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The Dundee United Thread 22/23


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7 hours ago, Coventry Saint said:

We've yet to beat a Jack Ross side since he left us.

Last season, after you beat Ross County on 16 October 2021 you went on a truly terrible run of form - 0 wins in 11 games, including losing to Dundee at home (one of their two away wins that season).  The wheels had well and truly come off your season, heading towards the relegation spots, would take a miracle for you to avoid the playoffs etc. etc. etc. 

So, who did you face on 18 January 2022 with Goodwin under severe pressure, needing a big win to turn your season around?  Dundee United at Tannadice... 

The record above will almost certainly be broken against us, worry not!

7 hours ago, thepundit said:

Was gonna say a heavy defeat is understandable with the salaries AZ can pay compared to Dundee Utd but AZ pay £4.6m per yr and Utd pay £4.1m so not really much of a difference.

With accounting skills like that, you could have got a job at your club in the 00s... but in all seriousness, that figure appears to be way off - it is no excuse for what was an absolutely humiliating defeat, but AZ Alkmaar have a wage bill that is significantly higher than ours (and the notes confirm that the drop in 2021 is due to the Dutch Government's pay-outs for COVID so figures in 2022 are anticipated to be higher than the 21.5 paid in 2020):

Source: Link

AZ Alkmaar Finances 2021 - Wages Chart

6 hours ago, Dundee Hibernian said:

Obvious we lack a decent defensive midfielder, but tonight the men from a land down under made me chunder.

I've been impressed with Craig Sibbald so far - has made a far more positive impact than some of our other more championed signings, and I thought he was easily our best player against Kilmarnock. 

My bigger concern is how light we are further up the pitch - JR really does not seem to fancy Nicky Clark; we have no real replacement for Fletcher, who at 35 is (rightly) being subbed off every game; and Tony Watt is doing what he has done for the entirety of his career (except that 6 month purple patch at Motherwell last season) and is hugging the touchline, running with the ball close to his feet, trying to win fouls, but not scoring or assisting or doing much at all really... 

5 hours ago, Bogbrush1903 said:

I wasn't really aware of Smith beforehand but he looked well out of his depth. I think it was summed up by that big slice he had right across the back line just after United went 2-0 down.

Liam Smith is becoming a bit of a scapegoat for United fans, and that is undoubtedly going to have a knock-on effect on his confidence.  He is unremarkable but consistent, and last season was very solid and even showed a bit of versatility when pushed into midfield.   He has had a poor start to the season, but he is far from alone.

I know that expectations have been raised with all of the money that the Ogren family has spent, but some United fans need a dose of reality - we can barely afford one player of the quality of Dylan Levitt, never mind a 20-odd man squad like that, so to be in any way close to sustainable we need more economical options like Smith and McCann.   

2 hours ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

Still, Tony Watt, eh?

I hate to be right, but this is what I said when he signed his pre-contract with us:

I know he has played in a variety of teams, in a variety of countries and in a variety of positions - but he has yet to manage double figures in a single season.  So forgive me for not doing what I did in the summer of 2003 with a young Collin Samuel and splashing out the extra tenner to have his name and number stuck on my top...

In short, I hate to be a cynic but I am far from convinced that we should be making big offers for Watt.

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16 minutes ago, Thenorthernlight said:

If I was a Dundee Utd fan, I’d be more concerned about the keeper.

He looks woeful.

He looks too small in height & in build.

I’d be targeting him before the right back. 

Absolutely. 

The goalkeeper, for me, shouldn't take to the field again for Utd.  There's no way being the size he is he will ever command the box in the way a keeper should.

I've stood up for Ashgar in the face of plenty of (unwarranted) vitriol from Utd fans, but you've got to ask how this signing came about? Had anyone ever seen him play? Had anyone even, just seen him at all?

Eriksson in at the weekend, but it's clear that he's not rated within the club

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7 hours ago, Bogbrush1903 said:

Their policy was to kick the ball down  Liam Smith's side knowing they would create a chance. I hope Jim Goodwin was paying attention.

I wasn't really aware of Smith beforehand but he looked well out of his depth. I think it was summed up by that big slice he had right across the back line just after United went 2-0 down.

 

I was surprised when I saw his name on the team sheet for the first leg.

Ross signed Smith on loan from Hearts when we won the championship. I liked him as a player, but even at that level his defending was quite poor at times.

 

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Not much else to say about that. AZ were a completely different team from last week but we just crumbled.

I actually thought the keeper had looked fine in the first 3 games but that was up there with the Keys, Collins etc.

The only thing the players can do is forget about it. Dwelling on it could seriously impact on the season.

We got over taking 7 off rangers and this team can hopefully do the same.

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45 minutes ago, Aladdin said:

 

We got over taking 7 off rangers and this team can hopefully do the same.

I don't know about that match but the worrying thing for United and all of Scottish football (remember United were the 4th highest placed team last season) that this could easily have been double figures.

If, by some set of bizarre circumstances, AZ needed a 12 goal winning margin last night then I think they would've achieved it.

United can take some solace in the fact it was 'only' seven.

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2 hours ago, Sarto Mutiny said:

We played alright for the first 20 minutes that's the funny thing. After the second goal, the players had a colossal meltdown. The way the heads just completely went was terrifying.

Nah we didn't.

They'd had more chances in the first 20mins than they did in the entire first leg.

It was far too easy for them to get the ball in space out wide and then find a guy on the edge of the box.

A goal was coming,

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5 hours ago, Mr. Alli said:

They slagged Dundee fans for us signing a washed up, out of shape Leigh Griffiths. 

This guy cost them a fee, mega wages and has phoned it in since day dot. An absolute waster.

Yeah but his film reviews are good! 

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