Story byTyrone Smith - BBC Sport Scotland Senior ReporterThu, January 22, 2026 at 2:46 PM UTC·1 min readDundee defender Ryan Astley says the squad have always been "100% behind" head coach Steven Pressley and "it is nice to get a few wins for him". Pressley was under pressure after a disappointing start to the campaign but his side have sparked a revival in recent weeks and risen to ninth place, eight points clear of the relegation play-off spot. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAstley said: "You could hear the outside noise about the gaffer, but inside here everyone was 100% behind him and wanted to play well for him. That has never changed."He works really hard and gives us so much detail on the teams we are playing, so it is nice to get a few wins for him."At the start of the season we weren't performing to the levels we know we could have reached, but we have been working hard, listening to the gaffer and his staff, they have been brilliant."Everyone has bought into how he wants us to play and it is just slowly coming and that is because confidence is there with the lads at the moment. We are a young group so it was always going to take time."AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDundee face a difficult assignment this weekend – a trip to Ibrox to play a resurgent Rangers side who have won six on the spin. Astley said: "We know it will be a tough game but with our threats and at the moment we are defending well too, so as a team we are doing okay and are slightly confident we can get something."We are going to need, as the gaffer always says, a perfect 90-minute performance.".
