Dundee

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Centre-backs tend not to grab the praise too often, so let me buck the trend by waxing lyrical about Dundee's Ryan Astley.

Since his unheralded arrival from Everton in January 2024, the Welshman has gone from strength to strength.

He has played every minute for the Dark Blues this term in a rearguard that has conceded just seven goals in seven Premiership games – only Celtic and Rangers have let in fewer.

Last season Astley made 37 starts for Dundee, and the one before that it was 29.

He has established himself as a solid and reliable performer, the kind of player who, while he maybe doesn't always catch the eye, is highly effective.

At 25, Astley has plenty of development still to come. Dundee clearly value him highly having handed him a new deal until the summer of 2029 earlier this year.

Two of his former defensive team-mates, Luke Graham and Billy Koumetio, secured moves to Stoke City and Charlton Athletic respectively during the summer.

It would come as no surprise if there were plenty of potential suitors monitoring the continued progress of Astley.

For now, Dundee fans will just be hoping Astley continues being a rock in a Dens side decimated by injuries.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

BBC Sport Scotland has been taking a look at away ticket pricing in Scottish football.

It is an issue which has been tackled at the highest level south of the border, with a £30 away ticket cap having been in operation in the Premier League for a decade.

Is anything similar on the agenda north of the border?

While it doesn't appear to be at the moment, we have been canvassing the thoughts of some of our regular Fan's Voice contributors.

An adult away fan going to a league game at Dundee will pay between £26 - £33 depending on the fixture, with concessions ranging from £5 to £22.

Dundee fan Ethan Hampton says: "I really like how there is an away-day culture in British football.

"You want it to stay intact but how much more can you ask of supporters when they are bleeding themselves dry to follow their team? In England, they can maybe take the hit on ticket prices, but Scotland is not the same."

Read more: Are SPFL away tickets too expensive?

Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

Are underlying numbers from the start of the Scottish Premiership season suggesting a refreshed approach could be taking hold across the league?

Well, the success stories at Motherwell and Falkirk last season seem to have had an influence.

Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin was humble enough to reveal that Jens Berthel Askou - now head coach at Toulouse in Ligue 1 - has inspired him to change his ways after more than 15 years as a player and manager in Scotland.

Goodwin's side are one of a number of Premiership teams to have undergone a stylistic shift this term, and that is reflected in the league's overall numbers, albeit the sample size remains small after just seven matches for each club.

Compared with the previous five Scottish top-flight seasons, passes per game have soared to 886. That is an increase of 58 on last term. Five years ago, the average was 795.

Passing accuracy is also at a high of 81%, which is quite a remarkable increase on the 73% recorded in 2023-24.

That is down to more short passing. The percentage of long passes across the league (13%) is now at its lowest level of the past five years. Perhaps surprisingly, Hearts and Rangers go long more than any other teams.

Goodwin's United, meanwhile, have gone from average possession of 42% last term to 50% this season. Their accurate passes per match have rocketed from 219 to 320.

It is a similar story for St Mirren under Craig McLeish and Neil McCann's Kilmarnock, while league leaders Celtic and Alfred Johansson's Motherwell are locked at the top of the possession chart on 61%.

The promotion of St Johnstone back into the league, replacing Livingston, has added another side who aim to play a more expansive brand.

The recent appointment of Dutch head coach Marink Reedijk at Hibernian will only enhance that.

Read more: Why early-season data points to Premiership style shift

Image source, Getty Images

Midfielder Alfie Harrison has joined Dundee on a contract until January, with the option of an extension.

The 20-year-old former Blackburn, Manchester City and Newcastle youth player became a free agent in June and joins Dundee amid a spate of injuries at Dens Park.

Harrison said he had "loved every bit" of his trial with Dundee and added: "It was somewhere I wanted to show what I'm about and now hopefully I can push on and keep doing my thing.

"I'd love to be here for a long period of time but that's down to me to show."

Manager Steven Pressley commented: "We had a feeling that when the window closed, our business was complete, but due to unforeseen circumstances around injury, we've been forced back into the market.

"As a result of that, Alfie joined us on trial several weeks ago and has worked really hard. We think he's a young player with great potential that can add competition to the squad and we're delighted to welcome Alfie on board."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Steven Pressley has called for a show of "incredible resolve and character" from his depleted Dundee side amid the "serious adversity" of the club's injury crisis.

The head coach's selection troubles have deepened with strike pair Bobby Wales and Joe Westley picking up ankle knocks this week.

The duo will undergo scans to determine the severity of the injuries and could join a lengthy list of players who are unavailable for Saturday's Premiership trip to Falkirk.

Pressley said: "I went home after training yesterday thinking we would potentially have our four strikers available for this weekend - and it looks very like it might only be two.

"We probably have at present seven players, that would all consider themselves as potential starters, potentially unavailable for this weekend.

