The Dundee United Thread 22/23

[Robin.Hood]

Anything less than 6th is a fail though ?

Mellon ball got you to a semi final and 7th place, 1 point awayfrom 6th ( unless you count after the split ).

Courts season all be it hasn't finished but has quarter final and we'll expected should be top 6.

[Junior_Arab]

I was unimpressed with Court’s appointment to say the least. I thought Mellon had done a reasonable job re-establishing ourselves in the top flight, building from the back and hopefully kicking on the next season. To punt him and appoint Courts put us back to square 1, and that’s exactly how the season has felt to me. So I don’t particularly want to punt Courts now and do the whole thing again next year.
 

For as much as this season has been reasonable so far however one big difference that’s affecting my expectations is how poor Hibs & Aberdeen (and to a lesser extent St Johnstone) have been. If we’d missed out on Top 6 spot behind Celtic, Rangers, Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen and say a Motherwell or Livi team who had a good season I could accept it. But if we miss out behind unconvincing Livi, Motherwell, St Mirren sides and/or even a Ross County team who have spent 90% of the season flirting with relegation then questions should probably be asked. 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Junior_Arab

[Dundee Hibernian]

Fans will be quick to point out anything below 6th is a sacking offence, in the certain knowledge that Mickey Mellon was sacked for not getting into the top 6. 

The only thing is, he wasn't sacked, it was a mutual decision for him to leave, with it being dressed up by some fans as him getting the boot. Mellon wanted to go back down south, and the Tranmere job was waiting for him. The false sacking view was only reinforced by Tony Asghar himself saying we should have been higher in the league, perhaps doing so to talk the club up before the new season started. For if we can all agree on something, it's that the leadership at United likes to add a few limbs onto the body of their narrative.

I think if Mellon had stayed on, we might have had a better season this time around, but it's something we'll never know. One thing though, if we'd still had Neilson, I think we'd be struggling, as he has restablished himself at Hearts on the back of large sums of cash, which wouldn't have been there for him at Tannadice.

 

 

[Gibby82]

2 hours ago, Dundee Hibernian said:

The vitriol directed at Asghar and Courts is, in my view, out of order. Nether of them are doing poor jobs, Courts tends to talk contrarily in interviews but I rarely enjoy listening to a manager anyway, he's done a decent job under restricted conditions like most managers in the league. Asghar has brought in some duds along the way, but there have been gems as well, like every club.

I totally agree with the three posts above, and feel that Asghar gets it in the neck for being an ex-cop, and having a past association with old Rangers.

That said, I get frustrated watching our on the park efforts most of the time of late, and think the club are going to have to make difficult decisions in their pricing to sell season tickets for the next campaign.

Don’t see much vitriol aimed at them other than some rockets on social media, but that’s Twitter for you. I’m ambivalent about both. We’re unquestionably in a better place from when Ogren/Asghar came in, and arguably since Courts got the manager gig, but still a lot of work to do. 

[Robin.Hood]

2 hours ago, Dundee Hibernian said:

 if we'd still had Neilson, I think we'd be struggling, as he has restablished himself at Hearts on the back of large sums of cash, which wouldn't have been there for him at Tannadice.

 

 

United have brought in ex internationals in and paid a decent enough fee for Watt. I actually don't know what fees Hearts have paid for players overall but United havnt been quiet on the transfer front 

[Granny Danger]

3 hours ago, Dundee Hibernian said:

The vitriol directed at Asghar and Courts is, in my view, out of order. Nether of them are doing poor jobs, Courts tends to talk contrarily in interviews but I rarely enjoy listening to a manager anyway, he's done a decent job under restricted conditions like most managers in the league. Asghar has brought in some duds along the way, but there have been gems as well, like every club.

I totally agree with the three posts above, and feel that Asghar gets it in the neck for being an ex-cop, and having a past association with old Rangers.

That said, I get frustrated watching our on the park efforts most of the time of late, and think the club are going to have to make difficult decisions in their pricing to sell season tickets for the next campaign.

 

43 minutes ago, Gibby82 said:

Don’t see much vitriol aimed at them other than some rockets on social media, but that’s Twitter for you. I’m ambivalent about both. We’re unquestionably in a better place from when Ogren/Asghar came in, and arguably since Courts got the manager gig, but still a lot of work to do. 

Yeah, i don’t think there’s any vitriol.  Lots of frustration maybe.  For me a top six finish is not the litmus test, more interested in how the team performs and how well Courts manages.  

