Tekel Towers » Utd v Dundee

Tek · 15/9/2021 11:19 pm

Hard to say what team we should play until we learn the extent of the injuries to Ryan Edwards, Liam Smith and Peter Pawlett, all of whom had to leave the field of play in Paisley last Saturday due to injury.

If they are all injured i would just go 'like for like', so Kieran Freeman in for Smith, Mark Reynolds or Mark Connolly in for Edwards (Reynolds my preference) and Louis Appere in for Pawlett.

Hopefully one or two of them make it.

Another big call for Courts is to select Carson or Siegrist. Personally i'd go Carson, as he's been faultless, thus far.

Tek · 16/9/2021 9:08 pm

Edwards and Pawlett pictured training today. Good news.

But no sign of Liam Smith. So the big call is whether to play Freeman at RB or go 352.

I hope it's the former.

Arab93 · 16/9/2021 10:59 pm

Tek wrote:
Edwards and Pawlett pictured training today. Good news.

But no sign of Liam Smith. So the big call is whether to play Freeman at RB or go 352.

I hope it's the former.

I agree with Freeman in for smith if he is out, full backs getting forward and balls in box is a must. The team started really well last week and I hope that can be replicated this week. Centre of the pitch was well in control before the enforced changes so hopefully the 3 can continue that in what will no doubt be a frantic game.

Carson has to start for me, he has been class since he stepped in for Benji - we all know how good benji is but IMO it’s Carson’s spot to lose, benji can’t just step back in.

Lilley01 · 17/9/2021 9:30 am

Glad we’re the quieter club going into the game. Griffiths mentioned ‘next week’ about 5 times in his interview after the game last week and McPakes commented on our goalkeepers and talking up McMullan all week too.

Let’s take note then do our talking on the pitch. Happy for either keeper to play. Edward’s has to play but ok for Freeman to stand in. Hope he is fit, unsure why he wasn’t on the bench last week.

Their defence is the weak point. I’d go 2 up top as well and look to keep the pressure on.

SuperMario · 17/9/2021 3:11 pm

Benji
Freeman/smith Edwards mulgrew mcmann
Butcher fuchs
Niskanen Clark pawlett
Mcnulty

Don’t fuck this up united, thank you!

Last edited by SuperMario (17/9/2021 3:12 pm)

Snacks94 · 17/9/2021 6:20 pm

Lilley01 wrote:
Glad we’re the quieter club going into the game. Griffiths mentioned ‘next week’ about 5 times in his interview after the game last week and McPakes commented on our goalkeepers and talking up McMullan all week too.

Let’s take note then do our talking on the pitch. Happy for either keeper to play. Edward’s has to play but ok for Freeman to stand in. Hope he is fit, unsure why he wasn’t on the bench last week.

Their defence is the weak point. I’d go 2 up top as well and look to keep the pressure on.

Agree, they’ve been very noisy and thought the same with Griffiths interview at full time last week. Just make sure we beat them United.

Shakey Isles Arab · 17/9/2021 10:41 pm

Benji
Freeman/Liam Edwards/Reynolds Mulgrew McMann
Harkes Edwards Fuchs
Niskanen Pawlett
McNulty

Clark misses out by a whisker on at some stage.
Levitt also on at some stage.

Please no Connolly

Griffith send off

Last edited by Shakey Isles Arab (17/9/2021 11:16 pm)

RogerTheAlien · 17/9/2021 11:24 pm

There’s a smith that’s been playing at right back in training this week and it’s no Liam…

Tek · 17/9/2021 11:48 pm

RogerTheAlien wrote:
There’s a smith that’s been playing at right back in training this week and it’s no Liam…

That would be a massive gamble.

Tek · 18/9/2021 12:41 am

TC saying Liam Smith is working with the physio in an attempt to be available for Sunday. Surely too late in the week now, given he won't have trained.

Also worryingly said Louis Appere was in the same boat. He's just back ffs. Hope that means he hasn't picked up another niggling injury.

