Dundee’s Shankly end curse? Key Dens Park problem revealed.
This season, the Dee have thrown away more points than any other team, with the majority of them coming at home.
We have a Dens Park problem.
Their home form is only better than that of the Premiership’s bottom club, St Johnstone, as the season comes to a close.
Their only remaining home game is against Ross County, who are one place and two points behind them and have previously won 3-0 at Dens this season.
That game’s outcome will have a significant impact on who finishes 11th and must compete in a relegation play-off to remain in the Premiership.
Dundee has dropped 26 points from winning positions, the most of any team in the division, both at home and away.
The majority of them have performed in front of their own fans, allowing 19 points to slip through their fingers.
If they had maintained all of their leads at Dens, they would be level with Hibs in third place and vying for European football next season.
So what is the problem at Dens Park?
Courier Sport has a look.
What are the basic statistics?
Dundee has won five, drawn four, and lost nine of their 18 Premiership home games, earning 19 points out of 54.
They won 19 points but lost the same number of winning positions. This is a remarkable statistic.
In comparison, their away record is 18 points from 17 games, which ranks eighth in the Premiership this season.
Rangers came from behind to beat Dundee in March. Image: Ross Parker/SNS
Only Ross County has conceded more goals after the 75th minute this season, with Dundee giving up 18.
That includes both home and away goals; 12 of those 18 have come at Dens Park.
How important is winning the toss?
Motherwell scored another stoppage-time goal in front of the Bob Shankly Stand, prompting Courier Sport to investigate further.
According to the numbers, the end Dundee is shooting into in the second half makes a significant difference defensively.
This season, they’ve conceded far more goals at the Bob Shankly end than in front of the Bobby Cox Stand.
Kilmarnock came from 2-0 down with three late goals in front of the Bob Shankly Stand back in October. Image: Rob Casey/SNS
Dundee has conceded 38 goals at home, with 29 of them coming while defending the Shankly end of the pitch (76%).
In comparison, the Dark Blues have scored fairly evenly in both goals – 18 in the Shankly end and 15 in the Bobby Cox.
More frustrating is the lateness with which the strikes pass the home custodian.
This season, Dundee has conceded 12 goals after the 75th minute at the Shankly end.
When did Dundee FC concede goals at Dens Park this season?
The graph shows which half goals have gone in at Dens this season.
Eight of those have come after the 86th minute, three of which came in a single game when Kilmarnock came back from 2-0 down to win in October.
This is an issue that has cost Dundee numerous goals and points this season.
There are several factors at play here.
The pitch has a diagonal slope from corner to corner, so the team’s shot towards the Bob Shankly Stand is effectively downhill.
Although it is only a few feet and less steep than other Premiership grounds, former players have previously stated that they prefer to shoot downhill in the second half.
In the Premiership this season Dundee have been defending the Shankly end in the second half in 13 of their 18 home matches.
It is unclear how many times they won the toss and chose to play that way or were placed there by the opposition.
So there is the physical aspect of the ground itself, which both teams must deal with in any game.
Furthermore, Dundee employs a high-intensity strategy.
This season has had its share of electrifying moments, with plenty of energy, speed, and goals. But it comes at a cost.
.
Only Celtic have scored more first-half goals than Dundee this season, demonstrating the strategy’s effectiveness in the early stages of games.
However, it is impossible to maintain that level of intensity for more than 90 minutes.
Second-half fatigue
The Dark Blues tire in the second period because they can’t run as hard, tackle as well, or win every defensive header; they can’t keep it up.
This is where the squad comes into action. With a high-intensity gameplan, you need quality on the bench to replace tired legs.
Dundee has not had that this season.
Whether it’s been due to a long injury list or players being out of form, there’s been a significant drop-off between Dundee’s best players in the starting lineup and the subs waiting to replace them.
Tony Docherty hasn’t always been keen to use his bench. Image: Craig Foy/SNS
Some matches have seen no unforced substitutions until the 89th minute, owing to manager Tony Docherty’s reluctance to make changes when things are going well, leaving tired players on the pitch.
Their attacking desire can also leave them vulnerable defensively, which is undeniably a factor.
They routinely allow 20 or more shots per game to the opposing team, implying that a constantly stretched backline eventually falters.
Mentality can be questioned, but tired legs playing uphill undoubtedly play a role in these statistics.
There is, however, limited time to resolve this issue.
The only thing left is to win the toss against Ross County next Wednesday and shoot for the Bob Shankly Stand in the second half.
Leave a Reply