Lobey_Dosser Posted April 26, 2014 Report Share Posted April 26, 2014 McCall caught out for the umpteenth time when he tries to get tactically clever. Abysmal performance from management and players. On the bright side, Dundee United were a joy to watch again. Movement, touch, pace, power and skill in abundance. Look forward to seeing Armstrong and Robertson blossom for Scotland. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madscot Posted April 26, 2014 Report Share Posted April 26, 2014 Did the mention how many Well fans there today ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaka Posted April 26, 2014 Report Share Posted April 26, 2014 Am wondering if that old twat who was shouting down at McCall as he was going down the stairs today got back to the old folks home safely for a cup of tea and a lie down .How embarrassing im sure the manager was feeling shitty enough never mind listning to that shite .I bet he wasn't saying that last week about him. Anyway Utd were deadly fast today and as we know, clinical on breakaways and not to good in defence. We had to take our chances and didn't bad day at the office today but on to the next game .We are not out of the challenge for second place just yet. I did see that , the old boy went a bit tonto at McCall. just a little over the top lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaka Posted April 26, 2014 Report Share Posted April 26, 2014 McCall caught out for the umpteenth time when he tries to get tactically clever. Abysmal performance from management and players. On the bright side, Dundee United were a joy to watch again. Movement, touch, pace, power and skill in abundance. Look forward to seeing Armstrong and Robertson blossom for Scotland. I clapped most of Uniteds goals cause they were a joy to watch, clinical,technical and just lethal , tho its easier to look like Real Madrid when the opposition are set up and play like we did today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelman1991 Posted April 26, 2014 Report Share Posted April 26, 2014 Did the mention how many Well fans there today ? They didn't but its the quietest the Bois have been all season - Utd silenced the drum in the right manner this time - they were devastating and a joy to watch. In that form they're a formidable outfit. Funny thing is had either Lasley or Ainsworth taken their chances immediately after half time, it would have been 5-3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted April 26, 2014 Report Share Posted April 26, 2014 Just tead your post.bloody hell mcall meeds to address this!then as for 2nd we can still do it if we win final 3 matches! Well I would take every single year 3 games to go and if we win final 3 matches we are 2nd.some of the statements on here as ever after a defeat are ridiculous.We have never had it so good !!fact If we don't tighten up at the back we will finish 4th lose a fortune in prize money and potentially miss out on Europe. 1 clean sheet in 13 matches says we have a problem to address in the coming matches. 14 goals conceded in the last 5 matches is dire anyway you slice it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well 4 Europe Posted April 26, 2014 Report Share Posted April 26, 2014 I said last week that when I left the ground that I was nothing but proud after our display against Celtic, this week I was a mixture of anger and embarrassment. A very odd lineup and shape from McCall today. Our midfield lacked any shape and balance and were far too static and time and time again were bypassed by the quicker, sharper more dynamic United midfield in the exact same manner as the 0-4 game in November. They was also no tempo or zip to our passing when we had possesion, it was slow and pedestrian and due to the lack of any natural width we often resorted to hoofing hopeful balls forward towards Sutton. It's not even that they were better than us that annoyed me today though, they won almost every 2nd ball too and looked far more up for it than our players and that was unlike us. We usually at least fight and scrap for things but even that seemed missing from our game today. Last week against Celtic we fought for everything, this week we were well beaten and 2nd best in every department. The midfield was posted missing and chasing shadows all afternoon. Vigurs was slack in possession and had his worse game in months, Leitch was a shadow of the player he showed he can be last week and even the usually reliable Lasley couldn't get to grips with the midfield at all. Not helped by having Fraser Kerr, a centre back by trade, playing right wing. People were giving Kerr pelters but McCall hung him out to dry by playing him out there and he never looked comfortable. Nielsen was also getting abuse but he was pretty blameless for all the goals I thought, he was given almost no protection today and produced at least two cracking saves to keep it to 5. Hutchinson and McManus set the tone for their afternoon with their shambolic efforts at the 1st goal and it only got worse for the pair of them from then. Moore and Anier both had 45 mins each and neither done much to stake a claim for next week, in fairness they were feeding off scraps. Sutton spent most of the game on his arse, tried hard as ever but the ref gave him nothing and we didn't put one decent ball into the box for him to attack all day. Just a complete clusterfuck of a performance all round from the players and the manager today, in stark contrast to last week. A decent away support and they were badly let down. United were faster, stronger, sharper, hungrier and had skill and flair in abundance. At times you couldn't help but simply admire some of their football. Still, for all that they played us off the park today we're still 4 points clear of them in the race for Europe with 3 games left. Something that would have seemed laughable when United dished out their first pumping back at Fir Park in November. Today was fucking awful but the seasons not over yet, now a massive game against an in form Saints team next week. We really need to bounce back with much better performance and hopefully we can get the 3 points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted April 26, 2014 Report Share Posted April 26, 2014 Well that was a dreadful performance from the manager right through the team. Pretty well sums up my view. The root cause of most of our onfield problems was the midfield. Fraser Kerr should not have been playing wide right and Iain Vigurs should have been on the left. Jack Leitch was all over the place. The team selection did not match our intended tactics. With a totally unbalanced and disorganised midfield the defence was always going to be under pressure and our attack starved of decent ammunition. Changes should have been effected early on but never were. All that said, the players were not up for it and just did not compete. Get our midfield right and the rest will fall into place. All is not lost and we shouldn't go over the top but lessons must be learned for next Saturday. A start would be an organised committed team able to compete. Bring on St Johnstone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joewarkfanclub Posted April 26, 2014 Report Share Posted April 26, 2014 Normally I would be first to defend the gaffer but I thought he got the formation and shape all wrong today. We have shipped goals against Utd recently so expected we would line up similar to the Celtic game with maybe Las coming back into the centre and Vigurs going to the left instead of Zaine. Instead we got a lopsided formation with Leitch and Kerr looking very uncomfortable in the wide areas That said, I thought we started the game brightly but it was clear from early on were too open at the back and no surprise when we were carved open so easily. 