The Dundee United Thread 22/23

[mishtergrolsch]

If we play like that and win the cup nobody will give a flying f**k. Its not good, but its effective. 

Saying that, I caught the last 30 mins and didn't think we were horrendous. It was clear Forfar were defending very well and had a really good game. They made it stuffy and as we don't have anyone capable of creating chances, crossing or threading passes etc, we didn't know how to break them down.

Our full backs NEVER get a cross in either. They are absolutely diabolical at it, Robson in particular.

McNulty really is a passenger and while hes ever impressed me even slightly, hes never had a run at centre forward with Shankland.

[Steven W]

9 hours ago, Granny Danger said:

We were shit, that’s to take nothing from Forfar who were well organised and put in a great shift.

Speaking to a United legend last week who reckons Mellon would be getting pelters for his style of play if there were fans in the stadium.

If there were fans in the stadium I'd hope we'd play with a bit more verve and swagger.

Whilst it's been the same for every team, the impact of having no fans shouldn't be dismissed. As an example, I'd argue when Harkes scored against St. Mirren to make it 3-1 with 40 minutes left, with a crowd behind us we may have comeback to get a point. 

I like Mellon and think he's done decent enough (and achieved the season's objective) but obviously the football hasn't been particularly easy on the eye at times. I'd hope next season, with fans behind is (hopefully!), we'll see some more positive football.

[Granny Danger]

58 minutes ago, mishtergrolsch said:

If we play like that and win the cup nobody will give a flying f**k. Its not good, but its effective. 

Saying that, I caught the last 30 mins and didn't think we were horrendous. It was clear Forfar were defending very well and had a really good game. They made it stuffy and as we don't have anyone capable of creating chances, crossing or threading passes etc, we didn't know how to break them down.

Our full backs NEVER get a cross in either. They are absolutely diabolical at it, Robson in particular.

McNulty really is a passenger and while hes ever impressed me even slightly, hes never had a run at centre forward with Shankland.

If we play like that against half decent opposition we will be deservedly dumped out on our arses.

We squeezed through against a team who, though they played very well last night, have been having an awful season.

[Steven W]

6 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

If we play like that against half decent opposition we will be deservedly dumped out on our arses.

We squeezed through against a team who, though they played very well last night, have been having an awful season.

Dundee United fans!

[mishtergrolsch]

7 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

If we play like that against half decent opposition we will be deservedly dumped out on our arses.

We squeezed through against a team who, though they played very well last night, have been having an awful season.

But we've played like that all season and are sitting 7th in the league and are in the Quarter Finals. Im not saying we'll win it but if we did, no c**t would give two flying monkeys arseholes about how we got there.

[Dundee Hibernian]

Feel free to disagree, but I don't think we've played consistently well for over 6 years, which was five managers ago, not including caretakers.

I'm puzzled by the fans who think we'll improve, with that squad, by replacing Mellon with another manager. I'm wondering who that manager would be, as we, and most clubs, have long track records of appointing duds, most of which are quickly sacked (some not quickly enough, of course).

[Granny Danger]

2 hours ago, Dundee Hibernian said:

Feel free to disagree, but I don't think we've played consistently well for over 6 years, which was five managers ago, not including caretakers.

I'm puzzled by the fans who think we'll improve, with that squad, by replacing Mellon with another manager. I'm wondering who that manager would be, as we, and most clubs, have long track records of appointing duds, most of which are quickly sacked (some not quickly enough, of course).

I don’t necessarily thing we would play significantly better with the same players and a new manager.

I’m a lot more concerned that we might bring in new players and are still playing the same turgid football next season.

Yes we want to win but there’s only so much of that drivel I could watch over a year.

[jagfox]

 

[ArabFC]

12 hours ago, captainkev said:

Tonight's just left me irritated again, and at this point I'm thoroughly fed up of McNulty. I know he has some defenders here, but I think he's a passenger and been an absolute waste of a signing.

I wonder how folk would rate Shankland if he’d only come to us last summer? Has he been that much better than McNulty or Clark?

Our entire forward line has underperformed, but maybe that has something to do with the service.

We have zero creativity in midfield. We have no width. Like literally none.

There’s only so much that can be expected from forwards whose primary source is Reynolds and Edwards launching the ball.

[invergowrie arab]

Agree that last night was just annoying. An opportunity to go out and put in a show and it was the same turgid shit served up for 75% of the season.

I think he must be on his way he sounds like he doesn't give a shit. His post match comments boiled down to - aye it was shit and we didn't have a plan but knew we would get a chance and put it away 

[Accent-Unknown]

2 hours ago, ArabFC said:

I wonder how folk would rate Shankland if he’d only come to us last summer? Has he been that much better than McNulty or Clark?

Our entire forward line has underperformed, but maybe that has something to do with the service.

We have zero creativity in midfield. We have no width. Like literally none.

There’s only so much that can be expected from forwards whose primary source is Reynolds and Edwards launching the ball.

Aye I agree with this. Though it's not been helped by Mellon insisting on playing McNulty out on the wing. Mochrie or Glass should've been given playing time at the beginning of the season in middle and Chalmers should've been played instead of McNulty, don't care about wages the team and it's balance should come first.

Sporle as much as I love him isn't really gonna give you width either as he prefers to cut inside than go down the line (though that doesn't mean he can play in the middle as seen in the Hamilton game).

A team where your highest assist makers are Lawrence Shankland and Luke Bolton (yes, really) isn't going to score a lot of goals.

[Mvondo_the_great]

17 hours ago, Granny Danger said:

We were shit, that’s to take nothing from Forfar who were well organised and put in a great shift.

Speaking to a United legend last week who reckons Mellon would be getting pelters for his style of play if there were fans in the stadium.

Jamie Buchan? 

