GEORGE CRAN: Dundee proved their mettle in last five league games – what comes next for the Dark Blues?

I wrote a wee while ago that we’d find out just what kind of Dundee Gary Bowyer was building in after their next five league games.

Those matches included clashes with Queen’s Park, Partick Thistle and Inverness away as well the likes of Raith Rovers and Hamilton at home.

Tough tests that would tell us if the Dark Blues were serious this season or if it would be more stumbles and more frustration.

At the start, a 2-2 draw at Queen’s Park didn’t auger well.

Attitude was good, fighting spirit shown in battling back to earn a point late on but overall the performance wasn’t great.

And then came the first-half at Partick Thistle where a seriously out-of-form Jags side led 2-0 at half-time.

At that point, things looked bleak.

Fast forward through the next 400 minutes of football and it’s now anything but bleak.

Dangerous

Dundee look dangerous.

Seriously dangerous.

And even when they aren’t quite at it, they still pick up victories.

That’s what having a tight defence can do for you, though.

We didn’t see that from Dundee’s most recent promotion-winning side until the last chunk of the season.

Right now Bowyer’s boys look confident they can keep anybody out.

That happens and then only one chance is needed – in Paul McMullan’s case at Inverness, barely even a chance is needed.

Subscribers can watch a full match replay, highlights and post match interviews with Gary Bowyer and Adam Legzdins on DeeTV #thedee

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— Dundee Football Club (@DundeeFC) December 4, 2022

Zach Robinson has been a talisman in recent weeks but even his injury is being coped with without affecting the side too much.

In fact, keep him on the sidelines for a wee while yet and his parent club AFC Wimbledon might forget how good he’s been for Dundee. . .

Knocking on the door

McMullan is flying. For me, he’s too good for the Championship.

Shaun Byrne is in midfield doing Shaun Byrne things, the centre-backs are rugged and getting their heads on everything, Cammy Kerr is doing just fine at left-back, Tyler French has been superb since his arrival and has been great at full-back.

The list goes on.

Add in flashes from Max Anderson, Josh Mulligan and Luke McCowan and that’s a formidable mix.

With guys like Fin Robertson, McCowan, Lyall Cameron and Joe Grayson knocking on the door to get in the team, that’s a very good situation to find yourself.

Not to mention the ability to switch not two but three goalkeepers in and out at will.

It’s all going so well, I don’t even see a defeat derailing the overall picture but that’s where a real test will come.

Next up is the Challenge Cup, a venue where they have never won, and then Cove Rangers followed by a crunch clash at Ayr United before Christmas.

That last one looks tastier by the day.

Keep up the good form through those three and the Dark Blues will be flying into 2023.