2nd half I thought we started well again and if Las or Ainsworth convert then its a different game but they didnt and the inevitable happened. I dont accept the players werent up for it. If the tactics are not right it can look like that as everyone is being pulled around all over the park. A disappointing day given what was at stake, not to mention Hammys 500th appeaeance and a decent away support. Just have to dust ourselves down and get back up for the last 3 games. With Aberdeens failure to convert again 2nd is still very much up for grabs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaka Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 I can understand Kerr playing wide right as it was to neutralize Robertson as an attacking force which he did,its just unfortunate he wasnt comfortable enough to do anything going forward for US! Utd play 4-2-3-1, Rankine & Paton hold and pass through and GMS/Armstrong/Dow/Gauld are all mobile,fast,skilful and link well with Ciftci's movement. Why ,when that exact gameplan has already pumped us twice this season did we not set up to neutraĺize THAT? On the Ball,I was impressed with Leitch but positionally he wasnt great,not helped by McCall inexplicably playing him wide. Everytime Utd broke from the middle we had Kerr shadowing Robertson,Vigurs not interested in defending,Leitch all over the place and Lasley was running through quicksand so essentially they were 4v4 or better and their pace & movement ripped us up. Why couldnt we have gone 4-1-4-1 with Kerr Right back,Reid holding and ZFA wide right to offer some defensive help from there? As I said earlier I can understand the line up and formation but why,when itz simple to see where the problems are,can McCall not change or adapt? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazzie Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 Kind of expected us to get rode today. Utd are the type of team we struggle against. Pacy, direct running and skillful. We just cannot cope with teams that play in that style as we aren't pacy or direct tbh..... Well direct in long ball yes not with running... You're 100% with this, but by that logic would you not agree that Angol and Ainsworth should have been playing to combat their pace? I'm a fan of Vigurs but a speed merchant he is not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brazilian Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 You're 100% with this, but by that logic would you not agree that Angol and Ainsworth should have been playing to combat their pace? I'm a fan of Vigurs but a speed merchant he is not. Angol and Ainsworth got rode silly in the last game, and how vigurs made it to the second half we'll never know. we needed a well balanced, fit, and very hard working defensive midfield with a equally hard working mobile forward against United. guess we just do not have that 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goggles & Flippers Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 This game wasn't a "must win", it was a "woulda been easier" if we had. A lot has been made of Aberdeen spluttering over the line while ignoring our own failings and form. On paper we have a competent defence, experience from Hammell, leadership and history of playing at a higher level in McManus, Hutchinson being the fearless young guy with energy and potential and until his injury Ramsden looked he'd grown comfortable following on from a shaky start in some people's eyes. Of course he's been out for a while but Kerr and Reid have at times been OK. So why have we shipped goals at times like a bunch of amateurs? Simply the defence is not capable in offering a degree of shielding and dominating that area of the park, repeated over this season that area has been found deficient. Two decent midfielders are key. To be honest I think Lawson was brought in to address that to a degree but it hasn't worked out as yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfc88 Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 Some of the worst individual performances I've seen for a while. Other than the first 5 mins after the break we didn't even look like competing or making a game of it. Still we are in a good position and if we win our 2 home games, we should have the chance to make amends at pittodrie. And i seem to be the only one that thinks this but anier has been fucking murder since he signed in jan. Far too often he tries the hard thing, dithers on the ball, can't make up his mind and as a result completely wasteful nearly every time he gets the ball in a useful situation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazzie Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 I clapped most of Uniteds goals cause they were a joy to watch, clinical,technical and just lethal , tho its easier to look like Real Madrid when the opposition are set up and play like we did today. Each to their own, but I just couldn't bring myself to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Grew Posted April 27, 2014 Report Share Posted April 27, 2014 Yet again another vitally important game where Stuart McCall and the players have been found badly wanting. Why go to Tannadice against a quick, young energetic and technically superior team and try to play an open expansive game? Another poster got it spot on when he said that McCall and Black are simply incapable of setting us up to be difficult to breakdown and score against. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milo Posted April 28, 2014 Report Share Posted April 28, 2014 Decided to put myself through the pain of watching the highlights. If I thought it all looked bad at the time!!! McManus and Hutchy were all over the shop! Shocking stuff. I thought I felt bad leaving Fir Park after the Killie game! Then Love Street topped that, and I think Tannadice might have topped that! Wretched run of results and performances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted April 28, 2014 Report Share Posted April 28, 2014 McManus and Hutchy were all over the shop! Shocking stuff. Just forced myself to watch the highlights. I agree that McManus and Hutchy didn't cover themselves in glory but were probably only culpable for 2 of the 5 goals (thats more than enough). Central midfield and full backs too displayed comical defending. In fact did we have a central midfield? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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