Dundee United 23/24

[Steven W]

28 minutes ago, Loemba90 said:

Without 3 or 4 signings of players better than what we currently have we’re not going up.  Zero creativity and strikers who look like they’ve no idea how to finish.  That chance for Moult when Fotheringham headed it down should be a striker’s bread and butter.

 

To have no other striker in the squad (bar a 16 year old boy) is ridiculous, even more so when you consider we all pointed this issue out last season.

 

We need to bring players in in January and quickly.  Looking at the bench tonight before the game I could have told you what the subs would be and pretty much when they’d happen.  So fucking predictable it’s unreal.

Agree with everything here. A bit like last week, we all knew what subs would come on, and who they'd come on for. Competition for places is non existent.

[invergowrie arab]

We absolutely need a stronger squad but that's no excuse for 3 or 4 of our senior pros to be absolute shite.

Just now, Steven W said:

I say the same thing every week about him - if Freeman had done that, the place would be in uproar.

For a while I've thought I can't split the difference between the pair, but I'm coming round to thinking Freeman might be least bad.

Grimshaw is undoubtedly shite but you don't worry he will cost you goals. He just likes to kill the momentum I'm any attack and kick the ball off the field.

He's behind Watt, Middleton and increasingly Moult in my bad books though.

Also, I know it's not news but Tillson looks like he has won a raffle to be playing in these games.

[Zetterlund]

I actually thought Grimshaw was one of the less terrible performers tonight, even if still only a 5/10.

Watt's performance was scandalous. The definition of a waste of a jersey.

You really wonder what we do in training all week. I think it may just be Holt & Gallagher practising 60-yard diagonals. Other than that there doesn't appear to be any sort of strategy or creative intent.

[Steven W]

On 21/12/2023 at 19:13, PartyFears2 said:

25 points from 27 with Docherty 

9 points from 18 without him 

Obviously after tonight this has become even more stark.

Interested to know how it shapes up in terms of goals with Docherty in the team vs without 

[RB-Scotland]

I get the impression that teams have sussed us out, chiefly by flooding the wide areas where previously we were getting a lot of joy down the left in particular. Obviously we need signings(well, maybe not in the BBC punditry team's alternate reality of us having a giant squad full of quality). I'd be looking for an Armstrong type 10 and a fast striker, so we're less one-dimensional in attack, and probably a defensive mid if Docherty is going to be the physio's new best mate.

[Fife Arab]

That was bad, really bad 

[Dundee-FC92]

Thank you.

[ArabianKnight]

Think Grimshaw would be far far better in midfield as a destroyer.

Would rather see him there dropping back to cover Freeman when he bombs forwards.

Tonight was a mess. Just looked like they were calling it in for Christmas.

No urgency, no spark.

f**k sake.

[captainkev]

Not only did I watch that depressing fare, but I did it after work this evening, having recorded the game and avoided finding out the result. So first of all: f**k right off United.

Grimshaw looks exactly what he is: somebody asked to do a job and play out of his preffered position to help out the team far longer than he ever wanted to. I think he said in his interview upon signing that he considered himself a midfielder above all.

As others have said, he's far from our biggest problem currently. If nothing else, he's at least part of adefensive unit that, in the league, remains encouragingly solid. The real concern is that we looked worryingly blunt against a team who've been chucking goals in all season; despite only being a few weeks out from winning games 5 or 6-0 ourselves.

Watt's always an easy target at this point, but Mochrie was far more positive off the bench than Watt had been for the hour or so before. Moult's form has nosedived, no point dancing around it. Middleton, though he put in some good deliveries into the box tonight, is still overall failing to contribute enough in matches. Our increasing dependence on a young player like Fotheringham to make something happen is increasingly exposed when he has an off-night like tonight. When Docherty's available Sibbald has that security behind him to get more involved further forward. When it's Tillson alongside him he's noticeably more cautious, to the point that it cuts off another much needed option for our attacks.

I fear we're only going to fall further away from here while Raith coast to the title in the 2nd half of this season, like St. Mirren did in 2017/18. They are clearly fired up by the prospect of challenging for the league, we are wilting.

There's a fine line between being a team that never knows when they're beaten and earns their rewards for always fighting to the end, or alternatively, being a team that rides their luck and frequently needs to scrape last minute winners/equalisers. At this point in the season Raith feel like the former and ourselves the latter.

Edited December 23, 2023 by captainkev

[captainkev]

4 hours ago, Mark Connolly said:

That tonight was worse than any of the shite last season.

