Steven Pressley: Fan patience crucial in Dundee squad rebuild

Steven Pressley has warned Dundee’s summer rebuild will require patience from supporters.

The Dark Blues have 17 players signed for the new season but a rebuild is still required at Dens Park.

This week captain Joe Shaughnessy and midfielder Scott Tiffoney left after rejecting the chance to stay.

Josh Mulligan is no longer under contract, but a deal remains on the table.

As Dee returned for pre-season training, midfielders Kyle Magennis and Tommy McDermott arrived on trial having worked with new technical manager David Longwell at St Mirren and Burnley respectively.

‘Longer period of time’

Having something of a blank canvas to work on can be an opportunity for a new head coach like Pressley to mould the kind of squad he wants.

However, it also brings with it risk if new players coming in don’t work out.

And Pressley has warned fans should not expect his team to be firing on all cylinders when the season starts.

“When I look at a lot of good teams, they generally don’t just come together overnight,” he said.

Kyle Magennis in action for Kilmarnock. Image: Shutterstock.

“They’re built over a longer period of time.

“At Brentford this year, probably three or four of the best performers within the team all took a year to a year-and-a-half to fully settle within the organisation.

“There are some good elements in the respect you can bring in the players, but equally the players are not accustomed to how you work, to the principles that you play to, all of the culture you try to develop.

“So it takes time, it takes time.

“But don’t get me wrong, sometimes you just can get the momentum early.

“I’m well aware that there’s some positives around it, about you can reshape it, but there’s also some difficulties.”

Working with Frank

Pressley spent four years working under Thomas Frank at Brentford as they consistently punched above their weight in the English Premier League.

And he’s keen to put as much as he learned from that experience into practice at Dundee.

“A big part of success [at Brentford] is the culture,” he said.

“But I think when I look at this club and I’ve met a lot of people, I think there tends to be a good feeling around the club about working in this environment and culture.

“So it’s a good starting point.

“And I think there’s a lot of things around the processes and strategies that I learned at Brentford that I think are really important.

“Also just the way the manager worked there. There was some really good strengths around his management style.”