Nobody's mentioned Denis Gillespie or Jimmy Briggs yet

PatReilly wrote:

I think our defence is still very shaky, and am puzzled that many/most/some other fans don't agree. 

Bouhenna mostly looks a good acquisition, but he had one terrible bit of judgement last week which should have led to a Pars goal, losing his bearings and the position of the forward. Lucky that the striker wasn't deadly. Maybe he's still getting used to the Scottish game, or at least getting match fit, which excuse could be made for Booth. Still not convinced there either. 

For a big athletic looking lad, Frans appears a bit slow, and Murdoch is out of position still, filling in for the failings of past managers to locate a right back.

So I think we'll not get a clean sheet again tomorrow, and will go for 2-1. Hopefully ICT can win the Cold Firm match, and Ayr lose out at Grangemouth.

Suggest attack may be the best form of defence Pat. Lets have an all out go and put their defence and keeper under constant pressure and let them worry about Safranko and Co. instead of our sub standard lot doing their usual posing and playing Russian Roulette across the back and giving Dobie an easy afternoon. We have the guys to do them damage if we put our minds to it
 

lifesanocean wrote:

Arabnophobia wrote:

annanarab wrote:

I thought 1st half was boring and so too did a number of fans sitting near me, they only thing that saved it was McMullan's goal. Couldn't understand why United never went after a really poor Dunfermline team especially with a decent target man in the team at long last. Pleased to see that that United made more efforts to attack in the 2nd half and deserved the win which should have been greater but for McMullan's miss and possibly Stanton's non penalty award which looked decent to me. Only 6 shots from United of which 2 on target, sufficient to see off a poor team like Dunfermline but perhaps not enough when we play the crunch games against better sides. 

 
Appreciate yer honest opinion on how you saw it annan. Getting carried away with results like this won't guarentee anything but for me the the all round boost is refreshing and needs to be boosted in a way as thorough as the critical analysis you perfect and repeat.

We seem to have a minority intent on doing positive things like what the display squad throw time and effort at. Do you have any ideas on how to unite the team and support bud. Any ideas on how to do this best/better bud? Not taking this piss by the way.

 

Doubtful, he only comes on here to moan.

Been watching United for 45 years now, don't think there's been much to be happy about in the last 5. How many of Csaba's 42 games were enjoyable to watch. Same applies to Ray and Mixu and Jackie ( in his last 9 months). I'm happy with Neilson's appointment and welcome the all round boost he's created but forgive me if I'm no jumping for joy on yet another day when we've had more bookings than shots on target. I go to games hoping to see goals and shots cos that's what I think the game should be about. 

Has Csaba made a comeback .That was awful. Thought we were meant to be getting better

Arabnophobia wrote:

annanarab wrote:

The support is NOT the problem at Tannadice. We’ve had 4 crap managers in a row playing a rubbish style of football and FAILING. The fans are not stupid, they will back the team if the team is worth backing and we haven’t had anything worth backing in the last 4 years. The task for Robbie is to give us something worth backing and United fans will respond. The squad is not great but the first thing they need to do is knock their pans in for the club and when they do so they’ll find a whole heap of support. Robbie like all the other managers will get a fair crack of the whip from fans, it’s up to him build on that.

 
You're right annan but the support need try  to be part of the solution. The blame for our current situation isn't the supports fault at all.

How things go from here on can be influenced by the support more than hindered. It will take results though and backing from the board. Too risky to wait until January to back the new manager with new players.
If new manager bounce doesn't happen the board will be the next target to gang up on and go for. We are at a crossroads in that respect. Fans are at their wits end with being loyal.

 
It’s a chicken and egg situation. When a players bursts a gut the fans respond, when the ball is played into the box the fans are on the feet, when there is a near thing or their keeper has to make a save the fans roar and burst into song. When the team play the turgid stuff fans are quiet, bored or disinterested. It’s easy to get the fans on board so give them the stuff they have paid to see and watch the fans play their part

The support is NOT the problem at Tannadice. We’ve had 4 crap managers in a row playing a rubbish style of football and FAILING. The fans are not stupid, they will back the team if the team is worth backing and we haven’t had anything worth backing in the last 4 years. The task for Robbie is to give us something worth backing and United fans will respond. The squad is not great but the first thing they need to do is knock their pans in for the club and when they do so they’ll find a whole heap of support. Robbie like all the other managers will get a fair crack of the whip from fans, it’s up to him build on that.

Hope he knows how to attack and defend and doesna bother with the rubbishy stuff the last 4 managers have inflicted on us. Don't know if I've mentioned this before but I canna stand the backwards and sideways stuff.

Tek wrote:

You know when I started to have my doubts about Csaba?

After his very first league game in charge (3-0 win against Falkirk).

It was widely acknowledged as our best display in months and most supporters there on the day said it was the first time Utd had been cavalier and took the game to a team for quite sometime.

We created something like 28 shots at goal and a fair few of them were on target. In other words we 'murdered' Falkirk on the day and they got off lightly with just 3.

Anyway I remember in Laszlo's post-match Arabzone interview when he was asked about just how many chances we had created he said something along the lines of 'I felt we actually had too many shots at goal and at times I think we should have held on to the ball a bit better'.

In other words he wanted more controlled possession. But he was willing to sacrifice it for chances created.

Mental, but true.

Can anyone else mind of that?

My doubts started 1 week later after the 1-1 draw at Brechin - Csaba said he didn't want his players listening to the fans encouraging them to go forward - he wanted them to keep the ball at the back away from the opposition. He has done nothing since to dispel my doubts 
 

I agree. There's only 2 things you can do with possession - either score or lose it and I reckon good teams will have a ratio of 1- 99% (in favour of losing it) and teams like United will have a ratio of 0.1 - 99.9% so why put so much emphasis on having possession when it has such a spectacular failure rate.

I'd also much rather see us playing the ball into the opponents box 10 (if not 20) times more than we do at present as doing so will increase our chances of winning, of scoring, of avoiding defeat of entertaining our fans. I'd definitely like to see less messing about at the back

I know its the modern way but I'm 65 (in a  couple of weeks) and have seen enough football in my time to know what I like and I hate the turgid non attacking stuff. Hopefully, the success of Aird's cross and Safranko's header will encourage the team back to a more entertaining and successful style. 
  

Loads of players have played in different positions before going on to star in what becomes their recognised position Gough right back/centre half, Narey midfield/centre back, Malpas midfield/left back/centre back, Heggie, Copland Tom McAdam forwards/centre backs. Ray Stewart and Alex McLeish both played midfield for Scotland. I personally think its sometimes useful for young players to get game time experience in a different position rather than reserve football in the preferred position. I therefore had no qualms about Souttar playing as a def mid or as a right back to get game time. Ideally, IMO, he should have played in a back 3 alongside a couple of decent experienced pro's but in his time here, we didn't have any and his biggest problem was being at a shambolic club about to start an almighty decline under clueless managers. I thought Souttar had enormous potential (greatest thing since Narey) and whilst my current view is a wee bit more moderate, I am pleased to see him holding down a regular place with the league leaders and getting capped for the national side. I just wish we had managed him better and that we were to benefit from the improvements he has made to his game 

 

According to the BBC Csaba says " we were in the attacking shape for 80 - 90 minutes". How come we only manage 10 shots (only 3 on target) then, one every 9.3 minutes. Maybe we need a different attacking shape, one that actually has more attacks or one that has more attack-minded players or maybe just a different manager

I like 3 at the back partly as we don't have good enough CB's to play as a pair and partly to avoid any need to play def mids. Can't believe we play 3 at the back and 2 def mids in a home game against a so called wee team,