I will be honest from the very start.
I have yet to see the full ninety minutes of our goalless draw against Motherwell on Saturday so my analysis of the game will be judged on the five minute highlights on the BBC and official match reports.
Going by what I have read, seen and listened to by people who made the trip to Fir Park, it was a good point for Dundee. We started the game slowly and Motherwell were the better team, applying most of the pressure. The team defended well and limited the amount of clear cut chances that the Steelmen could produce. We did have a few chances ourselves though but none that would trouble their goalkeeper that much.
The second half was a vast improvement as the Dees started to come more into the game. We started to have a go at Motherwell and looked more attacking with the ever improving Faissal El Bakhtaoui showing that he seems to be finding his feet after taking the leap up two divisions in the summer.
When the final whistle sounded, both teams could not find the breakthrough that each eagerly tried to produce. Motherwell may feel that they had done enough to warrant the three points but Dundee would be the happier with the point and of course a clean sheet, our first in the league since April when we drew with Celtic at Dens Park.
There was the good news that new signing Kevin Gomis showed up well for us in the centre of the defence. This has been an area that looked suspect and lightweight this season so hopefully this is the start of a solid pairing between himself and the ever reliable Darren O’Dea.
So what is my thought on the start we have had this season?
Five points from a possible twelve is not a bad return. Realistically, we should have been sitting on seven when you look at the fixtures list. We should always be looking to win when we play teams like Hamilton at home so in my opinion, the draw with them has been the only negative result wise. Performance wise, we can do better. We need to go out and get stuck in from the off.
We head into the international break now but before that we have Transfer Deadline Day to get out the way. I cannot see any more players leaving Dens. We look to have done all of our selling this summer so all eyes will be on what players we will bring in.
The rumour mill has been throwing up players names left right and centre but the only two solid names have been in the form of free agent Tom Hateley and St Mirren’s Stevie Mallan. I spoke about both players last week but there has been some news regarding them since.
Dundee have dropped their interest in Mallan due to our offer not matching their supposedly high valuation of him. We have been after him all summer so I cannot see this one being finished just yet, no matter what the official word is.
Tom Hateley has been offered a contract from the Dee but we are not the only ones to put something on the table. Hibernian will most certainly have offered him a deal along with Partick and a few English clubs. The deal we have offered him may not be more lucrative than what some of the other clubs have offered but we can only cross our fingers that the gaffer has sold him on a team and club that are going places and it is not all about the money.
Just a quick word about the national team. We take on Malta in our first World Cup Qualifier on Sunday and the only possible finish for this match should be a comfortable win. I am not the biggest fan of Gordon Strachan and even less of a fan of his squad and team selections but I will back them to do the business.
