Gary Irvine admits the Dundee players need to be fast learners after Saturday’s demoralising defeat at Livingston.
If not, they will experience another torrid time on Tuesday night in the League Cup against Aberdeen at Pittodrie.
Irvine was part of the Dark Blues squad subjected to a 30-minute dressing-room dressing-down by manager Barry Smith at the end of a game which saw Dundee ship four sloppy goals.
The defence was found wanting at Almondvale as they were outmuscled, outpaced and outhought by Livi’s Kenny Deuchar and Iain Russell.
It was Russell who inflicted the first blow on Dundee as he coolly netted in just the fourth minute, with Deuchar getting the second shortly after.
The Dark Blues create a host of chances but none were taken before Deuchar prodded home his second.
Smith’s men fought back, with Irvine heading home to reduce the deficit before Livi goalie Andy McNeil handed them a second when he turned the ball into his own net at a corner.
Dundee tried to salvage a draw but were hit with a sucker punch in stoppage time when sub Kyle Jacobs drilled a shot into the back of Rab Douglas’s net to bring the curtain down on a dismal day for the Dark Blues.
Irvine admitted it was difficult to believe a defence that had been one of the most miserly in the country last season had gifted goals so often and easily.
He said: “That was a very sore one to take. It is extremely disappointing when you lose four goals in any game, especially the way we conceded the first three.Mistakes”To go three behind kills you and we left ourselves with a mountain to climb. They were really soft and there were bad mistakes throughout the whole team so we have a lot to work on.
“It was very uncharacteristic as I think we had the best record in the division last year and it is the same back five, so we need to have a right good shake-up and return to the way we were and make it a strong unit again.”
He continued: “I am not sure where it is going wrong at the moment but that is what training and speaking to each other about these things is supposed to sort out.
“The gaffer left us in no doubt what he thought of the performance and then he left us to speak about it amongst ourselves to discuss it as well. A lot of things came up and we have a lot that needs to be worked on and corrected.
“We now have a big game on Tuesday up in Aberdeen. It is probably better that we have a match straight away against a team playing in a higher division.
“They will punish us if we make the same mistakes, so we need to learn the lessons of the Livingston game and quickly.”
Saturday’s defeat is certain to see Smith redouble his efforts to bolster his squad, especially in midfield where Dundee look lightweight. In the meantime, he was left to reflect on what went wrong against Gary Bollan’s First Division new boys.
He said: “I think we defended very badly as a team and it is not acceptable. It is easy to play when you are 3-0 down.
“Everybody wanted the ball as there is no pressure when you are three behind but where were they when we were 1-0? We need to be mentally stronger.”