No wins in eight, just four points picked up from a possible 24 and adrift at the bottom of the Premiership by five points.
That’s enough to leave any team down in the dumps. But not Dundee right now.
After a two-minute back-from-the-dead rally at Tannadice, there is belief among the Dark Blues players that they can still save their top-flight skins.
The away fans at the game were also given something to shout about by their team – and their captain fantastic – at a ground they’ve suffered at plenty of times before.
Mark McGhee’s side may not have picked up the victory they crave but they head into the Premiership split in good spirits.
So what can we pick out from the performance at Tannadice?
Dundee fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Dundee United 👀👊 pic.twitter.com/19U7EbybzR
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) April 9, 2022
Spirit
That’s two 2-2 draws in a row, both showing serious grit and determination to come from behind.
Because, to everyone else but those on the pitch and dugout, Dundee were beaten at Tannadice as soon as Charlie Mulgrew’s free-kick flew in.
This isn’t the whimper the Dark Blues of 2019 went down with, though – if this team goes down, it will go down fighting.
The key is to turn that attitude into victories, something they need to do quickly.
Ian Lawlor
Goalkeeper Lawlor had a day to forget and was no doubt delighted to see his team-mates spare his blushes.
The wind caught a few high balls in the first half and clearly had an impact on the opening goal.
But the goalie still had no right to come flying out of his goal in that situation and was punished for it.
His attempt to stop second goal also deserves some scrutiny, despite the super strike by Mulgrew.
But Lawlor is likely to be the man between the sticks for the next few matches at least with No 1 Adam Legzdins still some distance away from a return to training.
Young Harry Sharp may have something to say about that over the next fortnight, though.
Charlie Adam
The skipper makes Dundee a better side when he’s in it, much better.
But, for much of the match against United, not very much came off for the former Liverpool man.
That was until the Tangerines gave him too much space 30 yards from their goal, an area Adam can be deadly from.
He sent a swerving effort flying goalwards that bamboozled Benjamin Siegrist and into the corner.
And sparked exuberant celebrations from the Dundee fans in the corner of the stadium.
It wasn’t a winner but that’s a moment that can lift a team, lift a club.
Dundee have been crying out for that very thing for weeks on end.
The key now is to build on it to get the victories they so badly need.
Danny Mullen
Another key man, Mullen notched goal No 7 of the season with a poacher’s effort in the second half.
A big moment it was, too, not least because it got his side back in the game but because it meant his huge first-half miss was mainly forgotten.
The goal made it four in his last eight as the striker hits form at the business end of the season.
Continue that and double figures is on the horizon – manage that significant milestone and Dundee will be in with a shout of staying up.
Split
But survival is still a long shot – five points behind with five matches to play.
St Johnstone’s heavy defeat at Celtic helped the goal difference deficit, even if the Hoops seemed to declare at 7-0.
Dundee will face the Perth Saints once more in the coming weeks, most likely at Dens Park.
The likelihood is they will need more to pick up more than just those five points they trail by because St Johnstone can’t be expected to lose every single game.
The match-ups remaining will be tough but the fixture list shouldn’t concern the Dark Blues too much – their nemesis Ross County won’t be lining up against them again.
There remains a big mountain to climb for McGhee and his men.
But the manner of their comeback at the home of their biggest rivals has injected some life into their ailing season.
And it could just be the moment that turns the fortunes of Dundee’s oldest club.
