Tekel Towers » Utd v Ross County

Tek · 23/1/2022 8:04 pm

Team and formation?

Stick with the 3 at the back or go back to a back 4?

dyed in the wool · 23/1/2022 8:34 pm

It's a tricky one. Ross County like to get the ball down the wings and I don't think as a 3, we have enough pace to cope if they get in behind. Saying that though, if we go with a flat back 4 then it leaves a bit of a choice with the midfield as I can't see Watt or McNulty being dropped. Seems a bit strange at the moment though because it's probably the most depth we've had in the squad for a loooong time...albeit a bit lighter in defence.

Wednesday is a massive game for us so don't imagine there will be any experiments/surprises. Hopefully Mulgrew wasn't injured yesterday. I reckon we'll line up along these lines...

Benji

McMann
Edwards
Mulgrew
Freeman

Butcher
Levitt
Glass/Harkes
Pawlett

Watt
McNulty

subs.
Eriksson
Neilson
Sporle
Fuchs
Mochrie
Harkes/Glass
Niskanen
Clark
Appere

Last edited by dyed in the wool (23/1/2022 8:35 pm)

KdyArab · 23/1/2022 9:25 pm

Mulgrew had ice on his leg at Full Time yesterday so he might miss out and Butcher at CB. Would go with the team that finished yesterday.

Tek · 23/1/2022 10:41 pm

dyed in the wool wrote:
It's a tricky one. Ross County like to get the ball down the wings and I don't think as a 3, we have enough pace to cope if they get in behind

Agreed.

I'd go back to the flat back 4. Don't think the back three really works for us as we don't (as you say) have the pace at the back to be able to play it if a team plays it over the top.

My team would be -

.............................Siegrist....................................
Freeman....Edwards...Mulgrew....McMann
...............Butcher...Levitt...Fuchs.........
..........Pawlett......McNulty......Watt.....

Subs - Eriksson, Clark, Niskanen, Sporle
Appere, Mochrie, Harkes, Neilson, Glass

*If Mulgrew is injured i would play Butcher at the back and put Harkes in midfield*

Beharder · 24/1/2022 10:37 am

If we lose this one (very possible) and DFC beat STJ (possible) things could turn pretty ugly at Tannadice towards TC. It would be our worst run of results for over 20yrs.Could he recover from that? As it stands we're sleepwalking towards relegation

24/1/2022 1:07 pm

Can't you be a wee bit softer Beharder?
Do try to be a wee bit more optimistic, you're frightened of the death you'll never die.
Keep your head up.

Beharder · 24/1/2022 6:03 pm

Never say never Smedum.
I certainly hope im wrong but i fear were on a downward spiral .
I feel there is a complacency at Tannadice that were not in any real danger.
Reminiscent of hibs in 2014

kdyteejay · 24/1/2022 7:23 pm

Beharder wrote:
Never say never Smedum.
I certainly hope im wrong but i fear were on a downward spiral .
I feel there is a complacency at Tannadice that were not in any real danger.
Reminiscent of hibs in 2014

I hope you’re wrong also but fear you could be right. We’ll find out on Wednesday.

Tek · 24/1/2022 7:51 pm

Wednesday is indeed a huge game.

7 Premiership defeats in a row would have to signal a change in the dug-out imo.

Otherwise we could well indeed get pulled into the relegation mix. I'm just hoping Saturday's win can spark some sort of confidence in the players and we attack County from the first whistle.

CCX2 2010 · 24/1/2022 9:20 pm

Whatever side he opts to put out we need to start having a go and trying to get the home crowd behind the team.

Start with a bit of intent and that begins at the back, pointless 5 yard passes, CMs standing taking the ball off the CHs and Benji taking an eternity to get things moving.

Would like to see Clark up top instead of McNulty as the guys a waste of a Jersey.

Lose this and I think even the most blinkered United fan will start fearing the worst.