"So it is very challenging and those that are fit and ready are going to have to show incredible resolve, incredible energy, incredible character at a stadium where we have failed to get a result [win] since it has been open."

Dundee are set to tap into the free agent market to bolster their squad.

During the international break, Manchester United loanee Jack Moorhouse joined Simon Murray and Fin Robertson in being ruled out for the remainder of the season with ACL injuries.

Charlie Reilly, Ryan Finnigan, Joe Wright and Ashley Hay have also been sidelined, although the latter could return this weekend.

Pressley said: "I think now it is not about what has caused them [the injuries], it is about finding the solutions from the players that are available.

"They always seem to respond to adversity and we at present are under serious adversity and hopefully a number of them will step forward."

With so many players on the treatment table, Pressley was asked if he is tempted to wrap the ones that are available in cotton wool.

He said: "No, and the one thing you have always got to be careful around in these situations is that we end up going into protective mode and we end up de-training and then you end up with players suffering physically from that.

"So we haven't cut back. In fact, during this period we have actually pushed a little bit more so hopefully we will see the benefits of that in some of our players."

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Dundee head coach Steven Pressley has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premiership visit to Falkirk (15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines:

• Striker Bobby Wales will have a scan later on Wednesday after injuring his ankle playing for Scotland Under-21s on Tuesday night. Fellow forward Joe Westley will also have a scan after damaging his ankle in training - the extent of both injuries is unclear - although Ashley Hay is available for a comeback.

• Pressley says: "I went home after training yesterday thinking we would potentially have our four strikers available for this weekend - and it looks very like it might only be two."

• It has worsened an already bad injury situation, with the head coach saying: "We probably have at present seven players, that would all consider themselves as potential starters, potentially unavailable for this weekend."

• Pressley describes it as "challenging" and "serious adversity" and says the players that are available will need to show "incredible resolve, incredible energy, incredible character at a stadium where we have failed to get a result [win] since it has been open."

• He admits the club have been looking at everything they are doing as they assess the injury situation but adds: "I think now it is not about what has caused them, it is about finding the solutions from the players that are available."

• Pressley has been assessing a couple of trialists and "there might be news around one of them within the next 24, 48 hours" as Dundee seek a "short-term solution" to their depleted squad.

• Far from wrapping his fit players in cotton wool, he says it is important they don't go into "protective mode" and start "de-training" because that can lead to more injuries.

• Pressley says this weekend's game is important for both clubs given the tightness of the league.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Image source, SNS

Steven Pressley has seemed reluctant to dip into the free agent market, but Dundee's eye-watering injury list has forced his hand.

The Dens Park club have three players out for the season with cruciate knee ligament injuries - Simon Murray, Finlay Robertson and Jack Moorhouse - as well as a raft of others currently also on the sidelines.

So, unsurprisingly, Pressley has been exploring the possibility of bringing in reinforcements during this international break.

He has been running the rule over a couple of trialist midfielders which would suggest it is the creative areas he feels need bolstering.

It remains to be seen if there will be any new faces signed before Saturday's Premiership trip to Falkirk - but it would come as no surprise if there are.

Dundee have started the season well - they are fourth in the table - and the immediate challenge is to prevent that early positivity being derailed by injury.

Ethan Hampton
Fan writer

Over the weekend Owen Goodman and Luke Graham made their international debuts for Canada and Scotland respectively.

You can't help but feel proud as punch for the pair of them.

Goalkeeper Goodman has been a brilliant signing for Dundee and it's no surprise he has been rewarded on the international stage.

It was gutting, though, to hear about Jack Moorhouse's ACL injury. The Man United loanee only made two Dundee appearances before being ruled out for the season.

We all wish him a speedy and full recovery. It's a real shame because, in the little we did see of him, there looked to be something very promising for all parties involved.

That's three ACL injuries in six weeks for Dundee - unheard of. Rotten luck, but an opportunity opens up for someone else.

Steven Pressley is currently running the rule over two trialists, which suggests we're looking at an immediate replacement. Ideally that means a midfield option who can link the transition into attack neatly.

We travel to Falkirk next and hopefully pick up where we left off. It has been a bogey ground for Dundee over the years - we have never beaten the Bairns at the Falkirk Stadium in a league game.

Dundee haven't beaten Falkirk away in the top flight since 1987 - back when they played at Brockville and on that day we won 6-0! So there are another few records up for grabs for Pressley to add to his collection.

Dundee head coach Steven Pressley is casting his eye over a couple of trialists as he considers strengthening his injury-hit squad. (Record - subscription required, external)

Tuesday's Scottish gossip

Image source, Getty Images

Dundee goalkeeper Owen Goodman kept a clean sheet on his Canada debut.

