Just when it seemed like they were finally getting things together, Dundee have quickly hit the skids.
It was starting to look rosy in the Dark Blues’ garden prior to derby defeat with three wins registered on the spin – their best run of a stop-start first season back in the Championship.
Fast forward a month and it’s an altogether different story – such is the nature of football and this division, in particular – with losses to Dundee United and Inverness.
Losing to your biggest rivals always hurts and it seems James McPake’s side hobbled into the ICT match still bearing the wounds from their 2-0 loss to the Tangerines at Dens. The Dee were poor in the Highlands.
For the second game in a row they created very little despite enjoying a good amount of possession.
There was no spark, no creativity and, despite Inverness holding a 1-0 lead for almost 80 minutes, seemingly little hope of Dundee getting back into the game.
That, of course, sent alarm bells ringing for rookie boss James.
He has, rightly so, been critical of his team for not creating enough chances, or taking the ones they get, and has already practically conceded they will not win the title this season.
That certainly seems the case as they lag 12 points behind leaders United in fourth spot – closer to losing their play-off position to Arbroath than closing the gap at the top.
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And whether rightly or wrongly, James will know the buck stops with him, not the players, if Dundee continue to slide.
He has come into question by fans and pundits alike for his team selections, tactics and the Dark Blues’ performances of late.
These, of course, are all important elements of analysing what has gone wrong for them.
But the only thing that matters is getting results – and wins, whatever way they come, are certainly the sole way to halt the malaise they are currently suffering.
For me, despite the pressure on his shoulders from sections of the Dundee support, James is still the man to do that.
But he has to get back on the horse and start proving it now with this afternoon’s visit of Queen of the South an ideal opportunity to get their campaign back on track.
The play-offs would certainly not be a disaster for the Dark Blues but finishing as strongly as possible, ideally in second spot, is a must.
They have everything in their arsenal to do so. Whether they actually do, only time will tell…
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