Dundee United's Next Permanent Manager

[The DA]

21 minutes ago, Theatom said:

Sure that wasnae yer vaccination letter...

Can you find me my glasses, young man?

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

From the statement

Quote

As we move forward, everyone involved must align with the performance and development strategy to ensure the best performance across the Club. 

In other words, despite everyone telling us this is an awful idea we will be doing it anyway.

[mishtergrolsch]

6 hours ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said:

From the statement

In other words, despite everyone telling us this is an awful idea we will be doing it anyway.

Yup.

Basically, do what Tony tells you or you're out the door.

[Pull My Strings]

8 hours ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said:

From the statement

In other words, despite everyone telling us this is an awful idea we will be doing it anyway.

You're mistaken if you think that there's universal opposition to appointing a Head Coach who will be tasked with introducing the best Academy players into the first team.

Mellon was asked to do that, said he would do that, started the season by doing that and then shat out. He would obviously argue, with some justification, that the ends justify the means. First priority was to survive and we did that. Second priority, it would appear, was to develop the young players and he clearly didn't do that to the extent that was required and wasn't prepared to do that in the future. It seems perfectly sensible therefore to appoint a guy who will follow the club's longer term plans. United have poured a huge amount of money into the Academy and have a number of very promising players. That money will have been utterly wasted if those players aren't then given the opportunity to play. United appear to have now taken a very deliberate decision to say that we're now going to focus on a new Head Coach who will play the young players at the expense of a more established manager who will better guarantee survival at the cost of potentially neglecting the youngsters again.  There's a very obvious danger in pursuing such a strategy in that you develop youngsters at the expense of first team results but, equally, a very obvious benefit if it works in that you manage to acquire players of a higher technical standard than you could obtain from the transfer market, you pay less in wages, you save money on the churn of mediocre squad fillers and you potentially develop players with a re-sale value which couldn't otherwise be achieved. 

There will obviously be dissenting voices but that's just the nature of football fans and social media. You'll find just as many fans supporting the idea. I'd personally be delighted to see it. Football is meant to be an entertainment. Last year it wasn't. I think I can honestly say that I was actively entertained on one occasion last season. With another couple of decent performances on top of that. Most weeks it was eye bleeding stuff. Mission accomplished for Mellon in that we survived but survival shouldn't be the limit of your ambitions otherwise what's the fucking point.

Unless you think that's a reference to Tam Courts in particular, which seems like a bit of a stretch. 

[RandomGuy.]

United decision to force a youth strategy into the first team is one of those decisions that isn't necessarily right or wrong, and you shouldnt really judge until this time next season, IMO.

[Mark Connolly]

I obviously agree with the wider point on youth development, and tbh if there's any fan base that should get it, it's us. The issue is that that is a long term strategy, while football at our level is essentially a short term business. If there is a risk we could go down again, Courts (or whoever) will have to bin his strategy or be binned himself. We obviously have some decent young players, but consistency of performance from game to game is the main issue when you start picking them regularly. In order to manage that consistency, you need good, experienced players round them, which we don't really have.

It's an odd situation that if we are going to back youth, we also need to spend money to get some good experienced heads.

[SGMilne]

41 minutes ago, Pull My Strings said:

You're mistaken if you think that there's universal opposition to appointing a Head Coach who will be tasked with introducing the best Academy players into the first team.

Mellon was asked to do that, said he would do that, started the season by doing that and then shat out. He would obviously argue, with some justification, that the ends justify the means. First priority was to survive and we did that. Second priority, it would appear, was to develop the young players and he clearly didn't do that to the extent that was required and wasn't prepared to do that in the future. It seems perfectly sensible therefore to appoint a guy who will follow the club's longer term plans. United have poured a huge amount of money into the Academy and have a number of very promising players. That money will have been utterly wasted if those players aren't then given the opportunity to play. United appear to have now taken a very deliberate decision to say that we're now going to focus on a new Head Coach who will play the young players at the expense of a more established manager who will better guarantee survival at the cost of potentially neglecting the youngsters again.  There's a very obvious danger in pursuing such a strategy in that you develop youngsters at the expense of first team results but, equally, a very obvious benefit if it works in that you manage to acquire players of a higher technical standard than you could obtain from the transfer market, you pay less in wages, you save money on the churn of mediocre squad fillers and you potentially develop players with a re-sale value which couldn't otherwise be achieved. 

There will obviously be dissenting voices but that's just the nature of football fans and social media. You'll find just as many fans supporting the idea. I'd personally be delighted to see it. Football is meant to be an entertainment. Last year it wasn't. I think I can honestly say that I was actively entertained on one occasion last season. With another couple of decent performances on top of that. Most weeks it was eye bleeding stuff. Mission accomplished for Mellon in that we survived but survival shouldn't be the limit of your ambitions otherwise what's the fucking point.

Unless you think that's a reference to Tam Courts in particular, which seems like a bit of a stretch. 

I think that's very well put.

[Granny Danger]

13 hours ago, The DA said:

I'm about to retire, I've got infinite free time, I've watched United since '74 and I've managed (badly) hundreds of people over the years. 

Where do I send my CV?

