Dundee United v Motherwell 07/11/2026

[Prestwickwell]

In reality it doesn’t matter whether people think his comments are in bad taste or not 

managers are paid well to do a job & the decision makers won’t be reading this forum & going we should act on that 

there’s simple facts 

13 points from 13 games is not good enough 

Getting knocked out the cup by a team beaten by Morton today is not good enough 

people can argue this is better, we’re improving here & here 

the only facts are points 

[Kmcalpin]

Whether you agree with the term "tick tock" or not, I don't think its in bad taste. Wellfan could equally have phrased it like "time is running out" or similar. He calls a spade a spade and thats ok in my book. I'm not saying he is always 100% right, no one ever is, but his opinions generally merit serious consideration. He is more often right than wrong. 

AJ has gained some credit in the past 3 games, without doubt, but there are still unanswered questions. For me, the jury is still very much out. Some big games, winnable ones, coming up, and he will be put to the test. 

Its a results driven business, but I still have major doubts about our defence, midfield, and attack. Questions too about our style of play, although theres no doubt thats its far superior to Alexanderball and Kettleball. 

[wellfan]

34 minutes ago, star sail said:

We have a young manager who has moved his family to Scotland to commit fully to making a success of the Motherwell managers job. If it had been up to people like yourself he would have lost that job a few weeks ago and his life would have been in a form of turmoil.

A comment like tick tock suggesting that his position was a ticking time bomb was in bad taste. If you are going to make the comment at least take ownership for it ( I know another shitty modern day phrase). 

The phrase shows a lack of any empathy or concern for the managers position. I don't think that is really open to any interpretation.

It hasn't worked out for you this last few weeks. You may still get your wish but not quite yet.

Here we go again. I didn’t suggest his position was a ticking time bomb. I wrote “Tick tock”. Stop putting words in my mouth. I’m not going to be lectured by someone who’s making an arse of themselves over a two-word comment they’ve wilfully chosen to misinterpret.

[FirParkCornerExile]

2 hours ago, MJC said:

Another papering over the crack result today because we were never scoring today unless we got a penalty, same as last week. The penalty was very fortune as well but obviously that’s not in our control. In the end we were hanging on for dear life and had we lost we could have had no complaints.

Hanging on for dear life ? nonsence

[joewarkfanclub]

4 hours ago, wellfan said:

There’s still time yet. We’re still generally pish. Four points from the last two games is fair enough, but both goals came from penalties and we struggle to score from open play. We’re still defensively weak, powderpuff up front and all too often resort to this passive, ceding-possession crap. The in-game management is questionable too, with some continually bonkers subs. And Vogt starting the Celtic game will forever remain one of Alfred’s most ridiculous decisions. Thirteen league games, three wins, four draws and six defeats. Pumped out of the League Cup at the first hurdle too. The European football was the one positive, but that was before Alfred got his way with the squad on the training pitch.

For comparison, at the same stage of JBA’s tenure, we had four wins, seven draws and just two defeats from 13 league games. He didn’t have European football, but he did take us on a six-game League Cup run before St Mirren eventually pumped us out in the semi-final.

I know comparisons with JBA will inevitably be dismissed as unfair, but that’s precisely why I’ve chosen their respective starts. This was before JBA had really got us up and running, so I’m not comparing Alfred’s current form with JBA once he’d established himself and got the team playing. I’m looking at how the two managers started.

Objectively, it’s been a poor start domestically, and I remain unconvinced he’s the right man for the job. Some see progress, but looking at the bigger picture I don’t.

You've formed your opinion, and thats fair enough.

I was getting to the officially "concerned" stage after the Celtic game. That was so bad you would have to be delusional to see any good in it.

However, there has been steady improvement in the last few weeks, so I cant agree that we are "still pish."

We are far from the finished article and there is still much to improve upon. But there is clear evidence for me that the squad are still together, playing for the manager and taking on board his coaching.

A striker that can score goals would help as we do create a lot of chances, but we are stuck with what we have until January, or JT finds any form.

[star sail]

3 hours ago, Kmcalpin said:

Whether you agree with the term "tick tock" or not, I don't think its in bad taste. Wellfan could equally have phrased it like "time is running out" or similar. He calls a spade a spade and thats ok in my book. I'm not saying he is always 100% right, no one ever is, but his opinions generally merit serious consideration. He is more often right than wrong.

