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Not all Dundee fans welcomed Steven Pressley's appointment
Tyrone Smith
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter
Dundee head coach Steven Pressley admits some supporters may never get behind his appointment but says "I am not sitting here feeling that I need to prove anything to anybody".
The 51-year-old was recruited at the start of last month following the sacking of Tony Docherty.
Saturday's Scottish League Cup visit of Championship side Airdrieonians will be his first competitive game in charge in what is his first managerial role in nearly six years.
"Regardless of if the supporters are split or not, I think whoever the manager is there is always a pressure from your supporters to win games," Pressley said.
"Whether you are the manager of Rangers or Celtic, or whether you are the manager at Dundee, your supporters generally turn up on a Saturday afternoon expecting you to win," he said.
"That is the pressure of the job, that is the expectation, so I am very much aware of that and there will be periods within the season I am sure where people will think we are doing well and there will be periods of the season when that is not the case.
"That is football management and I understand that and accept it. But all I can do is continue to work hard with my staff, with our players and hopefully in time begin to convince people that we can do something that is right here."
Dundee fans will be expecting the team to successfully emerge from a League Cup Group that also includes three teams outside the top two divisions - Alloa Athletic, Montrose and Bonnyrigg Rose.
Given all the debate and discussion about the decision to bring Pressley in, could a good start to his tenure be the key to changing the narrative that the doubters still have?
"Sometimes that never changes, I am aware of that, I am genuinely okay with that," he added. "I am not sitting here feeling that I need to prove anything to anybody.
"My whole mindset is that I work exceptionally hard with our staff, with our players, and hopefully as a group we can make progress. That is really all that is in my mind at present."
