Steven Pressley, the newly appointed head coach of Dundee, has called for resilience and character from his players following a challenging start to his tenure. The team has suffered back-to-back defeats in the Premier Sports Cup, losing to Alloa Athletic and Airdrieonians, which has effectively ended their chances of progressing in the competition.

Speaking after the 1-0 loss to League 1 side Airdrieonians at the Indodrill Stadium, Pressley emphasized the need for improvement. "There is a lot of work ahead of us," he stated. "We have to accept that our current performance is not good enough and show resilience as a group."

Dundee's upcoming fixtures include group matches against Bonnyrigg Rose and Montrose, followed by their Scottish Premiership opener against Hibernian on August 3. Pressley acknowledged the difficulties but remains optimistic. "It's far from the ideal start, but we have to show character in these moments," he added. "I expect us to do better."

Despite the setbacks, Pressley noted some positive aspects, particularly in the team's defensive play. "I saw improvements in our defensive principles," he said. "However, from a creative standpoint, we need to be much better."

In their previous match against Alloa Athletic, Dundee conceded the only goal of the game when Luke Graham inadvertently deflected a Steven Buchanan shot into his own net. Post-match, Pressley expressed his desire to strengthen the squad with additional signings and took full responsibility for the loss.

"The issue is a combination of several factors," he explained. "We need more players, but we also need to perform better with the current squad. Our choices in possession were poor, and we played too long on too many occasions. We must take greater ownership and responsibility to make things happen."

Pressley also highlighted the team's lack of intensity in the second half and stressed the importance of finding solutions to these challenges. "Some players tired significantly, and we looked like a team lacking intensity at times. We have to address these issues moving forward."

As Dundee prepares for their next matches, the focus will be on building resilience and improving performance to turn their season around.