Finn Seemann wrote:

Agreed Tek - I think I criticised him earlier but I was certainly not suggesting getting rid of him.  He'll still be of use, but I think his game time needs to be less than 100%.  He takes a pen. very well and is one of the older heads, but the game past him by last night and he wasn't able to assist Appere at all.  He did a bit of pressing, but I don't think he is nippy enough these days to be MM's first choice for that role either.  Pawlett was considerably more effective last night - which is a bit of a reversal of fortune from my perspective (and Pawlett wasn't that effective).  From the games thus far its just as physical as the Championship but with fitter/stronger players which doesn't really bode well for Nicky.

Agree, but only up to a point. He's not suited to how we are now trying to play rather than being out of his depth imho. In the two games Clark has started in he has had to expend so much energy trying to press defenders as per Mellon's style (and be fair, he did this successfully several times in the first half) that he's not really had any energy left (or time and space) to do anything particularly creative. He's also playing further up the park and pressing from the front but he's never going to physically dominate or run in behind defenders whereas under Neilson he was more of a luxury being allowed to drop into pockets of space and playing clever wee one-two's to play in Shankland or midfield runners or he'd arrive in the box late unmarked to get on the end of crosses.  Neilson based his whole game plan around Clark, hence why we went all to fuck when he got injured last season.
 

Last edited by lifesanocean (12/8/2020 9:58 pm)

Finn Seemann wrote:

lifesanocean wrote:

Finn Seemann wrote:

Agreed Tek - I think I criticised him earlier but I was certainly not suggesting getting rid of him.  He'll still be of use, but I think his game time needs to be less than 100%.  He takes a pen. very well and is one of the older heads, but the game past him by last night and he wasn't able to assist Appere at all.  He did a bit of pressing, but I don't think he is nippy enough these days to be MM's first choice for that role either.  Pawlett was considerably more effective last night - which is a bit of a reversal of fortune from my perspective (and Pawlett wasn't that effective).  From the games thus far its just as physical as the Championship but with fitter/stronger players which doesn't really bode well for Nicky.

Agree, but only up to a point. He's not suited to how we are now trying to play rather than being out of his depth imho. In the two games Clark has started in he has had to expend so much energy trying to press defenders as per Mellon's style (and be fair, he did this successfully several times in the first half) that he's not really had any energy left (or time and space) to do anything particularly creative. He's also playing further up the park and pressing from the front but he's never going to physically dominate or run in behind defenders whereas under Neilson he was more of a luxury being allowed to drop into pockets of space and playing clever wee one-two's to play in Shankland or midfield runners or he'd arrive in the box late unmarked to get on the end of crosses. Neilson based his whole game plan around Clark, hence why we went all to fuck when he got injured last season.
 

Agree with this to be fair.  Also MM is clearly wanting Harkes or Pawlett to be the provider of clever one-twos and late runs into the box which is again probably a stretch for both, for different reasons.  You'd think that plays into Cammy Smith's hands but he also continues to flatter to deceive.  It just gets us back to missing a Scott Allan type.

Cammy Smith offers nothing. And that's not me being a 'boo-boy' or anything else.

He's failed to break into not just one but two different Utd sides in the Championship. And under two different Manager's who both signed him and then subsequently both put him out on loan.

He is only in and around our first team currently because the squad is paper thin in forward areas.

He needs to move on and find himself a club where he starts every week. 

Interesting opinions about Clark but I suppose MM's is the only one which counts and I'll wager that when we have McMullan fit Clark will be benched, MM's style of play is just not for him.

Twitter rumour today that us & Sunderland in for Graham Carey. LM, 31, with CSKA Sofia just now. 

Mind the meltdoon when we had him on trial at left back, but jackie signed some laddie from Queens park instead...

WeeDude_83 wrote:

Woody wrote:

WeeDude_83 wrote:

Twitter rumour today that us & Sunderland in for Graham Carey. LM, 31, with CSKA Sofia just now. 

Would be a great addition imo. Has done very well for himself since leaving Ross Co. Scores a good few from midfield too.
 

Has a wicked free kick too IIRC

Yeah, went through a real purple patch with Plymouth a couple of years ago. Scoring, what seemed like every week, and they were either pearlers or pens
 

Wouldn't have thought a left back was a priority.

But, yes, he's a good player.

We've been linked with him more than once though.

It's long been a false notion that Jackie signed Andy Robertson as a left back in direct competition to signing Graham Carey. 

Carey has rarely played in that position in his career, the vast majority of his appearances have been as an attacking player normally but not exclusively wide left. He'd be a good signing, we've few options out wide, but at his age, and still under contract, you'd think it unlikely he'd be coming to Tannadice.

Tek wrote:

Beardy23 wrote:

was a left back, but has played left mid for years now

In that case, perhaps worth a punt.

 

I think in his time down South he has played on the right, left, and through the middle in the attacking midfield positions.

One thing is for sure, we dont have anyone in our squad with anything close to what he gives you from set pieces.
 

Last edited by LarsErikKjell (13/8/2020 3:18 pm)

smedDUm wrote:

LarsErikKjell wrote:

Tek wrote:

In that case, perhaps worth a punt.

 

I think in his time down South he has played on the right, left, and through the middle in the attacking midfield positions.

One thing is for sure, we dont have anyone in our squad with anything close to what he gives you from set pieces.
 

I see PP's on the corners this season & to be fair it's the best I've seen for a while tho that isn't saying much. NC's living on one successful free kick last season but when I see him over the ball I go, oh no!
 

 
Has Sporle not got a free kick about him? He's a South American at least ffs

Tek wrote:

Getting a bit concerning this. We are really struggling to score (or even create chances) and MM just keeps mentioning youngsters.

No-one expects him to make 'knee jerk' signings btw. But 6 weeks after we signed him i had hoped we would have certainly strengthened our attacking areas (or be at an advanced stage of doing so at the very least).

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/53774249
 

 
Aye ye have to hope he's got one or two line up and he's just keepin schtoom till deals done

I think we have identified who we want, we are now just waiting to see if the deals fall into place to allow them to happen.  Suspect we'll be well into next month before we have completed our business.