For me 'tick tock' and 'time is running out' have a different tone completely. 

The next time you are under pressure in your work life or Wellfan is under pressure in his and your job may be under threat and somebody comes along and says 'tick tock' it would be interesting to see how you (or he) would view that comment then. 

Maybe I am being too sensitive and those of you who call a spade a spade are made of sterner stuff. 

Generally Motherwell managers get sacked. It is a very difficult job. Motherwell have had 20 managers since the turn of the century. Three of them, McGhee, Brown, Askou moved on after a successful spell. The rest were sacked. 

When almost 90% of the managerial appointments end in failure then you are going to be more often right than wrong to argue each time that the current manager be sacked. 

On today's game, it was a very good result against a team that have been in form recently. Again Motherwell matched their opposition and showed that there is very little between the majority of the teams in the league. 

 

[wellfan]

9 hours ago, joewarkfanclub said:

You've formed your opinion, and thats fair enough.

I was getting to the officially "concerned" stage after the Celtic game. That was so bad you would have to be delusional to see any good in it.

However, there has been steady improvement in the last few weeks, so I cant agree that we are "still pish."

We are far from the finished article and there is still much to improve upon. But there is clear evidence for me that the squad are still together, playing for the manager and taking on board his coaching.

A striker that can score goals would help as we do create a lot of chances, but we are stuck with what we have until January, or JT finds any form.

I think we’ve allowed the bar to drop so far below where we’d previously set it that even a draw now feels like progress. Again, I’m looking at the bigger picture here rather than judging games in isolation.

[Kmcalpin]

6 hours ago, star sail said:

The next time you are under pressure in your work life or Wellfan is under pressure in his and your job may be under threat and somebody comes along and says 'tick tock' it would be interesting to see how you (or he) would view that comment then. 

Maybe I am being too sensitive and those of you who call a spade a spade are made of sterner stuff. 

Oh I was called a fair few things to my face in very public settings during my working life. Liar, dishonest and incompetent being a few terms. Comments made by supposedly learned and intelligent people I may add and not those you'd ordinarily expect. Colleagues were referred to in similar terms. We were easy targets but we accepted that.  It came with the territory I guess. We kept our cool and endeavoured to provide the best possible service to the same individuals who had insulted us.  Just to balance things, at other times, we were also complimented on our honesty and integrity by others, again from some unlikely quarters.     

[well_said]

14 hours ago, grizzlyg said:

With that strip we were due a break with a penalty 

Dallas was the var ref today so that useless fud wouldnt know a penalty if he saw one .

[SteelmaninOZ]

14 hours ago, grizzlyg said:

With that strip we were due a break with a penalty 

Maybe United thought they were playing a derby came against Dundee  

 

[joewarkfanclub]

1 hour ago, wellfan said:

I think we’ve allowed the bar to drop so far below where we’d previously set it that even a draw now feels like progress. Again, I’m looking at the bigger picture here rather than judging games in isolation.

Im judging performances rather than results, albeit they are important if the manager wants to stay in a job.

Looking at the bigger picture, we are clearly nowhere near the levels we set last season. But Im sure Ive seen you admit that was probably never going to be realistic.

Alfred has a different style. Its still possession based, but he likes to get it wider and forward quicker, so we dont get the same control over games than we did before.

My issue was that style disappeared for several weeks at a time he was getting much more time on the training pitch with the players and the injuries were subsiding. That was worrying and  counter intuitive.

But I think his style is back and clear to see. Much more like what we saw in Europe. Add Lowry back into the mix and I think we look like a team that can hurt other teams.

We are also looking a bit steadier at the back. Albeit some of our players are still switching off at important times. (See their goal yesterday, and the big chance at the end).

The glaring omission for me is in front of goal. We need someone to step up and start taking some of the chances we are creating.

Im not naive however. The last few weeks have been an improvement. But its the direction of travel thats important.

If we continue to get better then we will be mid table at worst.

If we regress back to where we were, we could be back in the shit before we know it.

[joewarkfanclub]

16 minutes ago, well_said said:

Dallas was the var ref today so that useless fud wouldnt know a penalty if he saw one .