[Mark Connolly]

I accept the argument that the talent is limited, my issue is that I don't think it's quite as limited as the performances suggest. You can argue that we were pretty comfortable last night, but we created very little against a team who are struggling 2 divisions below. It was similar against Hamilton last week, and while we definitely seem more secure at the back, with our attacking players, you would definitely hope for a bit more.

It's perfectly reasonable to accept that, so far, Mellon has achieved what we would have identified as decent targets at the beginning of the season, while also thinking it maybe could/should have been done a bit more comfortably and a bit less eye-bleedingly.

[ArabFC]

57 minutes ago, Mark Connolly said:

I accept the argument that the talent is limited, my issue is that I don't think it's quite as limited as the performances suggest.

Yesterday we were basically playing with one guy in midfield. Sure, Pawlett, Sporle and Clark were scampering around the edges but Butcher was our midfield.

What does Butcher do when any of our defenders have the ball? He points over there, to him, look, that vague direction, anywhere, anything but give the ball to me is his mantra.

So, the ball goes... boom, up the park. Let’s cross our fingers and hope it lands near the feet of an attacker. Fuchs is better, but we still need someone else to get their foot on the ball in the middle of the park, a natural wide player or two to feed and a centre back that can pass a ball five yards.

Till then eye-bleeding fitba is our lot.

[mishtergrolsch]

14 hours ago, ArabFC said:

Yesterday we were basically playing with one guy in midfield. Sure, Pawlett, Sporle and Clark were scampering around the edges but Butcher was our midfield.

What does Butcher do when any of our defenders have the ball? He points over there, to him, look, that vague direction, anywhere, anything but give the ball to me is his mantra.

So, the ball goes... boom, up the park. Let’s cross our fingers and hope it lands near the feet of an attacker. Fuchs is better, but we still need someone else to get their foot on the ball in the middle of the park, a natural wide player or two to feed and a centre back that can pass a ball five yards.

Till then eye-bleeding fitba is our lot.

Agree.

Fuchs does a similar role to what Gomis and Rankin did. Breaks up play, gets around the pitch and occasionally gets forward to support the strikers. Hes not a partucularly creative type.

Re Butcher, he's fine to come deep but never demands the ball convincingly and will only play a simple 5 / 10 yarder mostly. Again, not a creator in the slightest - but in fairness thats not his job. (I'd still argue his best position is centre half!)

Then there's Pawlett, Clark and Sporle. 3 players who, on their day (less so Clark) can be very good. But we never seem to get the ball to them to feet, or in front of them to run on to in dangerous positions. Its always either hoofed or the ball gets shunted around and its all far too laboured and predictable. 

There's no consistent creative focal point in the team. Or squad. No quick tricky winger to be an out ball. Just one really good but seriously off the boil striker thats more often than not either coming into midfield because hes isolated or, more likely, having the ball launched at him.

Thing is, there's no c**t else the manager can bring in to dramatically change things around. The squad has been so badly assembled over the past couple of years.

Edited April 18, 2021 by mishtergrolsch

[Mark Connolly]

What we would give now for an Armstrong/Gauld type.

[mishtergrolsch]

38 minutes ago, Mark Connolly said:

What we would give now for an Armstrong/Gauld type.

I'd even settle for Ryan Dow tbh.

[Mark Connolly]

1 minute ago, mishtergrolsch said:

I'd even settle for Ryan Dow tbh.

Steady. We already have Pawlett filling the "decent, but inconsistent and lazy" role.

[kdyteejay]

2 hours ago, mishtergrolsch said:

Agree.

Fuchs does a similar role to what Gomis and Rankin did. Breaks up play, gets around the pitch and occasionally gets forward to support the strikers. Hes not a partucularly creative type.

Re Butcher, he's fine to come deep but never demands the ball convincingly and will only play a simple 5 / 10 yarder mostly. Again, not a creator in the slightest - but in fairness thats not his job. (I'd still argue his best position is centre half!)

Then there's Pawlett, Clark and Sporle. 3 players who, on their day (less so Clark) can be very good. But we never seem to get the ball to them to feet, or in front of them to run on to in dangerous positions. Its always either hoofed or the ball gets shunted around and its all far too laboured and predictable. 

There's no consistent creative focal point in the team. Or squad. No quick tricky winger to be an out ball. Just one really good but seriously off the boil striker thats more often than not either coming into midfield because hes isolated or, more likely, having the ball launched at him.

Thing is, there's no c**t else the manager can bring in to dramatically change things around. The squad has been so badly assembled over the past couple of years.

Totally agree with this.

[skinny arab]

3 hours ago, mishtergrolsch said:

Agree.

Fuchs does a similar role to what Gomis and Rankin did. Breaks up play, gets around the pitch and occasionally gets forward to support the strikers. Hes not a partucularly creative type.

 

Agree with this but the problem is Mellon has stopped playing him in this role and moved him to the right side of a midfield 3 or diamond recently which has seen Fuchs worst run of performances since joining. The squad is incredibly limited but playing players in their most suited position would surely improve us (Fuchs cm, Clark cf, McNulty cf), Mellon persistence with playing players out of position is starting to become very frustrating.

Personally I think Mellon has done well to get us where we are in the league and deserves the chance to build his own squad and bring in players taylor made to suit the formation he wants to play but if he does get that opportunity he needs to improve the quality of football on display as with fans back in grounds next season people won’t be long in voicing their opinion. 
The Forfar game made me think Mellon won’t be here next season as I’ve never seen him so passive, normally very animated barking instructions at players all game but that wasn’t there on Friday. A recent interview also suggested things weren’t 100% behind the scenes along with various rumours about disagreements over the greater use of youth players.

The club had to get it right with Mellons appointment as staying up this season was critical for the future of the club and if Mellon is away then once again the next appointment is going to be crucial.