The ins and outs of relgation will be debated for quite some time on various sites, this one included, but for now I'd like to focus on 3 main aspects.
1. How many of these Dees will turn up next season?
2. What exactly are the board of directors doing to ensure a quick return to the SPL?
3. Is Jim Duffy capable to motivate and tactically instruct the players better ?
These questions will be crucial to the survival of Dundee Football Club so lets start the debate on each one.
How many Dees will turn up next season? Well no-one can possibly know that for sure but more than ever the club needs bums on seats. In crucial home games this past season the fans just did not turn up in the numbers required. In fact they did more than anyone to end the sleeping giant myth.
Small Dens crowds will simply help the away teams next season because in 1st Division terms our ground is huge. 3000 fans scattered around Dens simply cannot make an atmosphere and the boo boys will be out in force from day one, we can be certain of that.
Every single Dee should should be encouraged to turn up to support the team and this means that the club will need to do all they can to encourage them including simply asking them every single week. The manager can play a part in this by appealing to the fans.
Next up is the board. Obviously they have started cost cutting measures again, about 5 years too late, and the these will impact across the board. Some excellent servants have gone from the club including Ray Farningham, Steve Campbell, Dave Forbes and others.
The situation at Dens has been well documented and I do not intend going all over it again but I would like to say that the Marrs are soley to blame for the financial predicament and have yet to be held accountable for their actions. They have also yet to explain where the money went as it was not on players or wages.
Will the manager be given any funds next season? What sort of squad will we have to compete in the 1st Division? How many more players will need to move on?
The board has been very quite and this time its not just the Marrs. Dundee FC has a board of directors now including Bob Brannan and fans rep George Knight. Both I believe will be at the Dee4Life meeting on Monday evening. This is a chance for the fans to ask what the hell is going on. Get along and ask.
Finally our manager. Jim Duffy has been a rock through administration but his managerial skills are once again up for debate. He has now taken Dundee down twice and Hibs in between. Has he been kept on through some sort of loyalty or do the board believe he is the man for the job in a football sense?
We simply do not have room for sentiment as far as the managers job is concerned. My own opinion is that he should have gone. He hasn't so now we must support him and the team in their efforts to get back to the SPL.
It won't be an easy job and although I don't think he is the right man for the job we must support him fully.
Next season will make or break our club. We simply must win the league. Second is no good.
Lets hope those who wear the Dark Blue will be aware of that and busting a gut for every minute of every game. Nothing less is acceptable.