24/1/2022 9:55 pm

CCX2 2010 wrote:
Whatever side he opts to put out we need to start having a go and trying to get the home crowd behind the team.

Start with a bit of intent and that begins at the back, pointless 5 yard passes, CMs standing taking the ball off the CHs and Benji taking an eternity to get things moving.

Would like to see Clark up top instead of McNulty as the guys a waste of a Jersey.

Lose this and I think even the most blinkered United fan will start fearing the worst.

And if we win...?!
Will it be any different?
I keep having to check that we beat Killie on Saturday.

'Get the home crowd behind the team'.
Pigs might fly.

Yes we're on a bad run in the league but what are fans for?

CCX2 2010 · 24/1/2022 10:56 pm

If we win then the pressure is off for the time being but it's been a very hard watch Smeds., hopefully we win as we all want success.

You are correct, we did manage to get past a mid table championship side on Saturday but I was there again watching it and it's far from convincing. Wouldn't you agree?

I think the players need to show a bit more urgency especially at the start of games at home.do you not agree?

The supporters for the.main have been OK but its hardly inspiring performances that we have witnessed this season. I'm not sure if any other United manager in the 30 odd years I've followed has been given the time that the current one has, we are on a 6 game losing run in the keague and I've never heard a shout for the manager to go at the games never mind a chant.

japanarab · 25/1/2022 12:25 am

I'm not sure if any other United manager in the 30 odd years I've followed has been given the time that the current one has, we are on a 6 game losing run in the keague and I've never heard a shout for the manager to go at the games never mind a chant.

I think most feared the worst when Tam was appointed and the first round of games was a pleasant surprise. Probably bought him a lot more time than a “Yogi Hughes” type would get. Where’s the early performances gone? Baffling. Where’s the confident passing we saw at Parkhead earlier?

25/1/2022 1:04 am

CCX2 2010 wrote:
If we win then the pressure is off for the time being but it's been a very hard watch Smeds., hopefully we win as we all want success.

You are correct, we did manage to get past a mid table championship side on Saturday but I was there again watching it and it's far from convincing. Wouldn't you agree?

I think the players need to show a bit more urgency especially at the start of games at home.do you not agree?

The supporters for the.main have been OK but its hardly inspiring performances that we have witnessed this season. I'm not sure if any other United manager in the 30 odd years I've followed has been given the time that the current one has, we are on a 6 game losing run in the keague and I've never heard a shout for the manager to go at the games never mind a chant.

We can agree to differ CCX2 but why denigrate Saturday's Cup opponents as 'a mid-table championship side'?
I prefer to celebrate the win over the 6/5 favourites to win the championship which appears to be a wholely different perception to far too many of our supporters.

japanarab · 25/1/2022 1:09 am

Canadian Arab wrote:
Beharder wrote:
Never say never Smedum.
I certainly hope im wrong but i fear were on a downward spiral .
I feel there is a complacency at Tannadice that were not in any real danger.
Reminiscent of hibs in 2014
Agreed.
Our form over the last round of games is 5 points from a possible 33, with 7 scored, 19 conceded and failing to score in 5 of the 11 games. Extrapolate that to pre-split games and we would arrive at the split with 15 points and a -36 goal difference. That's "bottom place by a mile" form.
If we stay up, it's thanks to the first round of games.

it would be bottomplace by a mile usually but The Funsters and Saints look even worse than us just now. St Johnstone in particular look well fuct.

Finn Seemann · 25/1/2022 11:02 am

If Tam could turnaround the performances and get us winning or drawing more than we lose that will buy him a lot of time with the fans. A loss v RC is going to leave him in a very difficult position - it is a can't lose.

AlwaysUnited · 25/1/2022 2:38 pm

Win lose or draw it's really important us fans stick by Thomas and the players.

We have a young team and they won't win every match, but by showing our support from the stands we can give them the confidence to improve every game.

Last edited by AlwaysUnited (25/1/2022 2:38 pm)

Tek · 25/1/2022 3:45 pm

AlwaysUnited wrote:
Win lose or draw it's really important us fans stick by Thomas and the players.

