Enormity of Dundee task laid bare - just spare thought for German stadium spotters in Hibs match

Such an achievement– Archie Knox was the last Dundee manager to do so – would have helped lift some of the pressure already bearing down on the 51-year-old. Instead, this defeat has simply intensified the spotlight on him although he seems admirably at ease with things. “It’s only natural,” he replied when someone posited afterwards that such a meek surrender to Hibs – the 2-1 defeat flattered the hosts – will simply reinforce people’s views that Dundee are set for a long, hard season.

The enormity of the task Pressley has been handed was plain to see here. In a way, it might have helped the manager in the long run given that there was very little sugar coating in evidence, on the pitch at least. “This is Dens Park,” snazzy new flashing perimeter boards stressed with the stadium having shed its recent sponsorship appendages. And this is what happens when you replace good players with not such good ones and fire a manager out of the blue before recruiting one who’s en route to a silver wedding anniversary trip to Vietnam. Pressley might become a very good manager for Dundee but he’s not been given a chance as of yet.

The lack of quality options at his disposal were exposed in straightforward fashion by a Hibs side who had gone to the well and then some on Thursday night against Danish side Midtjylland.

This performance doubled as an SOS message to managing director John Nelms, who was watching from the main stand. Pressley has already said that he’s using the pundits who have identified Dundee as relegation certainties as motivation. If this is their response, it’s very, very worrying indeed.

Of course, some context is required. These are very early days in Pressley’s reign and he was without talisman striker and skipper Simon Murray, sidelined due to a knee injury. Okay, history proves that opening weekend top-flight league wins at Dens are a rarity for Dundee. But it’s not too much, their supporters will argue, to expect more than two shots on goal and 30 per cent ball possession.

Hibs did not have to do much

With half an hour on the clock here, Hibs had established a 2-0 lead without having to do very much at all, which given their European endeavours, was an ideal scenario for visiting manager David Gray.

Although swashbuckling at times, Dundee’s problem last season was keeping the ball out of their own net. It was one of the apparent factors in Tony Docherty’s departure and part of the thinking why the Dens Park club turned to Pressley, a centre half of some repute for Hearts, among other teams. The planned solidity hasn’t followed yet. A defensive calamity led to the opening goal after 28 minutes. Ryan Astley hit teammate Ethan Ingram with a clearance and the ball landed kindly for Kieron Bowie, who sent an angled shot into the corner past Jon McCracken. It got worse a couple of minutes later when Bowie swept home his second after Jordan Obita’s shot was blocked by the ‘keeper.

Somehow Dundee got themselves back into the game four minutes later. Ashley Hay made the most of a mistake by defender Jack Iredale, who seemed to stand on the ball. The Dundee striker cut back for Fin Robertson, who converted past the stranded Jordan Smith.

A spirited Dundee comeback did not materialise. Pressley had been given the expected hot reception by Hibs fans as he walked out to take his seat in the home dugout several minutes before kick-off. He sat there alone before being joined by the rest of his backroom staff.

He had and still has much to contemplate. This underlined why it’s very easy to believe him when he says he is still five or six players short of what’s required. Hibs, despite their lung-busting efforts of Thursday night against Midtjylland, set the pace of the game and all too easily contained a Dundee team who, sadly for their already despondent fans, lived down to expectations.

It wasn’t a classic, let’s get that straight. The German stadium spotters sitting in front of the press box might have wished they had tweaked their itinerary somewhat or at least gone to the stadium across the road instead, where they could have spotted a stadium without spending 90 minutes they won’t get back watching a game of football.

Nevertheless, they were at least treated to three goals within eight opening half minutes. In Bowie, we had a player who at least caught the eye and did what good No.9s do by stamping his authority on a game where goalscoring chances were at a premium. Having bagged two early goals, one of the few points of interest was whether he might go on and help himself to an opening weekend hat-trick. He was given a rare 90 minutes to try. One shot just after the hour mark singed McCracken’s hands.

The Dundee ‘keeper, preferred to Trevor Carson, had a good afternoon and made two fine stops from substitute Josh Campbell in the second half, as Hibs attempted to strike the killer goal – not that it was needed given Dundee’s powderpuff attack.

By the end, even Bowie’s noble treble intentions had been downgraded. He was happy to keep the ball in the corner as Hibs held on for three points with almost insulting ease. They head to Serbia for a tough Conference League qualifying tie against Partizan Belgrade in very good spirits and with no fresh injuries to report, which was half the battle.