Kmcalpin

Steady - he's one of our scouting team and has been for some time.

Agree about Strachan. McNamara - no thanks. Don't overlook the fact that although United lost 4 top players they should still have had more than enough in the squad to avoid the bottom 2 places. They have the 3rd highest playing budget in the Premiership and that isn't being reflected in performances.

No thank you...next name please.

Very odd - his managerial record is nothing to write home about. Again just a name on a betting list, I guess.

Why?

That sounds consistent with previous selection processes - a final short leet of about 5 candidates.

Yes, I do. I'm not saying we should rush matters unduly but as you said last time around we were painfully slow in making an appointment, although there were mitigating factors. Perhaps its because we are doing things by committee where as at Tannadice one man will decide. They also had targets in mind whereas we were not confident enough and decided to wait on applications arriving. Despite the lengthy and seemingly painstaking process last time we still got it wrong big time.

Some managers thrive on a shoestring budget and succeed, up to a point. They can organise teams and fire them up to fight. Alex Smith was just such a manager - a good guy to have in a relegation dogfight. However give them some cash and they struggle. In contrast, some managers like say Walter Smith or Alex McLeish need to have a monetary advantage over competitors before they can succeed. How would the Mourinhos and Wengers of the world fare on our budgets and in our situation - there's a question for you. In short there are different types of manager out there.

What we don't know of course is which candidates have actually applied for the vacancy. That would be very interesting.

So, he has left and the Head of Recruitment has also left with neither being replaced yet?

Thats my understanding too from his previous comments. Never at any point have I thought he'd be remotely interested in the vacancy.

Mark McGhee stated on STV news that he'd had no contact from the club.

Yes we've been mismanaged but its hard to say if Baraclough's successor will have a hard job on their hands. Many feel that the players are underperforming. If thats the case we have to ask why they're doing so. Maybe thats something the new man can rectify maybe its not. Is it the bonus system? Is it players being played out of position? Are there personality conflicts? Is it because we have talented individuals but they just don't have the character to compete? Is it because we have too many loan players? Is it because the make up of the team just isn't right - some players just don't fit in with a team's system. Who knows. What we need in the new management team is a mixture of skills - good man management and someone who is tactically astute.

Simo Valakari a front runner according to the Herald.

Not able to make the game yesterday. How was Grimshaw's off the ball (tackling, covering, blocking, closing down) contribution? I thought that these qualities were why he was signed on loan. Pearo? A very odd comment from you Iain, but I don't doubt it was right. One of Pearo's great strengths has always been his box to box ability - tackling at the back, running upfield with the ball and supporting his strikers, so it seems surprising that he wasn't doing this. Sounds like either he wasn't fit or as you say he was holding back on instructions. Incidentally he's well capable of playing wide left - maybe his best position?

Without wishing to take sides - do we know Jimmy Calderwood's view of the situation? I'm always sceptical of taking sides now without hearing from both parties first - been caught out too many times in the past by just accepting one party's views of events. Players or their agents are often quick to air their opinions in public but its less common to hear the views of clubs and managers. More than a few former players at Fir Park have hoodwinked the fans.

Moult at left midfield???? Really? It just gets more and more bizarre. What next - Lionel Ainsworth at centre back? It speaks volumes if we field a defensive team and then proceed to lose 2 goals. I would have thought we had a large enough squad to play a left midfielder in left midfield.

The players are not playing well, granted but some of the team selections and tactics beggar belief. The chances are that if we play with a lone striker and field a defensive midfield then we won't create much. Its not rocket science.

Calderwood's record at Aberdeen stands comparison with most of their managers and was underrated by their fans until after he'd departed. That said this is simply a media rumour, nothing more nothing less.

Latest name linked with our vacancy is Marinus Dijkhuizen, formerly of Brentford.

You would be surprised. According to John Boyle, he left us on the best of terms as did Scott Leitch. Relationship with Aberdeen FC was another matter entirely.

Very saddened by today's news. Joe will be remembered as one of of all our time greats. From his 3 goals against Montrose to playing between the sticks he never did things by halves. A genuinely nice guy who will be sorely missed. One of my boyhood heroes.

There's a general feeling within the media and some sets of supporters that if a managerial candidate has played for an English premiership side or to a lesser extent, Celtic and the old Rangers as was, then they will be a good manager. I've never agreed with this thinking I may add.

Thanks - I'll add that to the list

Sorry Graeme - what does DABs mean? To us old timers acronyms used to be great as one meant one thing only and also saved time but nowadays one can mean several things to different groups. As far as I know, it can mean "dead and buried" (in medical circles); "digital audio broadcasting" (in communications circles); or "delayed action bomb" (military circles).