Dundee have been under threat of relegation to the Championship for a long time – now years of poor decisions look certain to have cost them their place at the top table.
With four matches to go, the Dark Blues have to make up six points and 10 goals on second-bottom St Mirren to have any chance of surviving.
With their recent form – in fact their form across the entire campaign – suggesting that is well beyond them, only the most blindly optimistic fan can see anything other than the drop coming for Dundee.
It’s obvious – they haven’t been good enough.
Teams can have off-seasons here and there but this disaster of a campaign has been in the making for at least three years now.
For a club reportedly shelling out the sixth-highest amount in wages to finish so far adrift of the rest of the league comes down to more than just one bad season. It comes from making poor footballing decisions.
The Dark Blues have been on a downward trajectory since their sixth-placed finish in 2015.
Eighth then 10th and then ninth last season followed that.
Paul Hartley was unable to replace the goals of Greg Stewart and Kane Hemmings and ultimately lost his way at Dens.
Neil McCann was parachuted in as caretaker and saved the day.
Then came a sliding doors moment for Dundee and managing director John Nelms.
McCann’s rejection led Nelms to chap on Jack Ross’ holiday shack in Spain. Despite turning down the first offer, Ross was happy to talk further about the role only for McCann to change his mind and take the job.
It’s a classic if-your-auntie-had-some-specific-anatomy-she’d-be-your-uncle thinking but his career suggests Ross would’ve been a success at Dens.
Nelms, to his credit, saw the folly of appointing a completely unexperienced managerial team in McCann and Graham Gartland as he went for a man with a track record of getting a team out of trouble in Jim McIntyre.
He immediately dismantled all his predecessor had built but even he would say it’s not worked.
A brief hint of light at the end of the tunnel appeared but lately it’s been all dark at Dens.
More big footballing decisions are coming the way of American owner Tim Keyes – all his money spent has been wasted should the club go down, will he sit idly by to see more of it spent trying to get out of the Championship?
Will it be Jim in charge for the start of next season?
The biggest one, though, is should Nelms be the one making these decisions for him?
George Cran was writing in his weekly column, published every Wednesday in the Evening Telegraph.
