Home is where the heart is – Dundee, meanwhile, are hoping home is where the points will be found.
The Dark Blues have seven crunch league matches to play before the Premiership splits in two.
Six of those seven are in the City of Discovery – five at home and one across the street at Tannadice.
So if Mark McGhee is going to lead his new side to safety, sorting out Dundee’s home form will be essential.
Call-off positive?
Tonight’s cinch Premiership match with St. Mirren has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch #thedee pic.twitter.com/c2buEBFtD9
— Dundee Football Club (@DundeeFC) February 23, 2022
The re-arranged St Mirren match was set to kick off a crucial week of home clashes with the Buddies, Livingston and Hibs all visiting by this time next week.
That heavy rain saw Wednesday night’s game called off could be a positive for the Dark Blues, however.
It eases Dundee’s congested fixture list while also allowing time for key players Charlie Adam, Jordan Marshall and Lee Ashcroft to get fit.
And more time for new management team McGhee and Simon Rusk on the training pitch won’t be sniffed at.
How does that change Dee run-in?
We’re still waiting to find out when the re-arranged St Mirren match will be once again be re-arranged for.
However, it doesn’t change the fact that Dundee’s remaining fixture list reads fairly kindly – if they can build up some home momentum that is.
Should the groundsmen get the Dens pitch playable by the weekend, that still leaves three huge matches in a week for McGhee to target points from.
Livingston arrive on Saturday in good form, losing just twice – both by single goals – since they comfortably saw off Dundee at home in January.
Then come Shaun Maloney’s Hibs on Wednesday. A good win over Ross County has brightened things at Easter Road but Celtic at the weekend is a tall ask.
Dundee then complete a crucial week at Motherwell, a side they’ve beaten twice already this season and impressed early on at Fir Park.
After those three we will have a much clearer idea of McGhee’s chances of keeping his side in the division.
Then comes a Rangers double-header at Dens, one cup, one league, before Aberdeen at home and the short trip to Dundee United completing the pre-split fixtures.
Home form
The big problem amongst all this is Dundee’s Premiership home form this season is dreadful.
It’s been almost three months since the Dens crowd last saw victory in a 1-0 success over St Johnstone.
And it is only the Perth Saints who boast a worse record at home in the entire division.
Dundee have picked up just 13 points from a possible 36 on home soil.
However, despite that low total, Dens is where the Dee have picked up the majority of their points this term with only eight won on the road.
Successfully avoiding relegation will only come with a vast improvement in home form.
Fan impact
And a big part of that can come from the stands.
The appointment of Mark McGhee was met with widespread anger across the club’s fanbase.
A positive display at Celtic Park – and a bit of time since – has helped dissipate some of that fury. But it will still be bubbling away.
First impressions are always key and none more so than this one.
McGhee must find a way to get the Dens crowd behind the team – they need to see something from their team to get off their feet.
If Dundee can show supporters there is life in this season yet, the fans can cheer the Dark Blues to an impressive escape from the drop.
Only positive performances and results will bring about that collective effort, however.
And it must start Saturday because time is very quickly running out.
Dundee players on board with Mark McGhee and Simon Rusk’s vision says Danny Mullen
