James McPake in defiant Dundee stance as incoming Dunfermline boss insists he would have kept them up

Mark McGhee took over at Dens Park and won just one of his 13 league games as boss.

James McPake believes he could have kept Dundee in the Scottish Premiership if he’d been given the chance.

The former Dens Park gaffer was sacked by the club in February while they were second bottom of the table.

He was replaced by Mark McGhee who won just one of their 13 remaining games and eventually took them down.

This week, McPake returned to the game as Dunfermline Athletic ’s new boss.

He was disappointed to see the Dark Blues drop down to the Championship and is adamant he could have kept them in the top flight.

McPake told Mailsport : “I’m gutted for Dundee and it was hard to see them relegated.

“As manager, we picked them up when they were on their knees having just dropped down to the Championship.

“We had a night in Kilmarnock that will never leave me when we got promoted.

“That’s the memory I’ll treasure. I believe I’d have kept them up, given the chance.

“We’ll never know, it’s open to people’s interpretation. But did we think we’d keep Dundee in the Premiership? Yes.

“I’ve distanced myself from it because I was close to staff who were still there, still fighting to keep them up.

“But it was hurting me, I won’t lie. Because it’s a great club.

“We had full belief as a coaching group and squad of players that we’d stay up.

“When I left, we were two points ahead of St Johnstone in 11th.

“We were only six behind Ross County with a game in hand at home to St Mirren.

“They won one game in 13. I’d have backed myself to do enough to make the play-off, minimum.

“And if we’d have got into the play-offs and stayed up it would have been job done.”