Pressley: There might be more pain along the way, but Dundee on right track

Steven Pressley is confident that Dundee are on the right track to getting to the level they want to be, but admits there “might be more pain along the way”.

The new boss got his first win at the Tayside club on Tuesday with a 3-1 League Cup group stage win over Bonnyrigg Rose.

That victory came after back-to-back defeats to Airdrieonians and Alloa Athletic, which consigned them to a first-round exit.

With Montrose up next in their final game in the competition this weekend, Pressley says another win, and good performance, is important as they build up some momentum ahead of the Premiership’s return in a week’s time.

And while he knows that reaching the required level won’t happen overnight, with as many as half a dozen new recruits needed, he is adamant that he is up for the challenge.

He said: “From a psychological perspective, the win midweek was very important, the lads have been working really hard, but we’ve probably been a little bit undercooked in recent games.

“We’ve not been fully up to speed, and that was another step in the right direction. It wasn’t a vintage performance, but I thought the players showed a really strong mentality and a never-say-die attitude.

“Momentum is a very important thing in football; a team with momentum and a team without momentum are two very different things, so it would be good if we could get not only a good result, but also a good performance on Saturday against Montrose.

“I think we are still going to be a long, long way away from where we want to be. There’s no doubt about that. I think I’ve gone on record as saying we probably need a minimum of six players.

“So by the time we get them in the building and round to our way of playing, it’s going to be some time, and I am realistic about that.

“I’ve said that there might be more pain along the way, and I want to be realistic about that as well, but we are going to work tirelessly hard, and the players have been hugely receptive.

“So, all in all, I am pleased in the direction we are going, obviously the results in some of the games, we would have wanted better. But we also have to look at the bigger picture.

“In the long term, I think we will start making an impact on the league; the shorter term will be a challenge, but it’s a challenge we are up for.”