We have a young team and they won't win every match, but by showing our support from the stands we can give them the confidence to improve every game.

Is it a young team?

Siegrist (30 next Monday)
Edwards (28)
Butcher (31 next month(
Mulgrew (35)
McMann (25)
Fuchs (24)
Harkes (26)
Spörle (26)
Clark (30)
McNulty (29)
Watt (28)

Seems to me more like we have a squad full of experienced players, with a smattering of kids, most of whom don't feature (Meekison, Mochrie, Moore, Neilson etc).

Even our younger 1st XI players like Appere, Clamers, Levitt, Glass and Freeman are either 23 or 22 on their next birthdays, so not really 'kids' anymore i'd argue.

Fan support does help, of that there is no arguement.

But this squad is of a collective age where they need to go out and start getting results again.

Finn Seemann · 25/1/2022 4:02 pm

Tek wrote:
AlwaysUnited wrote:
Win lose or draw it's really important us fans stick by Thomas and the players.

We have a young team and they won't win every match, but by showing our support from the stands we can give them the confidence to improve every game.
Is it a young team?

Siegrist (30 next Monday)
Edwards (28)
Butcher (31 next month(
Mulgrew (35)
McMann (25)
Fuchs (24)
Harkes (26)
Spörle (26)
Clark (30)
McNulty (29)
Watt (28)

Seems to me more like we have a squad full of experienced players, with a smattering of kids, most of whom don't feature (Meekison, Mochrie, Moore, Neilson etc).

Even our younger 1st XI players like Appere, Clamers, Levitt, Glass and Freeman are either 23 or 22 on their next birthdays, so not really 'kids' anymore i'd argue.

Fan support does help, of that there is no arguement.

But this squad is of a collective age where they need to go out and start getting results again.

Agree Tek. More pish from Always. Always talks pish.

25/1/2022 4:16 pm

This is totally out of context, definitely not worthy of a thread of its own, but deserving of a TEKEL TOWERS exclusive nevertheless....

Tony Watt has pinched Archie Meekison's number.

dufc2019 · 25/1/2022 4:31 pm

smedDUm wrote:
This is totally out of context, definitely not worthy of a thread of its own, but deserving of a TEKEL TOWERS exclusive nevertheless....

Tony Watt has pinched Archie Meekison's number.

thats so last week

Beharder · 25/1/2022 4:38 pm

AlwaysUnited wrote:
Win lose or draw it's really important us fans stick by Thomas and the players.

We have a young team and they won't win every match, but by showing our support from the stands we can give them the confidence to improve every game.

I'll ignore the questionable age profile of the team.
Yes nobody in the stands expects UTD to win every game however nobody in the stands expects us to lose every game.
This run cant go on much longer.

dufc2019 · 25/1/2022 4:44 pm

Beharder wrote:
AlwaysUnited wrote:
Win lose or draw it's really important us fans stick by Thomas and the players.

We have a young team and they won't win every match, but by showing our support from the stands we can give them the confidence to improve every game.

I'll ignore the questionable age profile of the team.
Yes nobody in the stands expects UTD to win every game however nobody in the stands expects us to lose every game.
This run cant go on much longer.

you do start to wonder if we will ever win another game thou, its been pretty bad

25/1/2022 4:54 pm

dufc2019 wrote:
smedDUm wrote:
This is totally out of context, definitely not worthy of a thread of its own, but deserving of a TEKEL TOWERS exclusive nevertheless....

Tony Watt has pinched Archie Meekison's number.

thats so last week

Did I miss a presser....?

25/1/2022 5:00 pm

Back on topic.... I seldom forecast starting XIs but these are the players I'd like to see.
In order of importance, not in team order.
MULGREW - I hope he's not injured?
WATT
FREEMAN
LEVITT
GLASS
SIEGRIST
EDWARDS
not fussed about the other 4