The 22-year-old, on loan from Crystal Palace, was the only player in the starting XI not to be replaced during a 2-0 friendly win over Peru in Montreal.

Los Angeles FC winger Jacob Shaffelburg scored both goals for Jesse Marsch's team.

Image source, SNS

Dundee have been hailed as the "great overachievers" of the early Premiership season after confounding expectations.

Boss Steven Pressley warned in the summer of a lot of pain ahead for the club, but his new-look side occupy fourth place with 10 points from their opening seven games.

And the Dark Blues' start has been applauded on the BBC's Scottish football podcast where pundits were asked to choose the team most punching above their weight.

Mark Atkinson, sports editor of The Scotsman, plumped for Dundee, saying: "They're sitting comfortably in the top half of the table, joint fourth, playing some really nice football.

"They've also posted some some statement results. They've beaten Aberdeen, which was the best performance Pressley said he'd seen from his Dundee team. And then they also won the derby.

"So I think he'll be delighted with how his team has started. And remember, Dundee have to constantly evolve their squad, every season they lose players.

"And they often bring in youngsters who need a bit of time to to bed in. Pressley's done a great job there so far.

"They signed off the first part of the season with a big win over Motherwell. So Dundee for me, because I did expect them to be probably at the wrong end of the table at this stage."

Head coach Steven Pressley says Dundee will fast-track re-signing talks with six players out of contract next summer. (Daily Record, external)

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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We asked you to rate Dundee's season and tell us what Steven Pressley should be focusing on during the international break.

Here is what some of you said:

Iain B: Brilliant start to the season. Never seen a more organised team. Don't half love making us nervous but they have given us reason to trust them. If only we didn't have an extensive list of injuries.

Pete: Good start so far, serious injuries are killing us, think we would have beaten Hearts without them. Promising season ahead if we have a bit of luck with the injuries.

Jayeffell: I think we have been a tad lucky. Yet in some games we look outstanding. The defence looks tighter and, to me, Ryan Astley is a better player than Luke Graham. If Joe Bevan can push on he'll be some player but his early-season good form has dropped. A better gauge will see how things are after about 14 games. Pressley doing okay.

Iago: On the balance of things, to be sitting with the points total we have after playing some very tough sides means progress has been made. Patience has always been the mantra from Pressley since he arrived. The fans took some time to buy into it, but are now reaping the benefits.

Iain S: Hard to make a definitive judgement with some mixed results, but the most promising change this season is low-scoring games, win or lose. In recent years we have had some really big defeats. Defensively, we seem to have tightened up significantly.

Innes: Happy with start to the season. Definitely signs of upward and forward looking. Positivity is obvious compared to doom and gloom last season. Goes to show that Elvis is getting it right on and off the field. Hopefully the team can keep moving forward to a higher and more solid position at end of season.

Gary: We've definitely not been dealt a good hand with injuries, but have largely looked fairly comfortable. Centrally we're forming good partnerships. Apart from the two back-to-back home games where we dropped points our league performances have been pretty decent, so I'm happy enough but we need injury returnees and maybe some loans.

Head coach Steven Pressley has admitted Dundee's crippling injury crisis has forced them to look at the free agent market. (Courier - subscription required, external).

A trialist is expected to play for Dundee in Thursday's bounce game against Hearts after Jack Moorhouse was the latest to suffer an ACL injury. (Record - subscription required, external)

Thursday's Scottish gossip

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Steven Pressley must feel the football gods are out to get him.

To have one player ruled out for the season with an ACL injury is bad luck, but to have three is the stuff of nightmares.

That is the scenario the Dundee boss now faces. With Simon Murray and Fin Robertson's campaigns already over, midfielder Jack Moorhouse is now also set for a lengthy spell out.

The 20-year-old Manchester United loanee damaged his ACL during a bounce game with Partick Thistle last week.

I recently suggested the international break may be a good thing for the Dark Blues in helping to ease their casualty list.

So the news about Moorhouse will be a real hammer blow for the club.

Dundee will emerge from the hiatus looking to build on an encouraging start to the season which sees them well placed in fourth in the Premiership after their opening seven games.

However, that will be incredibly difficult if their injury curse doesn't go away.

As the extended international break continues, we want to hear your thoughts on Dundee's opening seven games in the Scottish Premiership.

Despite another summer of squad upheaval, Steven Pressley's side have already racked up three wins - it took them 14 league games to achieve that feat last term - and are sitting pretty in fourth place.

How do you rate Dundee's start to the season and why? And what should Pressley be focusing on during the extended break?

Let us know here

Dundee's on-loan midfielder Jack Moorhouse, 20, has returned to parent club Manchester United after sustaining an anterior cruciate ligament injury in a bounce game. (Courier - subscription required, external)

Forward Bobby Wales, 21, hesitated before joining Dundee on loan from Swansea City but is glad to have made the move. (Courier - subscription required, external)

Wednesday's Scottish gossip

Ethan Hampton
Fan writer

It's great to see Jon McCracken and Luke Graham in Sebastien Pocognoli's Scotland squad.

