Inconsistency has been the story of Dundee’s season, so far.
The Dark Blues’ struggles to string more than three positive results together has been well-documented as James McPake’s men have failed to hit the heights expected of them.
When it seems like they are going to go on an extended unbeaten run to propel themselves up the Championship table, they stall, often in spectacular fashion.
Worse still is the Dee’s form after prolonged breaks.
We saw it at the start of the year as they lost to Motherwell in the cup and meekly surrendered to Dunfermline after a while without game.
Those results came on the back of a defeat to Inverness. However, what they can’t afford to do again is return to the action in good spirits after a win and fail to pick up where they left off.
And, going into today’s clash at Queen of the South on the back of a fortnight off and a 2-0 win over Partick Thistle, that is a warning they should be taking particular heed of.
The last time the Dark Blues had two weeks without a game after a victory came in October last year where it looked like they were going to follow up a 2-0 success against Arbroath with three points when the Jags called in at Dens.
Leading 1-0 going into the final five minutes, the Dee collapsed against Ian McCall’s men to lose 3-1 and leave their supporters seething and scratching their heads in equal measure.
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In their defence, Dundee did enjoy their best run of the season after that, winning three on the spin. However, they can’t afford any more peaks and troughs in their form that a repeat of the Partick debacle would surely bring.
Now is the time to kick on and become a winning machine.
For the sake of their season holding any meaning going into the final third, the Dark Blues must take all three points back up the road from Palmerston Park this afternoon.
They have slipped out of the promotion play-offs, once more, in their time off but still remain just a win behind ICT in second.
With city rivals Dundee United so far ahead at the top, Dundee must prove they are the best of the rest in the second tier.
Dundee’s form since the arrival of the likes of Christophe Berra and Christie Elliott, and the return of Conor Hazard to the squad, is cause for optimism.
It gives reason to suggest this time it will all be different as they aim to discover their best football just at the right time.
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