It was so slow, it would be generous to call it pedestrian, and if the ball down the line didn’t work, we just played it anyway. Grimshaw taking a short throw, getting it back, then passing it straight out of play towards the end summed the whole fucking thing up.

Grim as tonight was, for me it still fell way short of the blood-boiling nadirs of the Birighitti St. Johnstone winner, or either of the two post-split Tannadice performances from last season.

Edited December 23, 2023 by captainkev

[Sonam]

How strong are these Simon Murray rumours? Would be a huge loss for County if it were to happen. Excellent attitude, runs for everything and scores and creates a fair amount of goals. Would be even better in the Championship. 

[SGMilne]

Right now, United are defensively solid but can't score a goal for love nor money, in spite of creating chances (Tilson, Middleton, Moult and Cudjoe all should have scored last night). 

It's a frustrating watch that seems to be a combination of poor tactics and players out of form. Tactically, I thought that taking Tilson off for Glass for a disastrous move as it just let Queen's Park in and tbf they should have scored late on. I know Tilson is an easy target but he does play an important role when Docherty isn't playing. But apart from that sub, the tactics seemed to be "Put the ball forward", instead of playing to our strengths of getting the ball to the feet of the wingers.

In terms of poor tactics, Moult once again had a stinker. He should have buried that one from 6 yards out and although he's dropping deep, he's not doing much with it. And Tony Watt looked like he couldn't care less; he was going about like someone playing Walking Football at the DISC.

We're almost at the transfer window, and while I'm led to believe there's nothing in the Simon Murray transfer (he might want it, but County don't want to just let him leave) we desperately need another option up front. But Goodwin will know that.

And on Goodwin, I've seen a few calls for his sacking, but I think that's daft. While he might have got his tactics wrong last night and for whatever reason is allergic to cup competitions, he is doing a good job in the league and should be given the chance to develop the squad further in January.

 

[SGMilne]

8 minutes ago, Sonam said:

How strong are these Simon Murray rumours? Would be a huge loss for County if it were to happen. Excellent attitude, runs for everything and scores and creates a fair amount of goals. Would be even better in the Championship. 

They are only strong because people keep repeating them. County will pay Murray a fair wedge and will be looking for a transfer fee. I think much like Decla Gallagher, Murray would rather play for a team in Dundee because he lives here, but it's not as simple as that.

[Sonam]

If Murray joins, then will certainly be a great signing. Maybe not be a big goal scorer Premiership. In the Championship he will rip it up like at Queens Park.

Not many players these days I take to, but he tries his heart out in each and every match. Runs for everything, is super fit, his attitude alone lifts the other players.

[BigMadMental]

He was the leagues second highest goal scorer last season despite leaving in January, absolutely top signing for any Champ team. County’s downfall in the first playoff was playing him on the bench for whatever mental reason, and they actually only came into a game in the 2nd leg when he came on. 

[Gibby82]

Trying to think of a United player I've actively disliked more than Watt but drawing a blank. The fact we're chucking about 4 grand a week at this waste of space to breathe out his sizable arse for an hour each week in the Championship sums the club up really. And the captain's armband too of course, which I'm assuming is some sort of cod psychology from the fraud in the dugout.

[Lancashirearab]

6 hours ago, Gibby82 said:

Trying to think of a United player I've actively disliked more than Watt but drawing a blank. The fact we're chucking about 4 grand a week at this waste of space to breathe out his sizable arse for an hour each week in the Championship sums the club up really. And the captain's armband too of course, which I'm assuming is some sort of cod psychology from the fraud in the dugout.

Watt annoys me too, but I think I was more annoyed by Derek McInnes and his regular disappearances whenever games became difficult. 

[kdyteejay]

On 23/12/2023 at 09:40, Sonam said:

How strong are these Simon Murray rumours? Would be a huge loss for County if it were to happen. Excellent attitude, runs for everything and scores and creates a fair amount of goals. Would be even better in the Championship. 

Hope to feck you’re getting Tony Watt in exchange.

[kdyteejay]

On 23/12/2023 at 14:02, Gibby82 said:

Trying to think of a United player I've actively disliked more than Watt but drawing a blank. The fact we're chucking about 4 grand a week at this waste of space to breathe out his sizable arse for an hour each week in the Championship sums the club up really. And the captain's armband too of course, which I'm assuming is some sort of cod psychology from the fraud in the dugout.

Tony Watt - slower than a week in jail. I’ve seen milk turn quicker.

[RiG]

Apparently you're signing Wotherspoon which makes me sad if it's true.