Paul McGowan insists Dundee are in the s*** and has told his team-mates they need to stand up and be counted.
Tuesday’s dispiriting loss at Livingston - a sixth straight Premiership defeat - has left James McPake ’s side five points adrift of safety in 11th place.
Aside from a one-on-one chance midfielder McGowan wasted, the Dark Blues failed to lay a glove on the Lions, who won courtesy of Bruce Anderson’s quick fire double at the start of the second half.
And in a refreshingly candid interview, experienced playmaker McGowan insists Dundee cannot afford to carry any passengers as they fight for their top-flight status.
He said: “Hopefully it’s an eye opener because we’re in the s*** now, it’s plain and simple.
“If I hear anybody talking about top six or that s****, they will be told to shut up because we’re in a dogfight now and we need to realise that.
“You don’t just play with ability, it’s about fighting for each other and doing the basics of football. Livingston were good and every one of them fight for each and make it hard for you
We were miles off doing that.
“It’s a major eye opener that. The manager is working to get players in and they’re needed but as players we have to look at ourselves.
“Words were said and they had to be. How many times are we going to go over the same stuff?
“I thought we were flat and there were no excuses. I could come out here and say all the cliches, it was poor - every one of us.
“I feel we rely too much on wee Paul McMullan and Luke McCowan and if they’re not at it then it’s like, we go through the motions.
“On the other side of it we don’t do the basics and are not fighting for each other.
“Even when we got beat at Aberdeen we were fighting for each other, out there we seemed quiet and it’s a hard one to take.”
McGowan also admits Dundee, who are only two points clear of basement side St Johnstone, lack leadership when the tough gets going, like it did in West Lothian.
He added: “I feel when things are against us we go into our shell.
“When we’re on it I hear voices and everyone is demanding the ball, I didn’t hear that the other night.
“The game is edgy, it’s like, ‘you go and do something’ or pass the buck.
“It was flat. There was nobody demanding of each other or helping each other out, it’s the easiest thing in football to talk. Help them out, ‘time, man on’.
“I had a bad feeling after the first five, ten minutes.
“When we’ve got one, two or three not at it we’re in for a long night. Can we grind out a 1-0 victory at this moment in time, I don’t think we can and that’s me being honest.”
McGowan admits Dundee quickly have to lift themselves as they prepare for Saturday’s Scottish Cup banana skin at League One side Dumbarton.
He added: “It’s not going to get any easier but we need to stick together. We’re going to get stick, people will have a go at us but we’ve been here before.
“We have come and produced results when they’re needed.
“We’re in a no win situation on Saturday but they’ll make it tough and they’ll see a side that is low on confidence. If we don’t turn up we’re in for a long game again.”
