Steven Pressley believes Dundee's 2-0 victory over Aberdeen was the most complete performance of his time as head coach. Goals from Joe Westley and Joe Bevan secured the win, marking Dundee's third consecutive league victory over Aberdeen for the first time in their history.
Pressley's Pride
Pressley, who took charge just over a year ago, expressed his pride in the team's display. "I am, and you should know me by now, I don't often get too excited about things, but truth be told, since coming to Dundee just over a year ago, I think that's been our most complete and our best performance," he said.
"It had everything that I look for in a Dundee team. It had speed, it had excitement, it had composure at the right times, but, boy, did it have resilience."
High-Octane Style
Pressley acknowledged the demands of his playing style, noting that some players were running on empty in the final stages. "Some of the players were running on empty the last 20-25 minutes because of the style of football that we're trying to adopt, and it will take time for us to reach the levels of fitness that we truly need and I think also another big understanding is that to play that way we need a strong squad because players struggle to perform in that high octane-manner for 90 minutes."
He added: "I couldn't be prouder of the group today. They were just incredible."
Bevan's Impact
Joe Bevan was particularly impressive on the right flank, and Pressley was full of praise for the young forward. "We're really excited with Joe. He's got English Premier League physicality, he's got incredible speed, he's really strong on one-to-one, he's actually a good finisher. We just want him to grow and keep believing in himself because he gives us something different."
Pressley also hinted at a tactical shift: "I think when you're a team that we set out to be to have a little bit more control in games this season, you don't want to be a team that just plays in front of teams."
Staying Grounded
Despite the victory, Pressley remains cautious. "We've got three points. Three points and so much hard work ahead of us," he said. "That's what I will say. We haven't experienced, as a team, disappointment as yet. Last season, one of the great things about the team was that they grew and they showed resilience and they were able to deal with setbacks. This group hasn't shown that yet. Until we go through those difficult periods, because they'll come, we're Dundee, then I'm not getting too excited."
Dundee also have injury concerns over Ash Hay and Westley following the match.