[Dundee Hibernian]

34 minutes ago, Robin.Hood said:

United have brought in ex internationals in and paid a decent enough fee for Watt. I actually don't know what fees Hearts have paid for players overall but United havnt been quiet on the transfer front 

Hearts brought in 10 players according to 'Transfermakt', two were probably for a fee. They've not got money in for any player.

United have brought in Watt and Niskanen on cash transfers, there are question marks over whether Carson and McManncost token fees, but the money paid out is dwarfed by the transfer fees brought in for Shankland, Fuchs, Smith, Appere and Robson.

United haven't been quiet right enough, but they've made money. Hearts, make up your own mind.

1 hour ago, Gibby82 said:

Don’t see much vitriol aimed at them other than some rockets on social media, but that’s Twitter for you. I’m ambivalent about both. We’re unquestionably in a better place from when Ogren/Asghar came in, and arguably since Courts got the manager gig, but still a lot of work to do. 

13 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

Yeah, i don’t think there’s any vitriol.  Lots of frustration maybe.  For me a top six finish is not the litmus test, more interested in how the team performs and how well Courts manages.  

Aye, Twitter is full of vitriol, but ignoring this site, every other one I look in to, Mad, East and Tek display quite a bit of malice.

And Granny, calling Asghar 'Fat Tony' probably indicates some disdain for the man.

[Granny Danger]

4 minutes ago, Dundee Hibernian said:

 

And Granny, calling Asghar 'Fat Tony' probably indicates some disdain for the man.

It’s a term of affection.

[invergowrie arab]

Asghars signings are a mixed bag. Some of the contract extensions are utterly bewildering though.

Courts is a man playing Watt out wide to accommodate .... checks notes... Mark McNulty. I'd like to think after the split, whichever way it goes, we get to see a bit of what he thinks next year looks like including Neilsen, Mochrie and Meekison in the side.

I said after the Celtic game I won't be buying a ST next year. Not because I was in a huff or i think we are performing badly per se but because I've been bored for two year now (probably still will)

[Pull My Strings]

7 hours ago, invergowrie arab said:

Asghars signings are a mixed bag. Some of the contract extensions are utterly bewildering though.

Courts is a man playing Watt out wide to accommodate .... checks notes... Mark McNulty. I'd like to think after the split, whichever way it goes, we get to see a bit of what he thinks next year looks like including Neilsen, Mochrie and Meekison in the side.

I said after the Celtic game I won't be buying a ST next year. Not because I was in a huff or i think we are performing badly per se but because I've been bored for two year now (probably still will)

I don't think Watt has been moved to accommodate McNulty. That's just where Watt plays.

[Mark Connolly]

Punt McNulty and bring in a striker capable of scoring a goal, and Courts and Asghar can have my full backing

[Alert Mongoose]

There is a young manager doing very well at Morton. Worth considering.

[Mark Connolly]

1 hour ago, Alert Mongoose said:

There is a young manager doing very well at Morton. Worth considering.

I am not in favour of this course of action

[invergowrie arab]

2 hours ago, Pull My Strings said:

I don't think Watt has been moved to accommodate McNulty. That's just where Watt plays.

There's a difference between an old style inside forward allowed to drift left - which is Watt was doing at Motherwell.

And playing on the left of a 3 which is what Courts has asked him to do. 

Courts wast last seen not understanding this distinction with Appere. TBF Mellon was the same. 

[Pull My Strings]

34 minutes ago, invergowrie arab said:

There's a difference between an old style inside forward allowed to drift left - which is Watt was doing at Motherwell.

And playing on the left of a 3 which is what Courts has asked him to do. 

Courts wast last seen not understanding this distinction with Appere. TBF Mellon was the same. 

I'm not sure what distinction you're trying to draw but Watt's been playing left of a two for United generally, or left of a three, which is the position he played for Motherwell. Either way, he doesn't play right through the middle and hasn't been moved to accommodate McNulty. 

[Granny Danger]

4 hours ago, Mark Connolly said:

Punt McNulty and bring in a striker capable of scoring a goal, and Courts and Asghar can have my full backing

Add Clark to that and play wingers as wingers not wing backs.  Maybe a few small changes are all that is required.

[ArabianKnight]

McNulty scores and United are 4th.

Have we all been transported to an alternative dimension? 

[Robin.Hood]

On 18/03/2022 at 07:36, Mark Connolly said:

Punt McNulty and bring in a striker capable of scoring a goal, and Courts and Asghar can have my full backing

Well played 

[Mark Connolly]

13 minutes ago, Robin.Hood said:

Well played 

About time the c**t felt my wrath

[Granny Danger]