Even a broken clock is right twice a day! 😍😍😍

[FirParkCornerExile]

I'd never put myself in the Happy Clappy camp not by any measure but. Honest tae fuck some of our comment about yesterday are just trying to maintain a point of view already settled in some folks heads. 

 

You look at any measure of the stats yesterday we gave as good as we got against a decent DU team. Home side XG 1.91 the Away team 1.75. In case anyone was unsure we were the away team and to go to Tannadice and and play as we did deserves credit. DU as the home side should in the vast majority of games edge it just as I'd expect us to do at Fir Park.

Then everyone frustrated at missed chances, as I was. For fuck sake we are at least creating the chances, it would be a real worry if we weren't creating chances.  If we keep creating them it will turn.  I'm nearly always in the hyper critical mode but for fuck sake go onto the BBC site and look at the stats. 

DU could have scored a couple near the end but we could also have been 3-1 up by then. Hanging on?? My arse. 

 

[joewarkfanclub]

5 minutes ago, FirParkCornerExile said:

I'd never put myself in the Happy Clappy camp not by any measure but. Honest tae fuck some of our comment about yesterday are just trying to maintain a point of view already settled in some folks heads. 

 

You look at any measure of the stats yesterday we gave as good as we got against a decent DU team. Home side XG 1.91 the Away team 1.75. In case anyone was unsure we were the away team and to go to Tannadice and and play as we did deserves credit. DU as the home side should in the vast majority of games edge it just as I'd expect us to do at Fir Park. Then everyone frustrated at missed chances, as I was.

For fuck sake we are at least creating the chances, if would be a real worry if we weren't creating chances. We keep creating them it will turn.  I'm nearly always in the hyper critical mode but for fuck sake go onto the BBC site and look at the stats. 

DU could have scored a couple near the end but we could also have been 3-1 up by then. Hanging on?? My arse. 

 

I think our problem as a support is that Jens moved the bar on everything for us.

Pre Jens a point at Tannadice would have been considered most acceptable.

I think Ive been there 4 times and seen us lose 4 times. It was always a difficult venue for us.

This in a week when the BBC are running articles on United having the best midfield in Scotland!

(The boy Iqbal is quality btw).

All the stats yesterday say a draw was a fair result. It doesnt always work that way and I did think they edged it second half and as such were the more likely to win. But not by so much that I didnt think we deserved our point.

Hopefully with the ship steadied, we will see more consistency of performance going forward and we can all relax a bit soon!

 

[Great Balls of Shire]

13 hours ago, Prestwickwell said:

Just make ur point then which I respect 

it’s a forum, u might not like mine but I won’t go tick tock if we’re 3 down in 20 against rangers 

The " tick tock" was aimed at another poster which to me is gloating at someone losing their job.Like I said at the time if there were a round of redundancies at work , would people come away with " banter " like that?

I dont recall you saying " tick tock" .

Im happy enough with yesterday,  could do with being a bit sharper up front but get Lowry back and we should be fine.

A few players who have been getting pelters , JGR , Sparrow did well.

Ive been critical of Paulsen but he also did well yesterday. 

 

[FirParkCornerExile]

10 minutes ago, joewarkfanclub said:

I think our problem as a support is that Jens moved the bar on everything for us.

Pre Jens a point at Tannadice would have been considered most acceptable.

I think Ive been there 4 times and seen us lose 4 times. It was always a difficult venue for us.

This in a week when the BBC are running articles on United having the best midfield in Scotland!

(The boy Iqbal is quality btw).

All the stats yesterday say a draw was a fair result. It doesnt always work that way and I did think they edged it second half and as such were the more likely to win. But not by so much that I didnt think we deserved our point.

Hopefully with the ship steadied, we will see more consistency of performance going forward and we can all relax a bit soon!

 

 

They may well have edged it in some people eys but they are the home team so  is that such a shock, that shouldn't generate some of the nonsense spouted. We were worth our draw and even Goodwin grudgling conceded that maybe the case for others watching..

Before Moornan cleared of the line and the guys fluff at the far post their keeper from two good saves out from us and Priestman had a fresh air shot when he should have scored.  So for me we could have been a couple up before their late chances so a draw was right.

I do conceded the quality of their chances were slightly better that's why their XG was 11.91 and ours was 1.75 so even by measure of the quality of goalscoring chances but what do we expect against a good team IN THEIR OWN BACK YARD.