Tony Docherty was in bullish temper moments after Dundee had preserved their Premiership standing with a last-day victory over a condemned St Johnstone facet. ‘We have been by no means dropping this recreation,’ he said.
Waiting for subsequent season, he promised to take inventory of a disappointing marketing campaign that had seen his Darkish Blues facet concede an eye-watering 77 objectives throughout 38 video games — a median of two each 90 minutes.
By 9am yesterday, Dundee relayed the information that Docherty and his backroom workforce had been faraway from their duties.
‘Sunday’s outcome confirmed the membership’s place within the Scottish Premiership for subsequent season,’ learn their assertion. ‘Nevertheless, this season the outcomes of the workforce haven’t met the requirements anticipated by the membership.
‘With the membership ending the season in tenth place, one place above the relegation play-off place, the membership have taken the choice to alleviate Tony of his duties.
‘The membership intends at this juncture to restructure the soccer division and the method to nominate a brand new administration workforce begins instantly.’
Tony Docherty was sacked the day after his Dundee workforce preserved their Premiership standing
Docherty had been bullish after a final-day victory towards St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park
The Darkish Blues gained their battle however Docherty had misplaced the struggle. For homeowners Tim Keyes and John Nelms, the actual fact that they have been concerned within the relegation equation was evidently an excessive amount of to abdomen.
They might have been a automobile crash defensively however Dundee’s freewheeling attacking type — they have been the fourth highest scorers within the league with 57 objectives — endeared them to many soccer observers.
In time-honoured vogue, Docherty’s sacking can be met with incredulity by the standard suspects on Sportsound and past.
Dig a bit deeper, although, and his elimination is much less stunning.
The ruthless Dundee board distributed with Docherty’s predecessor Gary Bowyer in related vogue hours after he had gained the Championship and been named supervisor of the 12 months in 2022-23. It seems Nelms and Co might be decisive, brutally so… until it involves casting votes to curtail the league season throughout a pandemic.
What is obvious from the membership’s assertion is that they count on rather more than Docherty delivered in his second season at Dens.
So can the 54-year-old depend himself unfortunate his bosses didn’t place confidence in him transferring ahead?
His first season at Dens was an enormous success, sealing a top-six place of their first season again within the Premiership while blooding younger expertise like Lyall Cameron and Josh Mulligan and Liverpool mortgage star Owen Beck.
Even amid that success, defending was a problem, with extra objectives conceded (68) than each different workforce within the league other than backside facet Livingston.
Docherty’s failure to repair that problem has come residence to roost.
The supervisor sought to handle his workforce’s failures in the summertime, including skilled centre-half Clark Robertson in addition to younger defenders Billy Koumetio, Ethan Ingram, Imari Samuels and Ziyad Larkeche (mortgage). Aaron Donnelly arrived on a everlasting deal in January after a profitable mortgage spell final season.
Even with a much-changed defensive line-up, although, clear sheets have been laborious to return by, leaving the supervisor and his teaching workforce because the unmistakable frequent denominator.
Responsible the defence alone can be a mistake. Lots of the objectives conceded come from Dundee midfielders daydreaming as opposition gamers drift into harmful areas. Additionally they have a foul behavior of dropping the ball, generally in their very own field, whereas making an attempt to assemble the proper counter assault.
The membership’s coverage of shopping for younger gamers from English academies was daring and bold however has misfired fully and left Docherty with a squad large on numbers however quick on males he can belief.
An upbringing within the plush environment of Brighton, Nottingham Forest or Liverpool counts for little when the bodily calls for of Scottish soccer smack you within the face on the SMISA Stadium or Fir Park.
Koumetio and Ingram, each children with restricted first-team expertise, appeared to take turns in making match-defining errors earlier within the season whereas left-back Samuels has hardly ever been seen since making his first begin within the 6-0 residence loss to Hearts in February.
Regardless of stock-piling centre halves to accommodate a 3-5-2 formation, membership captain Joe Shaughnessy generally appears to be the one participant on the books who recognises the worth of placing his boot by way of the ball and clearing his traces.
You’ll be able to’t assist suppose Dundee would have been served higher with the addition of a few hard-bitten professionals as an alternative of a list of mission gamers.
Bringing gamers midway all over the world from Mexico has additionally proved a misguided enterprise. Of the three Mexicans on the books, solely defender Antonio Portales has proved match for function.
Joe Shaughnessy has been one of many few dependable performers in a poor Dundee defence
If Docherty is the prime mover in Dundee’s switch dealings, all of this falls on him. If not, he has been dealt a poor hand.
An absence of pragmatism has additionally proved expensive. They conceded a late winner to ten-man Motherwell whereas going hell for leather-based for 3 factors when a draw would have inched them away from relegation hazard.
Take a look at the success tales of the Premiership this season: Jim Goodwin’s Dundee United and Stephen Robinson’s St Mirren. Two stable, hardworking groups who’re laborious to interrupt down and know learn how to win ugly. In so some ways the precise reverse of Docherty’s Dundee. Now have a look at the league desk. United up in fourth of their first season after promotion and St Mirren within the prime six once more.
This season may even have turned out worse for the Darkish Blues however for Ross County’s disintegration. Don Cowie’s facet, as soon as candidates for the highest six, took two factors from the final 27 out there and now look weak within the play-off to streetwise Livingston.
Docherty’s facet have had their moments. They loved good-looking residence wins over Hibs, Motherwell and savoured an emphatic 4-2 triumph towards rivals United at Tannadice.
Simply as common, although, have been the chastening defeats. Hammerings towards the Previous Agency are dime a dozen for groups like Dundee however they’ve additionally misplaced closely to Hearts (6-0), Hibs (4-0), Aberdeen (4-1) and Ross County (3-0).
Docherty’s behavior of blaming VAR and referees has additionally worn skinny. That stated, his workforce have been on the unsuitable finish of arguably the worst refereeing determination of the season final Wednesday when referee Nick Walsh awarded Ross County a stoppage-time penalty for handball within the 1-1 draw that extended Dundee’s agony till the ultimate day.
Docherty can at the very least now chill out understanding the job of fixing their hapless defence and constructing a extra sturdy squad for subsequent season will fall to another person. The Dundee board have ambitions past scrapping for survival within the canine days of the season. Now they should again their subsequent supervisor with assets to match their expectations.
