Dundee boss James McPake has offered his backing to former Rangers player Graham Dorrans after a dip in form, in an interview with the Dundee Courier.
The midfielder’s Ibrox contract was mutually terminated on Deadline Day and after a period as a free agent, he signed for the Dee in late September on a deal running until the end of the season.
Things started quite positively for Dorrans, but both he and the squad as a whole have struggled for form in recent weeks. Yet, his manager believes it’s only a temporary blip.
“There is an expectation that comes with certain players and he’s one of them,” McPake told the Dundee Courier. “He had two-and-a-bit years out and now he’s played 10 games.”
“He’s getting to the point where his match sharpness is there and he’s now fighting for his form, which is coinciding with a team on a poor run. I still think he’s a top-quality player.
“You can still see his quality in flashes but it takes more than one man to make a team click…He’ll prove the quality that he’s got.”
Verdict
It was never going to be easy for Dorrans to recapture his form of old after so long on the sidelines, even though he is a former Premier League player plying his trade in the Scottish Championship.
The major positive is that he’s barely missed a minute of action since his debut substitute cameo, as he looks to put the injury woes that ruined his Ibrox career firmly in the past.
He’s also registered four assists in his ten appearances, which isn’t a bad tally from central midfield.
He’s yet to get on the scoresheet himself, though and after three consecutive defeats at the hands of Dundee United, Inverness Caley Thistle, and Queen of the South, Dee fans will be expecting him to lead a fightback during the festive schedule.