As Dundee stare into the abyss that is relegation, a lot of worrying thoughts have been crossing my mind.
And some of the most troubling centre on American owner Tim Keyes.
In coming to them I will repeat the first thing I always say when talking of the Texas-based millionaire – whatever decisions he’s made that I disagree with, there is no doubt in my mind he’s been a stabilising influence during his time in charge at Dens Park.
To the tune of several million dollars, he’s put his money where his mouth is and he’s always paid the wages on time – something that couldn’t be said of some of his predecessors.
For my money, Keyes has always acted honourably and even in these dark times that should not be forgotten.
But I have to ask myself, what’s he got out of his six years with the Dark Blues?
When, because I fear it is no longer an if, Dundee do go down to the Championship, he will be pretty much back where he started.
And if he wants to get the club to where he aimed to have it when he first arrived, it’s going to take many more of his millions to do it.
Like, I suspect, many fans I am not convinced he is going to have the appetite to do that. And whatever mistakes he’s made, if he doesn’t, I could not really blame him.
Even in the Premiership, Dundee had become a black hole for him and it’s one that’s only going to get bigger when they drop down to the Championship.
In saying that, we should not forget that when he did first arrive, Keyes, albeit over a long period, admitted he saw his foray into Scottish football as a money-making venture.
That profit he’s always sought is now farther away than ever and you do have to wonder if the time is coming when he will decide to cut his losses.
And it cannot be forgotten that, as time has passed, his visits to Dundee have become less and less frequent.
He now pretty much makes only one or two trips of a few days each year and, at times, that has not even coincided with games.
When Keyes visited last summer he did describe the club as “one of the family”.
For him, though, as much as he may love Dundee, it has surely become a problem child.
Hopefully he will, as he’s done so admirably, keep ploughing in his cash.
I just don’t see why he would want to any more.
Tom Duthie’s column appears in the Evening Telegraph every Saturday
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