You must have better things to do in retirement than work at United.

Spoiler

Or watch United!

 

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

6 hours ago, Pull My Strings said:

You're mistaken if you think that there's universal opposition to appointing a Head Coach who will be tasked with introducing the best Academy players into the first team.

Mellon was asked to do that, said he would do that, started the season by doing that and then shat out. He would obviously argue, with some justification, that the ends justify the means. First priority was to survive and we did that. Second priority, it would appear, was to develop the young players and he clearly didn't do that to the extent that was required and wasn't prepared to do that in the future. It seems perfectly sensible therefore to appoint a guy who will follow the club's longer term plans. United have poured a huge amount of money into the Academy and have a number of very promising players. That money will have been utterly wasted if those players aren't then given the opportunity to play. United appear to have now taken a very deliberate decision to say that we're now going to focus on a new Head Coach who will play the young players at the expense of a more established manager who will better guarantee survival at the cost of potentially neglecting the youngsters again.  There's a very obvious danger in pursuing such a strategy in that you develop youngsters at the expense of first team results but, equally, a very obvious benefit if it works in that you manage to acquire players of a higher technical standard than you could obtain from the transfer market, you pay less in wages, you save money on the churn of mediocre squad fillers and you potentially develop players with a re-sale value which couldn't otherwise be achieved. 

There will obviously be dissenting voices but that's just the nature of football fans and social media. You'll find just as many fans supporting the idea. I'd personally be delighted to see it. Football is meant to be an entertainment. Last year it wasn't. I think I can honestly say that I was actively entertained on one occasion last season. With another couple of decent performances on top of that. Most weeks it was eye bleeding stuff. Mission accomplished for Mellon in that we survived but survival shouldn't be the limit of your ambitions otherwise what's the fucking point.

Unless you think that's a reference to Tam Courts in particular, which seems like a bit of a stretch. 

How many youth players are actually good. And Mellon seemed to be playing them when he could. It isn't like he was running out with a team of 30+ guys.

So what youth players was Mellon ignoring? And if  the strategy is really about promoting youths why is Peter Pawlett getting a 2 year deal when he isn't good enough to start every week. He will be coming off the bench instead of a youngster.

So it isn't really about the strategy it is about who has control. Mellon clearly wasn't happy with Tony interfering and decided that it wasn't for him. They didn't sack Mellon, he walked on his own because of the way things were being done.

[Daydream]

It's been a tough year for Bananarama. 

To be sure

[Pull My Strings]

4 hours ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said:

How many youth players are actually good. And Mellon seemed to be playing them when he could. It isn't like he was running out with a team of 30+ guys.

So what youth players was Mellon ignoring? And if  the strategy is really about promoting youths why is Peter Pawlett getting a 2 year deal when he isn't good enough to start every week. He will be coming off the bench instead of a youngster.

So it isn't really about the strategy it is about who has control. Mellon clearly wasn't happy with Tony interfering and decided that it wasn't for him. They didn't sack Mellon, he walked on his own because of the way things were being done.

Aye, well you're entitled to your opinion, however ill-informed.

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

Just now, Pull My Strings said:

Aye, well you're entitled to your opinion, however ill-informed.

Inform me. Which youth players were left out?

To me it doesn't sound like a good idea to run your club in such a way that you have to turn to someone with almost zero experience as manager because they are the only one who will take it from the Sporting Director. It is the Ian Cathro model.

[This Charming Man]

1 hour ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said:

Inform me. Which youth players were left out?

To me it doesn't sound like a good idea to run your club in such a way that you have to turn to someone with almost zero experience as manager because they are the only one who will take it from the Sporting Director. It is the Ian Cathro model.

Thank you for keeping 'em engaged my man as we're only on page 8 whereby Dundee FC's last match-thread is currently on page 111 and counting.

Nothing of interest to see or read I'm afraid until my learned friend @stumigoo passes comment on the above subject matter.

See you all next season, Covid-19 restrictions permitted of course.

Football subject aside, also stay safe my friends.

Regards

   

 

[An Arab In Qatar]

Any idea of when a possible head coach is likely to be announced?

[Bigmouth Strikes Again]

3 hours ago, An Arab In Qatar said:

Any idea of when a possible head coach is likely to be announced?

 

[An Arab In Qatar]

48 minutes ago, Bigmouth Strikes Again said:

 

Now if you’d picked James - Tomorrow I’d have tapped the like button

[Ludo*1]

Tam Courts is Paul Paton approved.

 

[This Charming Man]

1 hour ago, Bigmouth Strikes Again said:

 

 

35 minutes ago, An Arab In Qatar said:

Now if you’d picked James - Tomorrow I’d have tapped the like button

Both are superb tracks in fairness imho and if I remember correctly James were the support act at a few Smiths live concerts. Unfortunately not at Dundee, again imho.

Apostle regards

  

[CaspianChris]

Billy McKinlay the latest name mentioned 

 

[Zoomer Brown]

1 hour ago, Bigmouth Strikes Again said:

 

are we going to have this brexit loving racist spammed all over united threads again? and Morrisey is a c**t as well.

Edited May 30, 2021 by Zoomer Brown