James McPake: We need the fans behind us

Dundee owe their fans a home performance after their last Dens outing ended with dreadful derby disappointment.

And manager James McPake has challenged his players to put on a far better show tomorrow at home to Queen of the South.

He said: “It is important to start fast at every home game because we need to excite them.

“We need the fans behind us because, when they are, they are massive for the team and drive us on.

“We have to put on a performance on that makes them proud to come and they say, regardless of the result, this is my team.

“We want to be doing the right things, creating chances and troubling the opposition goalkeeper.

“We will do that tomorrow.”

He added: “I am glad to be back at Dens but we need to be back on track.

“We need to create chances, score goals and not to be so easy to play against because that is what we have worked on all week.

“How to hurt other teams has been a big part of our training and it has been productive and good.”

James has welcomed the return of keeper Jack Hamilton as he returns to the matchday squad this weekend.

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That’s seen the emergency loan deal for Conor Hazard come to an end with the 21-year-old heading back to Celtic as soon as Hamilton was declared fit to play.

The Dens gaffer said there was no rush for Hamilton to return after appendix surgery but the 25-year-old has sped through his recovery and is ready for a comeback after almost six weeks out.

“Jack’s back and Conor Hazard has gone back to Celtic,” said James.

“I thought he was great but the rules are the rules and he goes back.

“Jack is back, fit and raring to go. He played in a closed-doors game against Brechin and got 60 minutes.

“He has missed something like five weeks but now he is back and is looking sharp.

“There could have been an issue with him diving about but we saw very early on that wasn’t going to be the case.

“We just progressed and now he is fine.”

Jordan Marshall, meanwhile, isn’t likely to be fit but will undergo a fitness test before kick-off and tomorrow may also be too soon for Andrew Nelson’s foot injury.