Both have come on leaps and bounds during their time in Dundee's Dark Blue, and I know many within the club will be proud to see them receiving international recognition even though they have both moved on to pastures new.

McCracken in particular was underrated and, at times, overcriticised during his time at Dens Park.

Perhaps that was partly down to the frustration of knowing just how good a goalkeeper he could be. With his flirtations with the Scotland squad while at Dundee, there was perhaps an expectation among supporters that he would develop at a more rapid rate.

His move to Bradford City looks to have served him well and his international recognition is deserved.

Graham, meanwhile, he's taken to life at Stoke like a duck to water and there was never any doubt he was destined to become a Scotland international. For me, he should have been at the World Cup.

Taken together, these selections are a strong testament to Dundee's growing reputation for player development since our return to the top flight.

I suspect we'll see more internationalists fly the flag for the Dark Blues in the near future. At the moment we're keeping a keen eye on Canada for the potential debut of Owen Goodman, who has been in tremendous form for Dundee this season.

Former Celtic winger Aiden McGeady has explained how Dundee technical director Gordon Strachan opened the door for him to help head coach Steven Pressley coach the club's wingers and forwards on an ad-hoc basis. (The Courier, external)

Read Tuesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Image source, SNS

Bobby Wales scored twice as Dundee beat Partick Thistle 3-0 in a bounce game on Tuesday before the on-loan striker joined up with the Scotland Under-21 squad. (The Courier - subscription required, external)

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

Steven Pressley will be using the international break to look back on the season so far - and he can rightly be satisfied.

His Dundee side have gone well during the early knockings of the Premiership campaign, occupying fourth place with 10 points from seven games.

That is pretty decent - even more so considering the context.

After Dundee's 2-1 home win over Motherwell last weekend, Pressley described the season so far as "solid... considering there's been a lot of transition in the group, all the injuries and upheaval".

He is right - it has been another busy summer at Dens Park with a raft of key players departing and a host of new faces arriving.

That combination isn't always conducive to a positive start, but Pressley has got a decent tune out of his new-look group.

He has also had to deal with an eye-watering injury list that has forced him to heavily shuffle his pack and find a way of making do and mending to accommodate the absence of players like Simon Murray and Ashley Hay.

When you factor all that in, it further highlights what a good job Pressley has done.

But it does also beg a question that will tantalise Dark Blues fans - how much better can this team get once the new-look squad has fully gelled and the injury list has eased?

Football is very much about the here and now, but Dundee's trajectory could be an upward one over the coming weeks and months.

Image source, SNS

Luke Graham says getting his first call-up to the Scotland squad was "pretty surreal".

The 22-year-old defender has impressed since making the summer switch to Stoke City, playing eight games so far in the Championship.

Sebastien Pocognoli included the former Dundee defender in his first Scotland squad - a pleasant surprise for the Graham family.

"My mum and dad were down because I had a game that weekend, so for him to call me the day after with them there it was pretty special - and they were fairly chuffed as well," said Graham.

"Obviously, it's a new manager, so everyone's raring to go and trying to impress but I just need to show myself up in the best way I can and hopefully try and get some minutes."

Graham has won eight caps for Scotland at under-21 level and he's hoping that experience can push him forward with the first team.

"It does help coming in fully for the first time but obviously I knew a couple of boys before that, anyway, with under-21s and stuff like that, so that helps to kind of bed it in as well," added the defender.

"Just to meet up with the boys today and then get that first session, obviously with the new manager and stuff, was pretty vital, so it was really good."

Ethan Hampton
Fan writer

Joe Westley was signed to be a goalscoring striker for Dundee.

But after an impressive makeshift move into midfield, that position was his to lose before he suffered a knee injury in December which kept him out for three months.

Since the split last season, we've gone back to Plan A with the striker leading the line. As a result, he's been the talisman finding the net again.

Fans feared the worst when Westley was taken off on a stretcher at Tynecastle two weeks ago. Despite a fractured cheekbone, he refused surgery and is now donning a mask to play.

The 21-year-old is the hero Dundee need right now. Three goals in 537 minutes of Premiership football is effectively one every two games. This is a subplot worth keeping an eye on as the firepower at Dundee's disposal is potentially the best it's been in years.

The past three weeks have been frustrating, but heading into the international break in fourth place is excellent going.

We have a good spine to the team with partnerships forming all over. It feels like we're a team moving from strength to strength and three weeks with no games serves as a chance for the squad to continue to build familiarity while injured players return.

Man United loan midfielder Jack Moorhouse - who was the Dark Blues' top target this summer - is one to watch after the break with this time to settle in.