Our biggest problem is in centre mid for me. Neither Harkes or Stanton impose themselves or drive the team forward, which leads to the centre backs being forced to play hoofball just to get the ball up top.

I was surprised that we never looked to improve in the middle of the park over the summer. Harkes shows flashes but isn’t consistent enough yet. Stanton isn’t and never has been good enough for us, he’s a Morton/QotS level player at best. Flatters to deceive with a few good touches and runs, but one or two every other game is nowhere near the standard of a Dundee United player.

Shedtastic wrote:

Sporle coming on and playing further forward was the turning point of the game but I suppose RN wont get any credit for that.

You could argue he deserves credit for the Spörle sub. It raised eyebrows, but did have a positive influence on the match.

Here's the thing though. He has played 6 different players on the left wing this season so far (Pawlett, Chalmers, Appéré, Clark, Robson and Spörle). He clearly doesn't know who his best player is there.

This was a priority position that all of us identified all Summer long.
 

Tek wrote:

Shedtastic wrote:

Sporle coming on and playing further forward was the turning point of the game but I suppose RN wont get any credit for that.

You could argue he deserves credit for the Spörle sub. It raised eyebrows, but did have a positive influence on the match.

Here's the thing though. He has played 6 different players on the left wing this season so far (Pawlett, Chalmers, Appéré, Clark, Robson and Spörle). He clearly doesn't know who his best player is there.

This was a priority position that all of us identified all Summer long.
 

 
When Robson is playing LB id play McMullan there - left footed player can go outside and for me McMullan looks better coming in from the left and would grab some goals.

Would probably just cause a different problem on the right though 

Tek wrote:

JerryDungle wrote:

Our biggest problem is in centre mid for me. Neither Harkes or Stanton impose themselves or drive the team forward, which leads to the centre backs being forced to play hoofball just to get the ball up top.

I was surprised that we never looked to improve in the middle of the park over the summer. Harkes shows flashes but isn’t consistent enough yet. Stanton isn’t and never has been good enough for us, he’s a Morton/QotS level player at best. Flatters to deceive with a few good touches and runs, but one or two every other game is nowhere near the standard of a Dundee United player.

These are good points JD.

Personally i still think letting Bouhenna go was a mistake. He could play a bit and also could win tackles at times.

Neither Stanton or Harkes bring this to the table. And when Butcher is at CH we look really powderpuff in the engine room.
 

 
Except he wanted to leave

Arabdownsouth wrote:

Tek wrote:

JerryDungle wrote:

Our biggest problem is in centre mid for me. Neither Harkes or Stanton impose themselves or drive the team forward, which leads to the centre backs being forced to play hoofball just to get the ball up top.

I was surprised that we never looked to improve in the middle of the park over the summer. Harkes shows flashes but isn’t consistent enough yet. Stanton isn’t and never has been good enough for us, he’s a Morton/QotS level player at best. Flatters to deceive with a few good touches and runs, but one or two every other game is nowhere near the standard of a Dundee United player.

These are good points JD.

Personally i still think letting Bouhenna go was a mistake. He could play a bit and also could win tackles at times.

Neither Stanton or Harkes bring this to the table. And when Butcher is at CH we look really powderpuff in the engine room.
 

 
Except he wanted to leave

If so, that's dissapointing. And baffling.

Why the Hell anyone would want to follow Csaba Laszlo anywhere, let alone Romania is a mystery to me.
 

JerryDungle wrote:

Our biggest problem is in centre mid for me. Neither Harkes or Stanton impose themselves or drive the team forward, which leads to the centre backs being forced to play hoofball just to get the ball up top.

I was surprised that we never looked to improve in the middle of the park over the summer. Harkes shows flashes but isn’t consistent enough yet. Stanton isn’t and never has been good enough for us, he’s a Morton/QotS level player at best. Flatters to deceive with a few good touches and runs, but one or two every other game is nowhere near the standard of a Dundee United player.

 
This is right. Think i mention on the other thread. Some talented forward threats but all need the ball to feet or on the deck.  Theyre not getting enough quality entries.  I do think center half is an issue and will be if we go up. They need to be more consistent when playing out.

That said, its a bit unfair to ask of them when its never been the strongest part of either of their games.  Making it imperative for Harkes/Stanton to show for balls and provide that quality entry

leodis wrote:

Tek wrote:

Why the Hell anyone would want to follow Csaba Laszlo anywhere, let alone Romania is a mystery to me.
 

Money?
 

I guess it must be.

You wonder how much more Sepsi are paying him than Utd to justify leaving a great club, with a great history and support, to a middle of the road outfit from Romania.

They must be paying good money right enough. They got Sáfrankó too.
 

kingdomarab wrote:

Hopefully Hearts get bodied tomorrow and Levein goes and is replaced with Neilson.