Conway11 · 18/9/2021 12:43 pm

Carson
K Smith Edwards Mulgrew McMann
Fuchs Butcher
Pawlett Levitt Sporle
McNulty

Arabdownsouth · 18/9/2021 12:58 pm

Conway11 wrote:
Carson
K Smith Edwards Mulgrew McMann
Fuchs Butcher
Pawlett Levitt Sporle
McNulty

No place for the winger we've been craving?

Billy_Hainey · 18/9/2021 1:45 pm

Apparently theres a display fir us all to hold up as the Team comes out the tunnel.

Was any of you decent guys on here involved in that?

Beharder · 19/9/2021 7:27 am

Very important to stay calm today both on the pitch and in the stands and stick to the gameplan.
If we go behind the fans need to stay with the team as i fear there are still a number of fans itching to have a go at TC.
And a team with 10 men rarely wins a derby.

19/9/2021 8:44 am

I'll have seen 100 derbies & must be sitting on a 60 wins/20 draws/20 losses record but am still ****ing myself! I love them & I hate them!

Arabesque · 19/9/2021 1:44 pm

Well thats 61 wins for you

Billy_Hainey · 19/9/2021 1:47 pm

As much relieved as I am elated we the result the day. Oor gehms been kinda up and doon like a whoors drawers so far this Season.

Better team the whole of the game tho, no doobt aboot that.

Surprised to see Benji starting efter been oot injured.

Great to see the pus shut on the Blue Nose Bell-ends, esp. the chunts that booed the applause for Oor Jim.

MOTM for me Fuchs.

Tek · 19/9/2021 2:13 pm

Great result. Indifferent performance.

We are rock solid at the back and i thought Benji, mcMann, Edwards and Mulgrew were all very good today. With the latter two exceptional in the last few minutes when Dundee threw the kitchen sink at us.

They'll have to be most weeks as we just don't look like a team who will ever score more than 1 goal a game.

Thought Harkes had a good game today. Not just for his winner but also had a couple of good runs into the box and looked a threat all game.

McNulty was pretty poor again though and Niskanen was imo totally anonymous. Game passed him by and he was a bit of an empty shirt.

Anyway, 3 points, bragging rights and great to get the win on the day we honoured Wee Jim.

On to Hibs in the LCQF on Thursday.

Beharder · 19/9/2021 2:27 pm

Very much the game most expected it to be.
As pundits will call it a scrappy affair.
Its about finding a way to win games like that.
Mcmann had an excellent home debut he loks far more suited to the Agricultural side of the Scottish game than Robson ever did.
As TEK said all 5 defenders(inc. Freeman) had good matches.

Credit to TC for replacing Butcher ( who was having a decent game) with Levitt at HT. A young man who can certainly pass the ball.

Apparently Adam was unable to play as Griffiths got his hands on the only XXL shorts they had.

Snacks94 · 19/9/2021 4:04 pm

Just delighted to win. Performance wasn’t the best but think we just about deserved the 3 points.

Our 2 centre backs were immense. McMann also very good, looks a bit stronger than Robson and better in the air.

Was Butch injured? Thought Levitt did well when he came on.

Lilley01 · 19/9/2021 7:10 pm

Fairly attritional but you’d take the win all day. Mulgrew and Edwards are a phenomenal partnership. The best since Webster and A.N.Other for me. We rode our luck a wee bit with the clearances but as stated that was only after they threw the sink at us.

Credit to Courts for putting Levvitt on. Thought the game would pass him by but he helped us control the game, made them fall back and end up camped in.

Edwards, Mulgrew, Harkes and McNulty deserving of a mentioning.

After palming one in the net, maybe mcpake should have focused on his goalkeeper rather than ours. Oh well.

CCX2 2010 · 19/9/2021 8:41 pm

Brilliant day , got to say the match day experience at Tannadice is improving if only on the park we had a bit more spark going forward.

Young Smith and McMann (great tackle at the start)had excellent games and Freeman also played well when he came on.

Fuchs for me was the best on the pitch by some distance, class act. That boy could keep the ball off you in a phone box. His header in the build up to the goal👌.

Only negative is the pace we started the game, so slow and lethargic.

Great win, 3 point and mind the gap ya BNBs

Shakey Isles Arab · 19/9/2021 9:18 pm

Get the negative oot the road - Niskanen, the laddies a wee bit o' a worry thus far, trust he's bedding in and will come right.

