Dundee United 2013/14 Season

[Zetterlund]

I'm away for a few hours and come back to a hundred plus posts of various United fans repeatedly taking the reeking bait of P&B's Chief Fckwit and various hangers on. A dark day for Dundee United.

No-one is forcing anyone to reply/ Trolling or not, people have always been amused by clowns.

(edited cos P&B fecked up the font)

[Desert Nomad]

Does anyone think Jackie McNamara will try and take Gauld etc with him if he gets the WBA job? I'm hearing he's on the shortlist.

66/1 if you fancy it. Walter Smith evens favourite

[ArabianKnight]

Just caught up on this thread. Bloody hell.

[Granny Danger]

Just caught up on this thread. Bloody hell.

Might be better if the 'banter' with Dons fans is kept to the match thread when it is started. This thread is about our season as a whole and the wonderful talent that we are witnessing at present.

[rustyarabnuts]

personally, I can't wait for the ne'er day's game, should be a cracking atmosphere and hopefully a cracking game ,

f*k all this shite over Gaulds value (potential or not).

My wish for this season and next would be for european qualification leading to a decent run in europe

ETA the Smurren cup gemme has been moved to sunday 8/02/14 12pm -sky sports coverage

[Pull My Strings]

He could easily be a million pound player, but not yet. Maybe if you want to include clauses and the like but until he actually proves something then no English club will pay that amount

^^^ Slow as f**k.

[Desert Nomad]

It was only a question, calm down. Hopefully someone a bit less hysterical knows if McNamara is likely to take the WBA job and some united players with him.

Bookies think McInnes more likely to get that job. Neither will get anywhere near it:

http://m.oddschecker.com/#football-football-specials-west-brom-next-permanent-manager

[Desert Nomad]

It's always amusing to see any manager doing a half decent job being linked with posts like these. Could you imagine WBA who are just above the relegation zone, appointing McInnes or McNamara?

Not really a subject for this thread, but interesting to see where they do go, might wait for Malky McKay to walk/get booted.

[ArabianKnight]

I'd happily have Steve Clarke here if Jaymac left!

[Armand 2]

Did McNamara sign a two-and-a-half-year contract or a three-year one? Either way, from what I've heard, he's keeping his options open and is refusing to discuss his contract despite attempts from Thompson. Don't mean to be scaremongering but I've heard this story from a couple of folk in the last week - could simply be Celtic fans cranking up the rumour mill seeing as a growing number of them seem to be casting envious glances at United's recent form and labelling McNamara as a future manager.

That said, nothing would surprise me with McNamara. One can draw very similar comparisons between his spells with us and United, albeit he's managed to get it working at Tannadice a lot quicker - takes over mid-season, refreshes a stagnating squad, oversees an attractive style of football, focuses on youth, etc. We were also in a position last season where we thought the chances of him leaving - barring a move to an English club - were pretty slim considering our contention in both league and cup competitions, ignoring the fact that he signed a new contract in December.

He's proven himself to be a terrific manager, probably the best in Scotland at the moment, but he's ruthlessly ambitious to a fault. Genuine question for United fans - can McNamara's stock get any higher than it is right now? Because he'll be considering the exact same question and if he arrives at the conclusion that it can't, he'll be off, make no mistake about it.

[Alert Mongoose]

Did McNamara sign a two-and-a-half-year contract or a three-year one? Either way, from what I've heard, he's keeping his options open and is refusing to discuss his contract despite attempts from Thompson. Don't mean to be scaremongering but I've heard this story from a couple of folk in the last week - could simply be Celtic fans cranking up the rumour mill seeing as a growing number of them seem to be casting envious glances at United's recent form and labelling McNamara as a future manager.

