'The referee is right in his judgement to award the penalty kick. 'There is nothing in the law to say it should be ruled out. It says that anybody with an arm high in the air runs the risk of being punished. 'The referee was very clear, the VAR discuss the situation so when that is clarified there is no reason to bring the referee to the monitor here. 'People have said that but why? 'In terms of law this season, that is a correct interpretation. 'I would say we think we are in a better place in terms of handball. We looked at a lot of clips from last season to learn. This is a clip we need to look at again. 'We have a lot of discussion post-season with this kind of incident. 'There's a possibility next season [it isn't given]. We will listen to people's views. There are a lot of ifs and buts but in terms of law nobody can say that isn't given.' The VAR Review also covered two other controversial decisions that went against the Dark Blues. Collum admitted he was 'disappointed' in VAR's process to review a push by Kilmarnock's Kyle Vassell on Simon Murray not because it was a foul but because it was outside the area. Another involving Antonio Portales proved far more controversial. The Mexican had already volleyed in one beauty against Motherwell and struck another into the top corner to put Dundee 2-0 up. However, offside was given against Clark Robertson in the build-up, a decision then-Dee boss Tony Docherty blasted as a 'disgrace'. Again Collum backed the decision but admitted the referee should have been brought to the monitor to review it personally. He said: '[Clark Robertson] comes out to challenge the Motherwell player and moves his leg to challenge. Making that challenging motion, that was enough for the VAR team to say this was impact. 'We shared this clip far and wide. The KMI panel looked at it in detail, we looked at it with the referees. 'It was probably 60-40 in favour of offside. That means we want to review it, look at it in the close season with the clubs, players and coaches as well as the match officials to think about our direction of travel moving forward. 'We are content with the decision. Where we are not content is the process. Categorically, the referee should have been brought to the monitor. 'This is not a factual decision. It is factual that the player is offside, but subjective whether he impacts the move. 'That should be left to the on-field match official.'
The Courier
10 hours ago
- Sport
- The Courier
EXCLUSIVE: The making of Josh Mulligan at Dundee – in his own words
Josh Mulligan's time as a Dundee player could be coming to an end this summer. If it does, his 14-year association with his boyhood club will come to a close. Six years after making his first-team debut for the club, Mulligan has seen over 100 players signed at Dens Park. The majority of those have come and gone in that time. This summer it could be the 22-year-old who goes as his contract expires and clubs line up with offers. But how did Josh Mulligan become the player he is today? This the making of Mulligan, in his own words. Josh Mulligan was born on 12 November 2002 on the same day in the same hospital as future Dundee team-mate Fin Robertson. Born into a family mixed with Dundee and Celtic supporters, Mulligan has been a dark blue all his life. He joined Douglas Lads around five-years-old 'just down the road from my house' before joining another future Dens team-mate Lyall Cameron at Logie Harp. Cameron and Mulligan would join forces again down the road at Dens Park but initially went their separate ways with the former heading to Dundee United. There was only one club for Mulligan, however. 'It was amazing being scouted by Dundee,' Mulligan exclusively told Courier Sport. 'You never really expect to get this far when you're that age. 'You're just thinking about the next game of football or even the next training session. 'The football we played was good stuff and Fin [Robertson] was in the team. 'Not really anyone else has made it to the first team but we had a really good side and it was really enjoyable. 'You always took the game seriously. It's like now – if you had a bad game on a Sunday, it would ruin your whole week.' The season finale at St Johnstone on May 18 was Mulligan's 123rd first-team appearance for Dundee. His first came way back in 2019 as then-interim manager James McPake ditched the loan players that had failed to keep Dundee in the Premiership in favour of the gems he knew were waiting in the academy. McPake had been the Dark Blues youth chief and wasted little time in blooding Fin Robertson and Josh Mulligan in an end-of-season match against St Mirren. 'When I was younger coaches like Tony Murray and Sandy Buchan were really good for me,' Mulligan recalled of his academy days. 'Then as you get a bit older, you got to Jazz [James McPake] and Darren O'Dea. They were brilliant. They really understood the game because they've been players. 'I think that's when I started developing a bit more when I got to the U/18s. The coaching was really good and I think that set us up. 'Obviously Jazz got the manager job. That helped as well because he put us straight in. 'All the boys that were there – me, Lyall, Fin, Max Anderson and a few others as well. 'It helped make that step up from youth to first team a bit easier.' The early days as a youth-team player stepping up to first-team training showed a young Mulligan what was required to make it in the game. Early on he saw first-hand how 'sharp' Glen Kamara was. The Finn was the star player in Neil McCann's team back in 2018 when Mulligan signed his first pro deal and would go on to success with Rangers, play at Euro 2020 and has since featured for Leeds United, Rennes and finished the recent season on loan at Saudi side Al-Shabab. Mulligan was older when Charlie Adam arrived at boyhood club Dundee following a stellar Premier League career. 