Dundee manager Steven Pressley has praised Ryan Astley for stepping forward and helping to fill the massive void left by the summer sales of Luke Graham and Billy Koumetio. The Dark Blues sold both of their main central defenders to Stoke City and Charlton Athletic, respectively, which has given Astley the opportunity to play in his preferred position. He has been a key figure for the Dens Park outfit so far this season.
Astley's Performances Under the Radar
"There was a lot of talk last season about Luke Graham and Billy Koumetio and I think that Ryan's level of performance went under the radar a little bit," Pressley said. "But, certainly not with the staff. Now, in the absence of those two players, people are really paying attention to just what he's doing."
"Also, he's beginning to grow. He's played a lot of games and that is the biggest developer. Ryan has gained a lot of confidence during that period," the manager added. "The one thing is, and I've said to him from day one this season, I want him to really develop his leadership qualities on the pitch. I think he's taken a step forward but I think there's a lot more to come from him there. That's one area of his development I think can really come on. I've seen growth in it already, but I think there's a lot more to come in that area."
Reliable Performer and Partnership
Pressley knows what he is getting from the former Everton youngster. "He's a player that I think at times goes under the radar a little bit because I think he's been an outstanding performer for the club," the head coach insisted. "Ryan is such a reliable individual. When I see the way he trains every day, those types of performances at the weekend don't surprise me. He's a player that more often than not just gives you such a consistent performance. He's a real team player. He's a player that's valued extremely highly within the coaching staff. His performance at the weekend was outstanding, but I think he's given many of those performances during my time."
Astley and Owen Bevan are the club's only two experienced central defenders, but they have quickly formed an impressive partnership. Bevan scored the second goal in Dundee's derby win. "I thought the two of them were exceptional at the weekend," their manager claimed. "Both of them are aggressive in their approach. Both of them want to play very much on the front foot, and I think they very much complement each other. So I'm really pleased with the way they've taken up the mantle this year. As I said, there was a lot of talk about the loss of Luke, about the loss of Billy, but the two of them have certainly stepped forward."
Competition for Places
Dundee have brought in a couple of strikers, and the boss knows Bradley Fink will bring something different. Pressley is currently looking to bring in competition to give them a bit of support. Dundee are waiting to push the button on a loan for Matai Akinmboni from AFC Bournemouth. He knows that whoever comes in will face a fight to start, on current form.
Pressley, who is preparing for the weekend clash with Hibs, said: "It makes it harder, because to convince somebody to come to your club when they might not start, it's easy. They've made that job even harder, and that's the difficulty. They've performed at a level that makes life easy for me in terms of selection, but sometimes, for potential suitors, the concern for them is, will they play? So that's the difficulty, but that's the challenge we face. But I would say to a player, if you don't want competition, then you're probably wanting to play at a club that is lacking ambition. So I think it goes hand-in-hand with improvements in the club. There has to be competition to improve performance. So as a player, I think that's something you've got to embrace. And I think that if we want to be a strong team and we want to be a progressive team, then competition is vital."