The game - although only the one goal, we were by far the slicker silkier team, besides better to second ball.
We were never goan tae score truckloads when they'd every man bar Griffith behind the ball and the goal when it did come well worth the wait, so for me patient rather than unable to score bigtime.
The goal when it did come well worth the wait worked them around, came to Harkes, drifted into a wee bit space, struck it perfectly, threaded the needle to find bottom right corner.
Harkes is another one who's chalk and cheese, for a long time seemed like he was that sort of a modest shy sort of a laddie that he didnae feel quite 100% comfortable when we scored a goal etc... anyway what I'm trying to say is he's a proper part of the unit now.
For the rest - what CCX says about Fuchs, couldnae get the ball off him in a phone box and for the height 'o him, what 5'5" - amazing what headers he wins.
Great back 5.
Tam bit the bullet and took Butch off Levitt come on, very steady and maybe better blend than Fuchs/Butch ?

Off tae yer bed BNB's

Last edited by Shakey Isles Arab (19/9/2021 9:21 pm)

Tek · 20/9/2021 1:02 am

Shakey Isles Arab wrote:
Tam bit the bullet and took Butch off Levitt come on, very steady and maybe better blend than Fuchs/Butch ?

Would need to take each game into account in that respect but he (TC) definitely made the correct decision subbing off Butcher for Levitt at HT today. A brave call and the right one.

Not sure selecting K.Smith at RB was the correct call. Don't get me wrong the young lad done ok defensively but the shape and balance of the side looked far better once Freeman came on.

One thing i like about him is that i've noticed he tries to carry the ball as far forward as he can before playing the pass. A lot of players (not just defensive players) look to pass the ball the instant they receive it. He is ready to get a consistent run at being Utd's RB in absence of L.Smith. He'll either sink or swim. I think the latter.

One other thing. McNulty cannot play as a solitary Striker. He tried his best but he is in no way capable of that role. And that is against a lower Premiership side.

He has a decent touch and can link-up but is pretty ineffectual full-stop unless he is playing with players who will lay off chances on a plate for him in the box. He's very similiar to James Keatings in my mind (another Utd Striker who some insisted would come good).

We so,so desperately need a proper target man Striker. And another Striker playing off of him (be that Clark, Mc|nulty or Appere).

We have over 3 months to locate one. We need him identified, recruited and signed the minute the Winter window opens.

That is if we are actually serious about Top 6, pushing for a European place and playing competitive games at Hampen in the latter stages of the Cup/s, that we have a chance of winning.

KdyArab · 20/9/2021 8:35 am

Tek wrote:
Shakey Isles Arab wrote:
Tam bit the bullet and took Butch off Levitt come on, very steady and maybe better blend than Fuchs/Butch ?
Would need to take each game into account in that respect but he (TC) definitely made the correct decision subbing off Butcher for Levitt at HT today. A brave call and the right one.

Not sure selecting K.Smith at RB was the correct call. Don't get me wrong the young lad done ok defensively but the shape and balance of the side looked far better once Freeman came on.

One thing i like about him is that i've noticed he tries to carry the ball as far forward as he can before playing the pass. A lot of players (not just defensive players) look to pass the ball the instant they receive it. He is ready to get a consistent run at being Utd's RB in absence of L.Smith. He'll either sink or swim. I think the latter.

One other thing. McNulty cannot play as a solitary Striker. He tried his best but he is in no way capable of that role. And that is against a lower Premiership side.

He has a decent touch and can link-up but is pretty ineffectual full-stop unless he is playing with players who will lay off chances on a plate for him in the box. He's very similiar to James Keatings in my mind (another Utd Striker who some insisted would come good).

We so,so desperately need a proper target man Striker. And another Striker playing off of him (be that Clark, Mc|nulty or Appere).

We have over 3 months to locate one. We need him identified, recruited and signed the minute the Winter window opens.

That is if we are actually serious about Top 6, pushing for a European place and playing competitive games at Hampen in the latter stages of the Cup/s, that we have a chance of winning.

Butcher got injured when he got booked. Was limping for the rest of the half