That said, nothing would surprise me with McNamara. One can draw very similar comparisons between his spells with us and United, albeit he's managed to get it working at Tannadice a lot quicker - takes over mid-season, refreshes a stagnating squad, oversees an attractive style of football, focuses on youth, etc. We were also in a position last season where we thought the chances of him leaving - barring a move to an English club - were pretty slim considering our contention in both league and cup competitions, ignoring the fact that he signed a new contract in December.

He's proven himself to be a terrific manager, probably the best in Scotland at the moment, but he's ruthlessly ambitious to a fault. Genuine question for United fans - can McNamara's stock get any higher than it is right now? Because he'll be considering the exact same question and if he arrives at the conclusion that it can't, he'll be off, make no mistake about it.

I certainly wouldn't be surprised if this was the case. I doubt he will be leaving before the end of this season though. While I think he has done a great job part of me thinks that a not insignificant part of the success is down to lucky timing - we have a lot of good youth players coming through at the same time. While he, and his coaching staff, appear to be doing a great job bringing them on I doubt we would have had much less success with another manager. From the outside the only member of staff who appears to be irreplaceable is Stevie Campbell.

[Gaz FFC]

ETA the Smurren cup gemme has been moved to sunday 8/02/14 12pm -sky sports coverage

The 8th is Saturday.

[ArabFC]

I certainly wouldn't be surprised if this was the case. I doubt he will be leaving before the end of this season though. While I think he has done a great job part of me thinks that a not insignificant part of the success is down to lucky timing - we have a lot of good youth players coming through at the same time. While he, and his coaching staff, appear to be doing a great job bringing them on I doubt we would have had much less success with another manager. From the outside the only member of staff who appears to be irreplaceable is Stevie Campbell.

^^THIS^^

Whilst I admire the job he has done and is doing, he walked into a team with GMS and Armstrong already playing well and had the two starlets Gauld and Souttar breaking through!

Add to that, he signed Andy Robertson with a view to the future - nobody expected this kid to be this good, and Pierre van Hooijdonk knocked on his door saying he had this kid Nadir Ciftci, fancy giving him a trial?

No doubt he is doing a great job, but as an ambitious guy, he's gotta see what he can achieve with these kids to get the big clubs paying attention to him (not Celtic).

[Granny Danger]

^^THIS^^

Whilst I admire the job he has done and is doing, he walked into a team with GMS and Armstrong already playing well and had the two starlets Gauld and Souttar breaking through!

Add to that, he signed Andy Robertson with a view to the future - nobody expected this kid to be this good, and Pierre van Hooijdonk knocked on his door saying he had this kid Nadir Ciftci, fancy giving him a trial?

No doubt he is doing a great job, but as an ambitious guy, he's gotta see what he can achieve with these kids to get the big clubs paying attention to him (not Celtic).

Agree with this (and the mongoose), but for me the refreshing thing with McNamarra is his willingness to give the young players a chance and allow them to flourish as a group. Too often managers take an overly cautious approach but the management team at Tannadice seem more adventurous and it's paying dividends.

The other key thing is his willingness to take tough decisions with other players. He made Dillon club captain but has been willing to keep him out of the team other than when Gunning was injured; many managers would have been reluctant to do this. Also dropping Wilson after a couple of games where he was skinned.

Yes he's been lucky to a degree coming into the club at this time, but there would have been other managers who would not have gotten so much out the same players IMO.

[Alert Mongoose]

^^THIS^^

Whilst I admire the job he has done and is doing, he walked into a team with GMS and Armstrong already playing well and had the two starlets Gauld and Souttar breaking through!

Add to that, he signed Andy Robertson with a view to the future - nobody expected this kid to be this good, and Pierre van Hooijdonk knocked on his door saying he had this kid Nadir Ciftci, fancy giving him a trial?

No doubt he is doing a great job, but as an ambitious guy, he's gotta see what he can achieve with these kids to get the big clubs paying attention to him (not Celtic).

Actually this is probably his defining moment for Utd so far. I wonder if he was already being looked at before McNamara came in?

