Dundee

Brian McLauchlin
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Dundee head coach Stephen Pressley says "bravery and basics" have been the focus of his preparations for Rangers' visit on Saturday.

Pressley's side sit fourth in the Scottish Premiership and victory over Derek McInnes' team would take them level on points with third-placed Hearts.

The Dundee boss believes the trust and belief he has in his players have been central to their success this season, insisting they will approach the challenge without fear of their opponents.

"I think one of the things about when you play the big teams is that they prey on that vulnerability," Pressley said. "You have a fear in your performance, you don't pass the ball or control the ball in the manner that you want to.

"So the two words I've spoken consistently about with the group this week have been bravery and the basics.

"If we give those two in our performance, plus a bit of luck, then of course we can get a result. But, even with all that, there's no guarantee.

"But I think if we show the bravery and we do the basics then as a manager I'll be very satisfied.

"Because I've said this time and time again, sometimes when Dundee play Celtic or Dundee play Rangers, winning for us isn't always on the scoreboard.

"Sometimes winning for us is just that, to a man, we feel we've brought the best of ourselves today. And the best of us might not be enough. But if we feel that after the game then we'll be happy."

Dundee have several key players sidelined with long-term injuries, but Pressley has been impressed by the resilience and professionalism within his squad.

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• Rangers' Djeidi Gassama has won more fouls (24) and had more touches in the opposing box (56) than any player in the Scottish Premiership this season, also completing a joint-high 15 dribbles.

• Rangers have won each of their last six league games and could win more in a row for the first time since February 2024 under Philippe Clement (9).

• Dundee have won both of their last two league matches, last winning three in a row in December 2025/January 2026.

• Rangers have won six of their last eight away games against Dundee in all competitions (D2), keeping five clean sheets in this period.

• Dundee are winless in 20 meetings with Rangers in all competitions (D4 L16) since a 2-1 league victory in November 2017.

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Striker Bobby Wales has returned to Swansea City from his loan spell at Dundee after suffering an ankle injury.

Wales has made five appearances for Dundee since joining the Scottish Premiership club on loan for the season in August.

But the 21-year-old is back in Wales being assessed by Swansea's medical staff after getting injured while playing for Scotland Under-21s.

"He's down at Swansea, but they want him to see a certain specialist, and that should take place next Wednesday," said Dundee boss Steven Pressley.

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Dundee head coach Steven Pressley has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Scottish Premiership match at home to Rangers (20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines:

• Pressley believes "bravery" and "basics" will be key to securing another positive result. The ex-Rangers defender also spoke about the need to overcome his former side's "physicality" and "winning mentality".

• "You have to be brave in the way that you play," he says. "But they'll ask questions of you, and you've got to do the basics to a really top-level, world-class standard to get a result."

• Pressley praised his depleted team's ability to do "the basics exceptionally well" in their late victory at Falkirk last time out. He says this is also one of the "great strengths" of Derek McInnes' Rangers team.

• "As a result of that, they ask the opposition to do those things," Pressley says of the Ibrox side. "And if we don't do them, then Rangers will win the game."

• Pressley revealed that on-loan striker Bobby Wales, who recently injured his ankle while on Scotland Under-21 duty, has returned to his parent club Swansea to see a specialist.

• "Bobby will not hear [the extent of his injury] until next Wednesday," he adds. "He's down at Swansea, but they want him to see a certain specialist, and that should take place next Wednesday."

• Dundee will monitor Drey Wright (knee), Ryan Finnigan (ankle) and Charlie Reilly (broken toe), while Zan Besir returns from suspension.

Ethan Hampton
Fan writer

Another week, another Dundee victory, and the Dark Blues remain in fourth place. I could get used to this!

The win adds another milestone to Steven Pressley's growing list of achievements at the club. It was Dundee's first-ever league victory at the Falkirk Stadium and our first top-flight win away to Falkirk since 1987.

It was also the first time in 21 years that Dundee had won a Premiership match without making a single substitution, all while coping with a squad missing up to eight players through injury.

There is plenty to dissect from the match, but perhaps the best news of the week came alongside it, with the club announcing Ash Hay's contract extension.

We've had our fair share of talented and hard-working players over the years, but there is something particularly refreshing about Hay.

In modern football, it can be difficult to find players who seem genuinely invested in their legacy at a club.

With Hay, the fans see someone who gives everything for the badge and has a genuine affection for the club and its supporters. He's the kind of player you'd want to replicate across an entire starting eleven every week.

Regardless of contract lengths, we've not seen much longevity from strikers at Dens Park in a very long time.

It would be fantastic to see Hay break that cycle and continue scoring goals in Dark Blue for many years to come.

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Ashley Hay has extended his contract with Dundee, where the striker says he has "never had love like this from a club before".

On his return from injury, the 23-year-old scored a stoppage-time winner for Steven Pressley's side at Falkirk on Saturday, adding to the eight goals he has scored since joining from Brentford in July 2025.

After signing his contract extension, which runs until 2028 with a club option to extend further, the forward said: "The fans have been very good with me since I came here, very supportive.

"I've never had love like this from a club before. I'm really enjoying my time here and I'm looking forward to progressing."

