Tekel Towers » 17/18 Squad and Tactics

Morphman · 29/5/2017 11:10 am

Hope to fuck McKinnon ditches this long ball into the corners shite we've been watching all season and goes out and signs a couple out and out wingers for next season. The lack of balls into the box from outwide this past season was horrendous, a total lack of creativity is what cost us games against Dumbarton and the like.

Tell you what as well, I'd keep Dixon if possible and give him another attacking winger to play along with down the left. Thought he was excellent in the playoff games going forward, mikkelsen just didn't seem to want to get on to the end of some of his crosses. Honestly hope we ditch how passive we were this season and go for the jugular next season. Risk of sounding arrogant, the teams in this league are shite, it's up to United to force the issue with teams next season. Go out from the offset with pace down the flanks and cause teams problems. I'll accept another season in the championship, just no watching the same dirge as this past season.

Last edited by Morphman (29/5/2017 11:11 am)

TheShed · 29/5/2017 11:23 am

Ideally we'll play 442 with real wingers a Daly type and a Russell type up front, but tbh I couldn't give a shit how we play as long as it gets the best out of the players we have and it wins us the league.

Ex Houston Arab · 29/5/2017 12:51 pm

When it comes to tactics we don't even seem to do the basics.
Why do we kick the ball away every time we have kick off? What's that about?
We lose possession from around half our throw ins.
We don't have any plan at corners. We worked one at the start of the season and flood scored (think against Peterhead) and never done it again.
We don't hold onto the ball at all. That's why we were fucked at the end and not Hamilton.
I really don't know what we work on in training as our basics seem so poor

Arab87 · 30/5/2017 11:27 am

Players under contract, Devlin is a possibility:

Cammy Bell (GK)
Nicky Devlin
Mark Durnan
William Edjenguélé
Jamie Robson
Scott Fraser
Scott Allardice
Billy King
Matty Smith
James Keatings

Brett Long (GK)
Cammy Ballantyne
Jassem Sukar
Coll Donaldson
Lewis Toshney
Brad Smith

Get rid of Donaldson, possibly try to hold on Spittal and start bringing in players that can push us to the title next season.

TheShed · 30/5/2017 11:49 am

So right now our team for next year is

. Bell
Toshney Durnan. Edge. Robson
King. Allardice. B Smith Fraser
Keatings. M Smith

Long, Ballantine, Sukar, Donaldson

There's not a single position that doesn't need strengthened. 8/9 players still needed, more if anyone else leaves. Don't want anyone out of contract staying.

SuperMario · 30/5/2017 12:12 pm

The team I would like to see next season :

Bell

Devlin (if he's signed) durnan new centre half (not priority) new left

New centre mid new centre mid

King Fraser new left mid

Keatings

Incredibly busy transfer window coming up for this

Arab87 · 30/5/2017 1:37 pm

We should build on a spine we kind of have already. Our spine would be Bell, Durnan, Edge, Allardice, King and Keatings. Some out of contract players that would be a big improvement on what we have:

GK- Gary Woods
RB- Nicky Devlin
CB- Liam Fontaine/
LB- Luke Leahy
RM- Alan Forrest / Fraser Aird
LM- Paul McMullan
CM- Fraser Fyvie/ Sean Welsh
STR- Dylan Bikey / Lawrence Shankland / Alex Fisher

TheShed · 30/5/2017 2:08 pm

Arab87 wrote:
We should build on a spine we kind of have already. Our spine would be Bell, Durnan, Edge, Allardice, King and Keatings. Some out of contract players that would be a big improvement on what we have:

GK- Gary Woods
RB- Nicky Devlin
CB- Liam Fontaine/
LB- Luke Leahy
RM- Alan Forrest / Fraser Aird
LM- Paul McMullan
CM- Fraser Fyvie/ Sean Welsh
STR- Dylan Bikey / Lawrence Shankland / Alex Fisher

Most of those aren't really better than what we're getting rid of.

Arab87 · 30/5/2017 3:06 pm

TheShed wrote:
Arab87 wrote:
We should build on a spine we kind of have already. Our spine would be Bell, Durnan, Edge, Allardice, King and Keatings. Some out of contract players that would be a big improvement on what we have:

GK- Gary Woods
RB- Nicky Devlin
CB- Liam Fontaine/
LB- Luke Leahy
RM- Alan Forrest / Fraser Aird
LM- Paul McMullan
CM- Fraser Fyvie/ Sean Welsh
STR- Dylan Bikey / Lawrence Shankland / Alex Fisher

Most of those aren't really better than what we're getting rid of.

Gary Woods is better than Zwick.
Devlin is better than VDS and Dillon.
Fontaine is better than Donaldson.
Leahy has been one of the best players in the championship this year.
We have no width, all wide players listed are better than what we have.
Sean Welsh and Fraser Fyvie both better than Flood and Telfer.
3 Stikers mentioned are what's available, Shankland is decent championship level player, Bikey has pace which will guarantee goals in this division and Fisher was ICT's top goalscorer.

bowers · 30/5/2017 3:36 pm

Fontaines extended witg hibs

SlatefordArab · 31/5/2017 8:54 am

Just read elsewhere that Murdoch is being offered a new deal.

He did ok at right back but still think we can get better.

bowers · 31/5/2017 9:53 am

Agree.

