In spite of all the brilliant and positive work that Tony Docherty has done in Dundee, it is now under real pressure, confronted by the first crisis of its short managerial career.
During enough time, the narrative around Docherty was that his young team, who played without voucher and attacking football, would be a great proposal once they solved their defensive mistakes.
But the inconsistency that comes with youth exuberance does not show signs of addressing and, what is more worrying, the naivety that costs too many goals is now aggravated by other problems.
A 3-1 defeat from Ross County in Dingwall on Saturday means that Docherty's team is in serious problems, drifting at the place of descent play-off, four points from Kilmarnock and Motherwell.
While Docherty has been able to say in the past that his team deserved more of the games, and that they were only undone due to defensive aberrations, there was no such attempt to sweeten the issues on Saturday night.
Overcome, surpassed and surpassed in number in the statistics of the party, the impression was that each department of this Dundee team is now suffering the effect of its horrible defensive record. And, let's be honest, who doesn't?
Tony Docherty has tried in vain to resolve the defensive deficiencies that have cost Dundee
Kieran Phillips celebrates scoring a draw for Ross County in Dingwall on Saturday
Noah Chilvers Complete the score in a 3-1 victory that raised the five points of Dundee
Docherty has spent most of its two seasons in Dens Park trying in vain to eliminate errors on the back. Last season, Dundee finished sixth, but awarded almost so many goals (68) as relegated Livingston. This season, the proportion is even worse, with 58 sent in its 27 games. Collecting points is a difficult concert when opponents average at least two goals in each game.
Only once in the league this season has registered a clean sheet. That was in October, when they beat Motherwell 1-0 thanks to a goal from Lyall Cameron in Firm Park.
Last season, fans turned a blind eye on the subject, happy that their team generally got more than they admitted. But that habit has been lost lately, along with their ability to overcome those around them at the table.
They fell short on Saturday, despite an early opening of Simon Murray. Kieran Phillips matched for the county, who secured the three points with two goals in so many minutes of the second half, through Akil Wright and Noah Chilvers.
Docherty feels heat. Fans want them to abandon their defensive configuration of three on the back. They want to know why it has not resolved the most weakness of the team, despite cutting and changing the staff, signing new players and promising that existing ones would develop.
They also want to know why Dundee has left Murray so dependent on the attack. They sold Curtis Main last month, they did not replace him and are now worried about an injury that forced Seb Palmer-Houlder to be replaced in Dingwall.
The county was everyone's council for the play-off, but there are five points ahead of Dundee. Docherty complained about the game surface in Dingwall, but his team has lost all three games against Don Cowie's team this season, for a cumulative score of 8-1.
Six points away from St Johnstone placed in the background, Dundee should have enough to avoid automatic descent. After all, not so long ago they were eliminating Dundee United of the Scottish Cup, drawing with Rangers and entering a mustache of hitting Celtic in Dens.
The fear is that they are entering a descending spiral in the worst possible time. They have suffered four consecutive defeats in the League, granted 17 goals in the process and have accumulated only five points of a possible 24 since the change of year.
After having a positive impact on his first season as a manager, Docherty can say that he has credit at the bank, but his next two games are against Motherwell on Wednesday and St Johnstone on Saturday.
If any of those loses, there will be no hiding place.
Defender Kevin Holt, who was out of contract at the end of the season, has joined Derry City
Holt shows that the player's power is still alive
All these years after the Bosman ruling, the player's power is still strong, as demonstrated by Dundee United Kevin Holt during the weekend.
The 32 -year -old regular United, out of the contract at the end of the season, had been attracting interest to the League of Ireland Derry City team.
Earlier this month, its manager Jim Goodwin insisted that Holt was not going anywhere, at least until summer, because there was no reach to sign a replacement.
But on Saturday night, hours after United 1-0 victory against Motherwell in Tannadice, they issued a statement saying that the player had been sold.
In addition to confirming that Derry City had joined for an united rate, United took the opportunity to make public the circumstances of his departure.
They said: 'The player and his representatives made it clear that he cannot be available for the National Team and the end of the 2024/25 campaign if the transfer is not agreed.
“After considering our options, it was considered that obtaining a significant rate for a player out of contract in the summer was the best available option.”
Threatening to go on strike was not a good look, but Holt wanted to accept the offer that was better for him and his family, especially at this stage of his short career as a player. Can you blame it?