Dundee apathy laid bare with Rangers in town: Dire ticket sales, John Nelms absence, spectres of previous manager and striker

The sincerity of the pledge ‘ah’m no’ going back’ made by several hundred Dundee fans as they shuffled out of Dens Park on Wednesday evening is subject to scrutiny this afternoon.

One suspects that the £30 ticket price for a game being shown on television these weary foot soldiers were being very sincere indeed.

A convergence of events around the last-minute defeat to St Mirren that kept Dundee rooted to the bottom of the Premiership has served to deepen the sense of gloom as the Dens Park side prepare to host Rangers for a place in the last four of the Scottish Cup.

It wasn’t helped when James McPake, the manager surprisingly sacked following successive wins last month, posted the view he was enjoying on a break in East Lothian the morning after the game on social media.

Although McPake isn’t the bitter type, it was easy to interpret this as pointed. An Australian newspaper, meanwhile, published an interview with Jason Cummings, the striker who left Dens Park during the transfer window. He outlined how unfair he felt his treatment had been. This emerged shortly before Dundee lost their precious game over St Johnstone to remain bottom of the table.

Cummings remains Dundee’s top goalscorer on six goals. Few would be surprised if that is still the case in May.

And then there’s the return of Ivano Bonetti to consider. The former Dundee manager will be in town this evening for 'An Audience With' event at a city centre hotel where such tales as signing Claudio Caniggia will be recounted. He has already told the local newspaper he would like to return to manage Dundee again. Some fans are now so desperate they are even treating this seriously.

It’s a fine time to be welcoming a team with one foot in the last eight of the