Like a proper right back or midfielder.

31/5/2017 12:31 pm

SlatefordArab wrote:
Just read elsewhere that Murdoch is being offered a new deal.

He did ok at right back but still think we can get better.

Tbh I'm quite happy with this - looked very solid defensively at RB and began to show a bit going forward once he got some games under his belt.

lifesanocean · 31/5/2017 12:49 pm

Saw a rumour that Hearts are now after Devlin which is why he hasn't signed for us yet.

Tek · 31/5/2017 2:11 pm

According to journo Richard Winton (a Utd fan) Murdoch has indeed been offered a new deal.

Spittal,Dillon,Flood and Telfer in 'talks' with the club (WTF?)

Zwick and VDS away.And presumably Nicholls,Andreu and Mikkelsen have returned to their parent clubs.

Just have a mass clear-out ffs (and that includes a number of Development players) and start again.

Macho Man · 31/5/2017 2:18 pm

Tek wrote:
Spittal,Dillon,Flood and Telfer in 'talks' with the club (WTF?)

Is it a case that the club are in talks with or are wanting to talk to them to let them know they will not be getting a new contract? I'd imagine that would be the way that it is done to confirm to the player if they have a future at the club or not.

Arab87 · 31/5/2017 2:19 pm

If I was Ray, Spittal and Murdoch would be the only 2 getting offered contracts, Telfer has the ability but not the attitude to improve himself and his career, best of luck to him, Dixon and Dillon, both great servants to the club for years, both passed it, think Dixon would be better playing for a Forfar, Arbroath or Raith etc. Dillon is assume might go down a coaching route?

I see that Chris Johnstone has been released by Raith, thought he was a good wee player, ripped Dixon ealrier this season in the 2-2 game at starks park.

Hope Ray can get new faces in within the next couple of weeks. We also need a target man, if he can't engineer a move for Mikkelson, who else could he bring in?

Tek · 31/5/2017 2:44 pm

Macho Man wrote:
Tek wrote:
Spittal,Dillon,Flood and Telfer in 'talks' with the club (WTF?)
Is it a case that the club are in talks with or are wanting to talk to them to let them know they will not be getting a new contract? I'd imagine that would be the way that it is done to confirm to the player if they have a future at the club or not.

Maybe.

But it's the fact he said with confidence that Zwick was definitely away.

Surely if the 'talks' are just a courtesy to tell the player/s they won't be getting offered a new deal,then that would extend to him too?

Macho Man · 31/5/2017 2:48 pm

Tek wrote:
Macho Man wrote:
Tek wrote:
Spittal,Dillon,Flood and Telfer in 'talks' with the club (WTF?)
Is it a case that the club are in talks with or are wanting to talk to them to let them know they will not be getting a new contract? I'd imagine that would be the way that it is done to confirm to the player if they have a future at the club or not.
Maybe.

But it's the fact he said with confidence that Zwick was definitely away.

Surely if the 'talks' are just a courtesy to tell the player/s they won't be getting offered a new deal,then that would extend to him too?

I think because it has been confirmed by the club that Zwick is away that they were able to say that with certainty.

Re the others, maybe they were waiting until after the game on Sunday before having the chat with them. Could you imagine what it could have been like if they all had checked out of their Utd careers before kick off, just like Murray did?

boabmos · 31/5/2017 2:53 pm

Tek wrote:
According to journo Richard Winton (a Utd fan) Murdoch has indeed been offered a new deal.

Spittal,Dillon,Flood and Telfer in 'talks' with the club (WTF?)

Zwick and VDS away.And presumably Nicholls,Andreu and Mikkelsen have returned to their parent clubs.

Just have a mass clear-out ffs (and that includes a number of Development players) and start again.

Wouldn't miss any of them to be fair.

Arab87 · 31/5/2017 3:06 pm

If Ray can build a solid spine and surround it with pace and have plenty of options on the bench to change games we will be in for a really good season.

Tek · 31/5/2017 3:14 pm

Macho Man wrote:
I think because it has been confirmed by the club that Zwick is away that they were able to say that with certainty.

That's just it though MM.

The club haven't confirmed ANYONE'S away as yet.

So that's why Winton saying those players are away but those other selected few are 'in talks' worries me.

Macho Man · 31/5/2017 3:46 pm

Tek wrote:
Macho Man wrote:
I think because it has been confirmed by the club that Zwick is away that they were able to say that with certainty.
That's just it though MM.

The club haven't confirmed ANYONE'S away as yet.

So that's why Winton saying those players are away but those other selected few are 'in talks' worries me.

I thought it had been announced that he was away. I'm sure I read somewhere that he was already away back to Germany.

Tangy · 31/5/2017 4:02 pm

Tully says vds, kuate and svick are away already and Murdoch has been offered a deal.

It goes on to say the club will speak to the remaining players about their futures. That in no way means they will be offered deals imo

Morphman · 31/5/2017 4:27 pm

I'll take pelters for this but I'd take Dillon back in the same capacity as this season. Backup to cover the RB, CB and even LB if need be. Past his best? Yes. adequate cover for a Championship side? Yes also. In my opinion.

He wasn't too shabby in the playoffs IMO. Don't think we conceded a goal from a mistake from him. I could live with him returning. He's not going to play every week and for the right money it's probably worth it.