Tony Docherty says derby win would ‘kick-start’ Dundee survival bid

Dundee manager Tony Docherty urged his players to utilise the unique nature of their city derby and get their season moving again.

Docherty’s side have only taken one point from a possible 18 and have been dragged firmly into a Premiership survival battle in the process.

Their aim is now to secure a first win at Tannadice since 2004 and Docherty believes there would be no better way to give their season a jolt than to beat Dundee United.

“You saw recently when we won the cup tie and broke a record we got a fantastic bounce from that,” he said of their January win over their neighbours.

“That’s the message to the players; it would be a big win and it would kick-start a really challenging period.

“A derby is different. The build-up to the match is brilliant. The actual game, the occasion, the walk down to the stadium, the atmosphere in the stadium, it’s fantastic.

“It allows you to do your preparation at your own stadium and then you can walk down, and you take in the atmosphere.

“When you are attracting players to the football club, and you show them that, they look at you and they don’t believe you. But when they get involved in that, that’s all they talk about.

“It’s traditional, it’s very unique and it’s something you should savour. But you only enjoy it or savour it when you get the desired result.

“It’s important you play the game not the occasion, that there’s clam heads and you carry out the game plan. Allow all the noise round about you but focus on what you can do as a player individually and as a team what you can bring together.”