Livingston manager Gary Holt has warned they will have to battle against a Dundee team keen to impress his former team-mate Jim McIntyre.
Fifth-placed Livi go into the game as clear favourites against the Ladbrokes Premiership bottom club after going six games unbeaten since Holt took over from Kenny Miller, who is set to line up for the visitors on Saturday.
But Dundee are also aiming for a new-manager bounce after quickly replacing Neil McCann with McIntyre, who starred in Kilmarnock’s 1997 Scottish Cup-winning side alongside Holt.
“It’s going to be a tough game,” Holt said. “People have said Dundee are down there and we have started really well but it’s only a start, and that’s what I said to the players.
“They will come here with a new manager, that wee buzz of trying to impress and we have to stick to what we are good at, implement our game plan and put our stamp on it. But you have to fight first, you have to battle. If you don’t do that, you won’t win any game of football, no matter who we are playing.
“I know Jim well and it will be good to catch up with him. I have not seen him for a few months, so it will be good to see him and have a wee chat and a wee drink after the game but while the game’s going on we are probably two enemies. But it’s good to see him back in the game, like myself.”
McIntyre was out of football for 13 months after being controversially sacked by Ross County, who he had led to their first major honour and a top-six finish the previous year.
“I know it was hard enough for me to get a job, so I can only talk about my experiences,” Holt added.
“It’s great to see him back, I had a great time as his team-mate, and I can’t speak highly enough of him. I’m sure he is delighted as well as his family that he is back working.”
McIntyre talked of his aim to make Dundee the hardest-working team in the division when he started work on Thursday.
“I think that’s any manager that does that,” Holt said. “I don’t think any manager goes in and says ‘let’s play’ and it’s all pretty and nice. It’s about putting your stamp on it in the quickest way as possible without upsetting the apple cart too much.”
