In all his football career, Dundee manager James McPake admits he’s never suffered as badly as the aftermath of his side’s 5-0 home defeat to Ross County in October.
The clash was the battle of the bottom two with the Staggies yet to register a league win.
However, the Highland side romped to victory with Joseph Hungbo capping the victory with a wonderful free-kick.
The defeat and performance heaped pressure on the Dens boss with fans demanding a change in the dugout.
Quickly, though, the Dark Blues beat St Mirren just a few days later and have since added two more victories.
‘Worst couple of days’
However, McPake says even that victory in Paisley wasn’t enough for him to fully get over the horror show at Dens.
Ahead of the reverse fixture this weekend, McPake said: “It was my worst night in football, worst couple of days in football after it as well.
“Until we went to St Mirren and won that game. Even that didn’t make up for it.
“Getting three points at St Mirren was really important after the Ross County game.
“We’ll use that game.”
Strachan: ‘You are going to suffer’
McPake isn’t afraid to ask for advice from anybody and he has one of the most experienced coaches in the game at the same club in Gordon Strachan.
Even after decades in the game, the former Scotland boss, however, told the Dens gaffer there is only one thing for it after such a heavy defeat.
“You suffer,” McPake said.
“I’ve had great advice from Gordon who said there was basically nothing he could say to me, you are going to suffer.
“You have to. The staff and players suffer as well.
“As a player I was terrible after a defeat but as a manager it intensifies because you’re questioning absolutely everything.
“But when you are the manager, you feel you have let the entire football club down.
“That’s why you lie awake. Gordon said he’d be watching westerns at 4am because he couldn’t sleep.
“If someone like Gordon, who has had so many highs in football, still suffers after a defeat then I will, being new to it.”
‘Feeling I’d never had before’
McPake added: “I’ve had a few bad ones, heavy defeats, but that one was a feeling I’d never had before.
“You suffer but you have to walk in the next morning and the first person everyone is looking at is the manager.
“You have to pick the place up and be ready to go to St Mirren.
“We did that and it worked.”
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