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Former Dundee United and Hearts manager Robbie Neilson has described Dundee as the “form team” in the Scottish Premiership following their three consecutive victories, with Steven Pressley’s side preparing to face league leaders Hearts at Tynecastle on Sunday after their recent upturn in results.
Robbie Neilson Labels Dundee Scottish Premiership’s ‘Form Team’ After Revival
Dundee’s transformation has been remarkable after winning just three of their previous 18 matches before their 1-0 victory over Falkirk on 27 December, with the club appearing destined for a relegation battle. The festive period has brought three wins in a row, including last weekend’s Dundee derby triumph at Dundee United, completely changing their season’s trajectory under Pressley’s guidance.
Neilson, speaking on the BBC’s Scottish Football Podcast, praised Pressley’s tactical adjustments that have underpinned the revival. “I know Steven very well and speak to him pretty regularly and when he came in at the start of season they were trying to find a way to be defensively stable,” Neilson explained. The former manager highlighted how Pressley experimented with a more possession-based approach before reverting to defensive solidity after losing a couple of games.
The tactical shift back to defensive stability has provided Dundee with the foundation to win matches, according to Neilson’s analysis. “They’ve gone back to being a lot more defensively solid, which has given them a base to then go and win games. They’re starting to take their chances as well now,” he noted. Neilson acknowledged the difficulty of securing natural goal scorers due to their expense, making Dundee’s improved conversion rate particularly impressive.
Neilson emphasised Dundee’s comprehensive improvement across all phases of play during their winning streak. “Dundee are going through a period where they’re scoring their goals, yes, but they’re being so much more defensively solid – a lot more solid at set plays, a lot more solid out of possession and in possession,” he observed. The former Hearts manager concluded by expressing satisfaction for Pressley’s turnaround, stating “after a difficult start to the season, now they look like the form team.”