'Charlie Adam was really, really good in training,' Mulligan recalled. 'You could see the positional awareness he had. 'He knew exactly where players were around him. 'I play midfield. I'm still learning but that's the part that separates the good players from the top players. That awareness on the pitch. He had that. 'Obviously his left foot helped as well. 'But his brain was always a couple of steps ahead. I'm always learning every day. 'I think that's what it takes to get to that high level. It's good to have the talent and attributes. 'But it's in the brain where you need to be sharp.' Mulligan credits loan spells at Cove Rangers and Peterhead as crucial points in his development. The drop into part-time football gave the youngster a dose of the reality of football below the top level. Joining former Dundee manager Paul Hartley at Cove Rangers in League Two began the first team journey proper in January 2020. Mulligan played eight times as the Aberdeen outfit won the division amid the Covid shutdown. He'd then join another with a Dens Park link, Jim McInally, at Peterhead. There he was compared to Gareth Bale by Simon Ferry, then a player-coach with the Blue Toon. 'Even at Cove, I always say even though I didn't play as much as I wanted, just going out and experiencing the men's game was brilliant,' Mulligan said. 'Obviously I didn't play as much but I think that learning really helped me. My second loan was a bit more successful. 'I was playing every weekend. Jim McInally was brilliant. I still message him now. 'I think he was probably the first manager that put that trust in me to go and play every week. He obviously put me at wing-back, which is a position I still play now. I still enjoy it. 'I think he was really good for me. Si Ferry was obviously one of the coaches as well. They were really good. 'Those loans were an eye-opener. You are playing with boys desperate to win just to get that extra bit of money. You really see what the game was all about. 'You had that extra bit of pressure as well. You had to perform. 'I think I took to that well. It helped having [former Dundee youngster] Danny Strachan and Lyall [Cameron] there. 'I really enjoyed Peterhead. It was good times.' The best time in his young career, though, came under the lights at Stenhousemuir. The date was May 5, 2023. On the line was the Championship title. A final day shootout between Dundee and Queen's Park. The winner won the league and would be a Premiership club the following season while the loser would drop into the play-offs. A crazy game ended 5-3 to the Dee with Mulligan playing 90 minutes. 'That final game was unbelievable,' he adds. 'A really good moment in my career. 'Some people go full careers without winning a trophy. I'm hugely grateful for that season and that team as well. 'The players on that team, I still speak to most of them now. It was unbelievable. 'The core of that team were Dundee boys. That helped as well. 'That was a good season. [Manager] Gary Bowyer was brilliant with me. He was another one that really took me under his wing. 'He was a bit old school, a top manager. 'You see what he's done now with Burton. He kept them up obviously. I still message him now. 'He was brilliant with me. 'That season in general was really good.' By the end of the past season, Mulligan moved beyond the likes of Julian Speroni, Matt Lockwood, Juan Sara and Gordon Strachan in the all-time appearance list. So how does it feel for a lifelong Dundee fan to play more than a century of games for the Dark Blues? 'I'm really proud,' he said. 'Not just for myself but my family. I'm really proud of what I've achieved here. 'Over 100 games. It just flies in. I remember the first game I played against St Mirren. 'If you'd said that to me then, I would never have believed you. 'It's something I'm really proud of.'
Glasgow Times
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Glasgow Times
McCowan reacts to Lyall Cameron's impending Rangers transfer
The duo played together for several years at Dens Park before McCowan moved to Parkhead last summer. Cameron is set to join Rangers at the end of this summer after his contract with Dundee expires. Read more: He made a significant impact last season, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists across all competitions. McCowan jokingly suggested that they would cease communication following Cameron's decision to join the Ibrox side. He said: "I spoke to him when Dundee came to Celtic Park, maybe just after he'd done it. "I said, 'Just to let you know, this will be the last time I speak to you!'. "No, listen, Lyall is a good player. "He's done well. "If that's the move he's going to go and get it's a credit to himself because he's put a lot of hard work in." Cameron was instrumental in securing Dundee's top-flight status, scoring twice on the final day of the Scottish Premiership season. His excitement about his impending move to Rangers was evident in his post-match comments. He said: "It's an unknown but it's a challenge and I'm really looking forward to going somewhere different and challenging myself at a higher level. "I accept that I'm going from one of the smaller teams in the country to the biggest, so it's not going to be easy and I'm going to have to work hard for my spot in the team."
