Dundee Manager Tony Docherty Confident of Turnaround Despite Recent Setbacks

Dundee manager Tony Docherty attributes his team’s recent struggles to various factors, expressing strong confidence that their performance will improve despite a current poor run of results. The Dark Blues, who recently suffered a 2-0 defeat against Celtic in midweek, have secured only one victory in their last eight league matches as they prepare to host Kilmarnock on Sunday. Docherty stated, “I am not worried in the slightest, I would be worried if it was performances.” He elaborated on his role, saying, “As manager the only thing I can demand of the players is they carry out the gameplans we work on and that results in performance.” He further expressed his philosophy: “I am a great believer if the performances are there the results will follow, so although we have fallen foul of quite a few things recently, and the results have not gone our way, it is such a tight competitive league.” The manager also felt his team was experiencing misfortune, adding, “I do feel we are a victim – I don’t like saying this – of a lot of things going against us. We are getting punished for a lot of things at the moment, individual mistakes, decisions going against us as well I have got to say from officials.” Despite these challenges, Docherty remains optimistic, concluding, “But I am a great believer of the harder you work the more luck you get. We have been working hard on the training ground.” Having finished sixth upon their return to the top-flight last season, Dundee currently occupies 10th place in the league standings but has the opportunity to re-enter the top half with a victory against Killie. Reflecting on past seasons, Docherty remarked, “I think this time last year we went on a strong run later on, so I realise the league is very much in its infancy at the moment.” He added, “We are only 10 games in, but I am buoyed and encouraged by the most recent game – the performance levels against Celtic.” The manager concluded with optimism for the upcoming home fixture: “And if we can maintain those performance levels, and now it is a home game, then I am very confident, as are the squad, that the results will follow because you have got to have a trust and belief in the process.”