Alex Rae: I've seen 69 players come and go in two years..now it's time for team three

May 4 2008 By Gordon Waddell

ALEX RAE has shipped 69 players in and out of Dens Park in two seasons, watching the teams he built in August demolished in May.

Now the Dundee boss is laying the foundations for team three and a full-on title tilt - and is praying he still has teenage superstar Kevin McDonald as the rock he can build a promotion push on.

Rae has picked up the pieces after the club's financial problems to keep them in contention at the top of the First Division.

But the price he has been forced to pay is a raft of short-term contracts, leading to the walls falling in when the last ball is kicked every season.

The Dark Blues gaffer lost another six players last week but it hasn't stopped him declaring next term is win or bust after finishing third then second in his two campaigns in charge.

Rae said: "We finished three points ahead of what last year's champions had sowe gave it a good crack. The progress has been great consideringwhere we've come from.

"But in the two years since I took over 69 players have come and gone. It's the climate we've had to work in.

"When I first arrived about 15 moved on from the team I inherited and I had a remit to get rid of another six.

"Then we had loan deals, short-term contracts.We got maybe eight bodies in then begged, stole and borrowed what we could because we couldn't compete financially with a few of our rivals.

"I know that sounds wrong for a team the size of Dundee but when you look at where we've been recently?

"We'll lose a few more this summer as well - I couldn't tell you right now how many will be back - but we just need to regroup again.

"We haven't been able to give guys two and three-year deals. So after my first season we managed to keep the nucleus then added to that.

"But now that nucleus is coming out of contract. It's like a building a house every year then stripping it down again.

"We have a different foundation this time so now it's about identifying the guys to build it up again. I've spoken to four players already this week."

Milan Palenik, Jani Sturm, Jan Zemlik, Scott Robertson, Gavin Swankie and Paul Dixon are all out of contract and heading for the door.

Now Rae has his fingers crossed that Scotland Under-21 star McDonald doesn't join them. The 19-year-old midfielder is still under contract but is on the radar of a host of top clubs.

Rae admitted: "Everyone has a price but I'd love to keep Kevin because he's progressing at such a rate.

"I'd hate to see him leave then sit in someone's reserves. Kevin is too good a talent for that. He will play at the highest level. He's 6ft 3in, scores goals, has great technique and a lot of power.

"He has playedmore than 100 games and only just turned 19.

"I watched the Youth Cup Final between Rangers and Celtic and they were raving about a couple of their kids.

"To be fair, guys like John Fleck are terrific. But in a match like that Kevin would be running the show.

"That's the way I gauge it when I see what he does every week to seasoned pros in the First Division."

As he looked ahead Rae also reflected on a season that saw the Dark Blues pipped to promotion by Hamilton.

Accies travelled to Tayside on the last day as champions and Rae shot down claims that he was disrespectful towards Billy Reid's men at Dens.

Dundee formed a guard of honour to clap Hamilton on to the park and Rae said: "It was said I turned my back on them but nothing could be further from the truth.

"I wanted to do everything just right because I have tremendous respect for Billy and what his lads have achieved.

"I spoke to Billy before the game, after it, and sent a text later on to congratulate him.

"The directors poured the champagne for Hamilton in the boardroom and I had a cup of tea!

"So when I read I hadn't given them due respect I was a wee bit taken a back by that."