[Alert Mongoose]

Agree with this (and the mongoose), but for me the refreshing thing with McNamarra is his willingness to give the young players a chance and allow them to flourish as a group. Too often managers take an overly cautious approach but the management team at Tannadice seem more adventurous and it's paying dividends.

The other key thing is his willingness to take tough decisions with other players. He made Dillon club captain but has been willing to keep him out of the team other than when Gunning was injured; many managers would have been reluctant to do this. Also dropping Wilson after a couple of games where he was skinned.

Yes he's been lucky to a degree coming into the club at this time, but there would have been other managers who would not have gotten so much out the same players IMO.

Agreed though it is a slightly risky tactic. For example Gunning is almost certain to leave so he then has to go back to Dillon and say you are now the main experienced defender - Dillon doesn't seem the type to let it de-motivate him but it won't always work.

[Armand 2]

Actually this is probably his defining moment for Utd so far. I wonder if he was already being looked at before McNamara came in?

To perhaps shine a light on that, we played Queen's Park in the Challenge Cup towards the beginning of last season. Robertson played in the game and I, and McNamara it would appear, were immediately sold - didn't do an awful lot but his his galloping runs forward caught my eye. In January, rumours were afoot that Sinclair would be leaving for Fleetwood Town and McNamara was quoted as saying he already had a replacement lined up; by most accounts, that was Robertson.

[Alert Mongoose]

To perhaps shine a light on that, we played Queen's Park in the Challenge Cup towards the beginning of last season. Robertson played in the game and I, and McNamara it would appear, were immediately sold - didn't do an awful lot but his his galloping runs forward caught my eye. In January, rumours were afoot that Sinclair would be leaving for Fleetwood Town and McNamara was quoted as saying he already had a replacement lined up; by most accounts, that was Robertson.

Ah right. Cheers

[ArabFC]

To perhaps shine a light on that, we played Queen's Park in the Challenge Cup towards the beginning of last season. Robertson played in the game and I, and McNamara it would appear, were immediately sold - didn't do an awful lot but his his galloping runs forward caught my eye. In January, rumours were afoot that Sinclair would be leaving for Fleetwood Town and McNamara was quoted as saying he already had a replacement lined up; by most accounts, that was Robertson.

So what you're telling us is that both yourself and Jackie Mac saw in one game the blindingly obvious that Ally McCoist nor anyone else at Rangers could spot in four?

[captainkev]

Did McNamara sign a two-and-a-half-year contract or a three-year one? Either way, from what I've heard, he's keeping his options open and is refusing to discuss his contract despite attempts from Thompson. Don't mean to be scaremongering but I've heard this story from a couple of folk in the last week - could simply be Celtic fans cranking up the rumour mill seeing as a growing number of them seem to be casting envious glances at United's recent form and labelling McNamara as a future manager.

That said, nothing would surprise me with McNamara. One can draw very similar comparisons between his spells with us and United, albeit he's managed to get it working at Tannadice a lot quicker - takes over mid-season, refreshes a stagnating squad, oversees an attractive style of football, focuses on youth, etc. We were also in a position last season where we thought the chances of him leaving - barring a move to an English club - were pretty slim considering our contention in both league and cup competitions, ignoring the fact that he signed a new contract in December.

He's proven himself to be a terrific manager, probably the best in Scotland at the moment, but he's ruthlessly ambitious to a fault. Genuine question for United fans - can McNamara's stock get any higher than it is right now? Because he'll be considering the exact same question and if he arrives at the conclusion that it can't, he'll be off, make no mistake about it.

He'd probably need to keep going and finish well this season before he will become a genuine contender for jobs down south. He hasn't really achieved anything yet and for all the praise a fawning over us we're still behind ICT and as was pointed out last night, we're only above Aberdeen thanks to our superb goal difference.

With the rate they go through managers down south it's not impossible that he could find himself being offered a job down there off the back of one excellent season like Lomas did with Saints last season.