No doubt I will get pelters.

But i'd take a swap. 


Can you ever imagine Robbie Neilson fucking fuming and standing up for Dundee United Football Club like this?

Levein isn't perfect himself, but he has balls.

kingdomarab wrote:

Hopefully Hearts get bodied tomorrow and Levein goes and is replaced with Neilson.

Never happen.  Hearts fans hated Neilson and couldn't wait to get rid of him,

[img]https://images-e.jpimedia.uk/imagefetch/w_620,f_auto,ar_3:2,q_auto:low,c_fill/if_h_lte_200,c_mfit,h_201/https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/webimage/1.4830594.1542304035!/image/image.jpg[/img]

Last edited by bowers (22/9/2019 6:24 am)

PatReilly wrote:

I've reassessed my thoughts from yesterday.

Here's the issue: although some of the anger directed at Robbie's tactics are justified, he is better at the job, in my opinion, than the previous four full time managers (and also the short term boys like Ellis), McNamara, Paatelainen, McKinnon and Laszlo.

And if he was to leave one way or another, there is no guarantee the next guy in wouldn't be as poor as those four, or even worse.

So in spite of all the warning signs that Robbie isn't quite the type of manager many fans would like at the helm, we're going to have to endure him for quite a time yet.

 
Any new appointment would of course be a risk.

I just wish he’d look at the reasons we were really starting to hit form and go back to them.  The fact he finally found that formula then as soon as it was really starting to work he abandoned it almost immediately is just bizarre.

dyed in the wool wrote:

I think it's foolish to be talking of managerial change considering where we are at the moment.  And after the recent contract extension, it's going to have to be an almighty clusterphuck of a season for him to be punted.

Surely RN knows that he got away with murder yesterday in those final 4 minutes and that the team was set up wrong but in my opinion, he actually made the correct subs yesterday to change the game and yes, i know it could be deemed as lucky in the end, but we didn't resort to the usual last 10 minutes of lumping it in the box, we kept on playing football, getting it wide, running at them and eventually broke their defence down (which is something we've struggled to do against similar teams while we've been down there) so I have no problem giving the team and RN a bit of credit for that.

I was speaking to a Hearts fan during the week and he said that it was the same when he was there, frustrating as phuck, but he concedes that since he left, they've only went in one direction.

Fingers crossed that yeserday was a bit too close for comfort for him and he gets boys back to where they play at their best.  Let's not forget also that 2-3 experienced players have been fairly pish the last couple of games and want to go and have a word with themselves, one in particular wants to get his finger out and get up to speed fitness wise.

Things are so much more better all round than last season - talk of punting the manager after 6 games when we are top of the league is just fickle. 
 

I dont think he has signed any contract extension as of yet.
 

Tek wrote:

Shedtastic wrote:

Sporle coming on and playing further forward was the turning point of the game but I suppose RN wont get any credit for that.

You could argue he deserves credit for the Spörle sub. It raised eyebrows, but did have a positive influence on the match.

Here's the thing though. He has played 6 different players on the left wing this season so far (Pawlett, Chalmers, Appéré, Clark, Robson and Spörle). He clearly doesn't know who his best player is there.

This was a priority position that all of us identified all Summer long.
 

 
True but the budget was spent on getting Troy Brown. hopefully we get this position sorted soon. I thought Sporle played the position brilliantly.

dyed in the wool wrote:

I think it's foolish to be talking of managerial change considering where we are at the moment.  And after the recent contract extension, it's going to have to be an almighty clusterphuck of a season for him to be punted.

Surely RN knows that he got away with murder yesterday in those final 4 minutes and that the team was set up wrong but in my opinion, he actually made the correct subs yesterday to change the game and yes, i know it could be deemed as lucky in the end, but we didn't resort to the usual last 10 minutes of lumping it in the box, we kept on playing football, getting it wide, running at them and eventually broke their defence down (which is something we've struggled to do against similar teams while we've been down there) so I have no problem giving the team and RN a bit of credit for that.

I was speaking to a Hearts fan during the week and he said that it was the same when he was there, frustrating as phuck, but he concedes that since he left, they've only went in one direction.

Fingers crossed that yeserday was a bit too close for comfort for him and he gets boys back to where they play at their best.  Let's not forget also that 2-3 experienced players have been fairly pish the last couple of games and want to go and have a word with themselves, one in particular wants to get his finger out and get up to speed fitness wise.

Things are so much more better all round than last season - talk of punting the manager after 6 games when we are top of the league is just fickle. 
 

 
Great post mate. It would be a huge risk to replace him and anyway it ain’t gonna happen. I’d like to see Pawlette on the bench and Appere up front with Shankland. I have also been keen on Cammy getting more game time but it just doesn’t work for the boy. We need to try Sporle again in a central attacking mode as that made a massive difference yesterday.