Jim McIntyre has called on his midfielders to provide the ammunition to fire Dundee past Hamilton tonight.
The Dens gaffer wants bodies in the box – and the service to match – as the Accies travel north for a crunch bottom-of-the-table clash.
The Dark Blues have only managed eight goals all season, and just three at home, in 14 matches but Jim and his staff are hard at work on the training field trying to find a way to up that stat.
And he’s delighted to see veteran striker Kenny Miller getting on the scoresheet in the last two outings against St Mirren and Hibs.
Jim said: “Kenny has scored goals all his career so we need to get the ball in the right areas for him.
“We’ve worked hard on that on the training ground about trying to be more of a threat and supplying them to give them the ammunition because if we do that we know we have players here who can score.
“It’s important you continue to get, not just the strikers in the box, but the wide midfielders and the central midfielders as well.
“You need to move their back lot about and put them under some real pressure – the more bodies in the box gives you more opportunity to score.
“Any striker thrives on service so it’s important we put the ball into the right areas but, equally, it’s about making the right runs.”
Although he’s been happy to see his side come from behind to secure points in their last two games, the Dark Blues boss has urged his side to help themselves by going in front – something they’ve only done twice this season.
“Taking the lead is vital – you just have to look at the stats for scoring the first goal and going on to win the game,” Jim added.
“We’ve shown character in coming back in the last two matches so the boys deserve credit for that but we want to make sure we are taking the lead in games and going on to try to score more goals.
“Every game you need to win the battle first before you get the opportunity to play.
“We’ll pick a team we think can go and hurt Hamilton but you always know you are going to be in a game.
“They have some good players as well so we’ll need to nullify their threats.
“I was at the game on Saturday (a 3-1 win at St Mirren) and they did well.
“It was a tight game between the sides and I don’t expect it to be much different here.”
Dundee remain bottom of the Premiership pile, a position they’ve been stuck in since the third match of the campaign.
Victory, however, could see them draw level with 11th-placed St Mirren, should they lose out to Hibs at Easter Road tonight.
It can also draw Accies back into the battle at the bottom, though defeat would see Martin Canning’s men a huge 11 points ahead of the Dark Blues.
Jim added: “Hamilton can open up the gap – that’s the way I’d be looking at it if I was them but we just need to concentrate on ourselves and build on what we’ve done in the previous two performances but try to get the valuable three points.
“I think the head-to-heads with the teams about you are so important.
“We’re at home and want to build on the couple of good performances we’ve had against St Mirren and Hibs and take that a stage further and get the win.”
There are no new injury worries for the Dens men ahead of tonight’s clash.
Both Benjamin Kallman and Roarie Deacon returned to light training this week but won’t be available to face Hamilton while captain Josh Meekings is out long-term.
