LarsErikKjell wrote:

Neilson seems to be included in lots of suggested line-ups in midfield. Yes he played there as a kid but has been a defender now for a good couple of years. I'd imagine we'd only ever see him in there in an emergency.

 
Our midfield is a fucking emergency.  It’s honking.

Midfield been the problem it needs to change

I’d like to see (we won’t)

                        Siegriest
      Edwards.   Connolly.    Reynolds
Smith.       Neilson.      Fuchs.       Robson
                        McMullan
                  Clark.     Shankland

Sporle for Robson, Bolton for Smith, McNulty for either striker if you like, but we need someone who can pass a ball and someone who can create in midfield.   Butcher/Powers/Harkes can’t.

PatReilly wrote:

Unsure if I'd like to see Lawrence Shankland getting a run later in the match if we can't get a goal: it'd be great if he was a matchwinner, but there's always the risk of unlucky injury.

 
If he was to get on and score he’d be buzzing for the weekend, can only be good for him and us if he plays.

No Dykes today which is a big miss.  Prob means McBurnie starting which is a hinderance.  Still hopefully got enough to beat them.

smedDUm wrote:

Tek wrote:

smedDUm wrote:

Re the chances of progression rather than the performance last night...
I'd say because we gained the bonus point we have an even chance of going thro.
Two of the groups have already gone but the other five hold possibilitues of our 8 points (along with our goal difference) of us being one of the two remaining four 2nd best places.
Not jumping the gun (ok I am) but the 2nd round is the last weekend this month & if we do make it we'll not have that as a blank weekend.

I don't share your optimism.

We are as good as out.


 

Ok, done a bit of forensic analysis.
Pray for Arbroath v Elgin on Saturday to be a draw. Doesn't matter who gets the bonus point.
Pretty much hinges on that.
As long as St J beat Peterhead.
We'd be 90% certain to go thro if these two games go our way.
 

 
90% is optimistic to say the least.  Looking at the tables and fixtures I’ll be amazed if we go through.  Groups B,E,F,G & H all be likely to have 2nd better off than us and that’s before Arbroath/Elgin.

smedDUm wrote:

What are the chances of the same starting XI for the 3rd successive game? Pretty good I would have thought.
But with the proviso it's a final opportunity for said same XI to shine before the Accies After 8s come calling in 12 days time.
And if not shining then more flexibility with substitutions, even if it means half-time subbies
 

 
No chance at all of the same starting 11

Tek wrote:

Shedtastic wrote:

Tek wrote:

I said before when a poster of this Forum asked 'what does Nicky Clark bring us?'

Goals.

Yes, there is a limit to his ability. But no-one in our team runs more, works harder or takes a better set-piece.
 

Really?
I suggest you watch him a bit closer the next game, yes he's done well (goal wise) but the other suggestions are just nonsense.
 

I suggest you watch him harder. He never stopped running off the ball yesterday. 

You seem to have it in for him.

 
Clarks work rate yesterday was sensational, yes work rate and effort is the minimum you should expect from any player, but playing the way we are just now and the job the front players are being asked to do isn’t easy.  He never stopped closing down and working for the team, anyone saying differently wasn’t watching.  He’s also better on the ball than most United fans give him credit for, he’s certainly not the best striker we’ve ever had, but he’s the first name on the team sheet for me just now, playing these tactics.

I’d like to see
.                  Siegriest
Smith.   Edwards.    Reynolds.    Robson
Bolton.    Neilson.        Fuchs.     Clark
                McNulty.    Shankland

Assuming Chalmers & Sporle are still injured otherwise I’d stick one of them LW

It will be nothing like that however

smedDUm wrote:

You lot were screaming for signings, now you're saying it was financial impropriety.
Make your minds up.

 
Folk were screaming for signings yes, the club at no point said they were financially fucked.  If they had no one would’ve argued against signing no one.

Tek wrote:

Snacks94 wrote:

Not sure there’s much we can do about the loan players wages as we will have an agreement with their club about what % of their wage we have to pay.

If it is similar to what Dundee did when Hemmings left on a free after he didn’t accept a cut then the only two you’d really be bothered about not accepting the cut are Benji and Shankland.

Not a good situation obviously but hardly a surprise and we are from the only club asking players and staff to take a wage cut. Coronavirus has wrecked absolutely everything unfortunately.

That is assuming the loaned players (Bolton and McNulty) are having all their wages covered by their parent club. If not, Utd should be asking them to take 20% less of whatever Utd are paying.

What about Edwards and Fuchs? 

Either all players should be asked to take a pay cut or none. We need unity here. Not disharmony and a divide in the dressing room.

I hope all 4 players offer to take a cut. Though i have sympathy for them.
 

 
It’s a shit situation, looking at it from a new players point of view, we signed McNulty and Fuchs within the last month, they’re entitled to say you offered me £X 4 weeks ago, you obviously knew this was coming, What the fuck at you playing at?  These guys could have had other offers which with 20% cuts applied may have been better.

From a longer term players point of view they’re bound to be wondering what the fuck the club were playing at adding more players to the wage bill then expecting them to pay for the new guys.

I have sympathy for the club with the situation they’re in, but I don’t think they’ve handled this well at all.  Been better signing no one, telling us why weeks ago and I’m pretty sure if MO had explained then with the same honesty we’d all as fans have rallied round and supported/accepted it.  More importantly I’m sure the existing players would have been more found it easier to rally round and show that unity.

Lilley01 wrote:

TheShed wrote:

Lilley01 wrote:

There's absolutely no substance to the view he's butal at centre half? My only fear is that he, like the others, will have games that suit him where he looks good, as opposed to just being a very competent and rounded centre half. 

 

 
It’s honestly like everybody’s forgot his first stint at the club. There’s a massive amount of substance to suggest he’s brutal at CH.

​Ah, you mean around 7 years ago when he was circa 21 y/o and barely played any games?
 

 
He wasn’t even at Utd at 21 and he’d played almost 50 games before coming to us, he was brutal and nothing in his 2nd spell suggests he’s improved at all.

If you’re happy with his lack of effort and ability in the team bash on.

Tek wrote:

TheShed wrote:

. Mehmet
Smith. Neilson. Reynolds. Robson
Bolton. Powers. Mochrie Sporle
McNulty. Clark

Subs. Alexander, Edwards, Harkes, Appere, Forheringham, Hoti, McMullan, C Smith, Graham

Don’t get this fascination everyone seems to have with moving Butcher to CB. He’s absolutely brutal at CB, we’ve all seen plenty evidence of this. He also deserves to be dropped More than anyone, his lack of effort recently is pathetic.

It has to be tried mate as nothing else is working.

One clean sheet in ELEVEN matches. Something has to change.
 

 
What has to change first and foremost is concentration and effort.  No way I’d be rewarding Butchers recent lack of effort with a starring jersey in any position.