Confidence has been an issue, admits Mccann
Neil Mccann last night insisted Dundee can turn their season around.
T he Da r k Blues c ra s h e d to a fourth straight defeat yesterday, leaving themselves firmly rooted to the bottom of the Premiership.
Once again, Mccann’s side were booed off the park by concerned fans.
But the under-pressure Dee gaffer insists he and his players can turn the tide in their favour.
“We are clearly disappointed we lost another game,” he said.
“But we started last season like this and got going.
“It is tough for us at the minute. I think we are playing quite tight at the moment and you can see we are lacking in confidence.
“We keep giving ourselves a lot to do.
“But I do see enough in the boys and I think the additions I have made will be good for us. You can see the impact they are having inside the dressing room.
“I don’t think there is a lack of belief. Maybe t h e r e ’s a lack of confidence – but we have got a good side.”
Dundee struggled to hold on to possession as Motherwell romped to victory at Dens.
Mccann felt the S t e e l m e n’s physical approach played its part in his s i d e’s c a l l ow display.
“I’m asking the referee to give our centre-backs a bit more protection,” he said.
“I think Main’s a bustler – sometimes when he jumps he’s not trying to win the ball, he’s trying to put centre-backs off.
“That’s when defenders maybe get a sore face when they’re trying to win the ball.
“To be fair, it’s not only that, because in the second half I thought Motherwell played some of their better stuff.
“Bu t when we got ourselves back in it, we had a few more chances, we just didn’t get that wee break.
“We’re still searching for that, but I think once we alleviate the pressure and get ourselves in front, we can relax and you’ll see the best of us.”
One man Dundee won’t now be seeing the best of is Steven Caulker.
The former Liverpool and Tottenham star was allowed to leave Dens Park on deadline day, despite having a season to run on his contract, and despite having been the subject of a “club record b i d” from Rosenborg in April.
“When a player decides he doesn’t want to be here, that he wants to leave and try other challenges, you can’t hold someone prisoner,” said Mccann.
“I’m trying to weigh up if it’s best for the club to keep somebody that wants another challenge, then does it become an influence within the dressing room that we don’t need?
“We’d have loved some money for him – he was on a big, big wage for this club. But he goes with our best wishes because he helped keep our Premiership status.”