Head coach Steven Pressley added: "Ash has progressed really well since coming in, and he has scored some pivotal goals for us.

"He has developed a strong bond with the supporters as a result of his commitment and work rate. But we also think there's a lot more still to come from him, and as a result, we're really excited about the future."

Watch the Sportscene panel analyse Dundee's impressive start to the season despite injuries to key players. Available to UK users only

Injury-hit Dundee snatch a late victory at Falkirk as Ashley Hay marks his comeback with the winner. (Available to UK users only)

Dundee fans, we asked for your opinions on the late 2-1 win over Falkirk.

Here's a taste of what you had to say...

Gary: Brilliant win at a well-publicised difficult venue. Our bench is weak but the team on the park are so resilient and just don't give up. Great to see!

Jamie: Another masterclass from Steven Pressley who has established a team that never gives up. To come from 1-0 down against a well-organised team like Falkirk on an astroturf pitch is an important victory.

Calum: If we had held on against St Johnstone and Hearts, we'd be one point off the top of the league. What a time to be alive!

Albert: Another historic victory for Pressley. Fantastic performance, so refreshing to see my club back high up the table.

Mark: Hats off to John Nelms, Gordon Strachan and the rest of the board. We were embarrassed by the appointment. Now we are eating our words. What a club, what a team.

Rod: We were quite a bit better than Falkirk. More shots, more shots on target, more corners, more saves from their keeper and we were away from home. Ethan Hamilton for Scotland, who need an enforcer in midfield and plaudits to Pressley! Next Scotland manager maybe?

Stuart: Despite missing several starters through injury, this performance and result demonstrates how deeply and embedded the methodology runs through this squad. Credit to Elvis and his coaching staff!

Boab: Absolutely superb effort by the 11 players, they were totally knackered but kept going and deserved to win the game. At the final whistle, half the team collapsed as they were so tired, but I couldn't be more prouder to be a Dee than yesterday.

Bob: This was a good result and credit to the players and coaches. Solid at the back and constantly playing forward creating opportunities. We need to switch on with contracts of players and our manager or we're going to lose them. They are beginning to get noticed.

Injury-hit Dundee showed steely determination to claim their first top-flight away win over Falkirk in 39 years thanks to Ashley Hay's last-gasp strike.

Read the full match report here.

Have your say on the game here.

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"It was a really competitive game, and I felt over the course of the ninety minutes that we probably just edged it. John [McGlynn] has done a terrific job with this Falkirk side, they're a very well organised side and especially at home.

"I spoke to the players prior to the game as we've been working on certain things over the last three weeks, but it wasn't that I focused on. I said you won't get any result against this Falkirk team without doing the basics of the game and I thought we were very good at that. The duels, second balls and aggression, so I couldn't be prouder of the group.

"We go in a goal down at half-time, again after a very good first half. I spoke to them again about grit and we had Joe Bevan struggling with a rib injury and he persisted and seen the second half through for the team.

"Really really proud of the group, they are an amazing group and they keep defying the odds."

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Falkirk winger Aodhan Doherty (foot) joins Joe Gardner (thigh), Aidan Nesbitt, Keelan Adams, Ethan Laidlaw and Finn Yeats (all ankle) in missing out.

Dundee striker Bobby Wales is out after injuring his ankle while on international duty with Scotland Under-21s.

Fellow forward Joe Westley has also picked up an ankle issue and it remains to be seen how long he will be out while Ashley Hay is available for the first time since August.

Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Dundee defender Ryan Astley is striving to build on his impressive start to the season by becoming "more of a leader".

The 25-year-old has been an ever-present in a solid start from Steven Pressley's side, who are fourth in the Premiership before Saturday's match at Falkirk.

Astley said: "I am just really enjoying it, playing under the manager and staff.

"I feel like I am able to excel and keep pushing to get better and better with the trust of the manager.

"The manager is big on me becoming more of a leader for this team. It is something I am trying to improve on every day and that just comes with experience.

"I am thankfully getting a lot of experience at the moment, so I am enjoying it."

Although key defenders Luke Graham and Billy Koumetio departed during the summer, Astley has been a rock in the tightest backline - conceding just seven goals - outwith the Old Firm so far.

"They were massive players for us, everyone thought it would be a big miss," Astley said.

"Of course they are still a miss but the likes of Owen Bevan has stepped in and has done maybe even better. I love playing with him."

• Since the start of last season, only Aberdeen (15) have lost more Scottish Premiership away games than Dundee (14), who have lost four of their past five on the road (W1).

• Despite facing the most shots of any side in the Premiership this season (135), Dundee rank fourth lowest for xG against (10.6). Their xGA/shot faced of 0.08 is the lowest of any side in the competition.

• Falkirk have earned more points in their past three league games (5 – W1 D2) than their previous 10 beforehand (4 – W1 D1 L8).

• Falkirk won both home games against Dundee in last season's Premiership, one of just two sides they beat twice on home soil (also Kilmarnock).

• The past two league meetings between Falkirk and Dundee have finished 1-0, with the Dees winning in December and the Bairns in February last season.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.