Tekel Towers » Dundee Utd v Aberdeen 17/10/20

bowers · 14/10/2020 6:19 am

Back in league action this Saturday against 4th top Aberdeen.

Our performances at home to Celtic and Hibs earlier in the season were both alot better than what we have seen against Livi Hamilton etc so i am hoping for a better this weekend.

As for the line up not a clue. The back line is a massive problem and a real worry. Will Smith and Siegrist be back?

Ingin-Bhajis · 14/10/2020 9:18 am

bowers wrote:
Back in league action this Saturday against 4th top Aberdeen.

Our performances at home to Celtic and Hibs earlier in the season were both alot better than what we have seen against Livi Hamilton etc so i am hoping for a better this weekend.

As for the line up not a clue. The back line is a massive problem and a real worry. Will Smith and Siegrist be back?

Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It

Lilley01 · 14/10/2020 1:14 pm

Agree it takes the pressure off a little bit with expectations lowered and the likelihood of a return to the more defensive approach with pressing at certain times and counter attacking. Gives us a chance to take the pressure off being the team to break the other down.

Fear for the midfield, Aberdeen's is very good on paper. Think it will certainly be 3 in there to help cope. We don't look convincing with 3 at the back, we need 3 in midfield but also look better with 2 upfront which unfortunately means somethings got to give. I think the back 3 last night was a test for Saturday though and expect to see the same personnel in the back 3 as last night. Which at least allows us to counter with Robson and Bolton (most likely).

Powers, Butchers and Harkes in the middle and Clark off Shankland upfront. Although Pawlett most likely get the nod over Powers who it doesn't seem to matter what he does, won't be considered for a fair crack this year.

Arabdownsouth · 14/10/2020 1:19 pm

Lilley01 wrote:
Agree it takes the pressure off a little bit with expectations lowered and the likelihood of a return to the more defensive approach with pressing at certain times and counter attacking. Gives us a chance to take the pressure off being the team to break the other down.

Fear for the midfield, Aberdeen's is very good on paper. Think it will certainly be 3 in there to help cope. We don't look convincing with 3 at the back, we need 3 in midfield but also look better with 2 upfront which unfortunately means somethings got to give. I think the back 3 last night was a test for Saturday though and expect to see the same personnel in the back 3 as last night. Which at least allows us to counter with Robson and Bolton (most likely).

Powers, Butchers and Harkes in the middle and Clark off Shankland upfront. Although Pawlett most likely get the nod over Powers who it doesn't seem to matter what he does, won't be considered for a fair crack this year.

I don't really see how we can test out the back 3 for a game against the sheep, with a game against Kelty Hearts? I just want us to pick our best back 4 and stick with it until it settles, but of course no one seems to actually know which 4 that is. I'd like to think we can raise our game against Aberdeen but after recent performances I'm not confident these players can.

Lilley01 · 14/10/2020 1:26 pm

that's a bit like saying what's the point in training. If it's a 90 minute exercise in shape and communication, it's not wasted albeit, understand it's a different type of challenge. If that is the plan for Saturday, i'm sure every one of the three would rather have had last night to get a better feel for playing with each other.

Arabdownsouth · 14/10/2020 3:28 pm

Lilley01 wrote:
that's a bit like saying what's the point in training. If it's a 90 minute exercise in shape and communication, it's not wasted albeit, understand it's a different type of challenge. If that is the plan for Saturday, i'm sure every one of the three would rather have had last night to get a better feel for playing with each other.

I guess, but it's not as if they had very much of a workout last night though.

Tek · 14/10/2020 3:48 pm

bowers wrote:
Back in league action this Saturday against 4th top Aberdeen.

Our performances at home to Celtic and Hibs earlier in the season were both alot better than what we have seen against Livi Hamilton etc so i am hoping for a better this weekend.

As for the line up not a clue. The back line is a massive problem and a real worry. Will Smith and Siegrist be back?

I've tried to think of a Utd team for Saturday that can register a positive result and quite honestly i'm at a loss.

I will come back to it on Friday night.

15/10/2020 4:30 pm

When's the last time United fielded two full Scotland internationalist (within 18 months) strikers in the same game?
All we got to do now is gie them the ba'!

PatReilly · 15/10/2020 4:31 pm

Noting MM saying he may go with Lawrence Shankland AND Mark McNulty up front on Saturday. Assuming he's going three central defenders (otherwise why use them in a match against a side four levels lower on Tuesday?), and Logan Chalmers also comes in, will the other four be Robson, Bolton, Butcher and Harkes?

That would be a very uneven looking team. I can't see McNulty starting, and to be clear, the three central defenders and two midfielders listed wouldn't be my preferences.

SuperMario · 15/10/2020 6:50 pm

Benji
Butcher edwards Reynolds
Bolton harkes powers robson
Clark
Mcnulty shankland

If everyone ready to play

Shakey Isles Arab · 15/10/2020 9:07 pm

Who shouldnae start: Connolly Edwards Pawlett mebbe Harkes
Who should start: Powers, McNulty if fit
Who will start: Anybody's guess
Scoreline: Don't even go there

MockChop · 15/10/2020 9:58 pm

McNulty won’t start.

1-1 (Shankland)

japanarab · 16/10/2020 12:40 am

Heart says scrappy 2-1 head says a 0-4 pumping.

LarsErikKjell · 16/10/2020 10:22 am

Benji

Connolly
Edwards
Reynolds

Bolton
Butcher
Harkes
Robson

Clark

McNulty
Shankland

PatReilly · 17/10/2020 11:41 am

Difficult to know what sort of team we'll put out.

I'd go:
Seigrist
Bolton Butcher Reynolds Robson
Chalmers Powers Neilson Sporle
Shankland Appéré

Think Micky will go with:

Seigrist
Edwards Connolly Reynolds
Bolton Butcher Pawlett Harkes Robson
Clark
Shankland

Tek · 17/10/2020 1:17 pm

For anyone who can't watch the match live there is a re-run of the match at 6pm on BBBC ALBA.

PatReilly · 17/10/2020 2:18 pm

PatReilly wrote:
Difficult to know what sort of team we'll put out.

I'd go:
Seigrist
Bolton Butcher Reynolds Robson
Chalmers Powers Neilson Sporle
Shankland Appéré

Think Micky will go with:

Seigrist
Edwards Connolly Reynolds
Bolton Butcher Pawlett Harkes Robson
Clark
Shankland

Turns out it wasn't difficult to know at all.

Wonder where Sporle has disappeared to.

bowers · 17/10/2020 2:50 pm

PatReilly wrote:
PatReilly wrote:
Difficult to know what sort of team we'll put out.

I'd go:
Seigrist
Bolton Butcher Reynolds Robson
Chalmers Powers Neilson Sporle
Shankland Appéré

Think Micky will go with:

Seigrist
Edwards Connolly Reynolds
Bolton Butcher Pawlett Harkes Robson
Clark
Shankland
Turns out it wasn't difficult to know at all.

Wonder where Sporle has disappeared to.

Apparently injured. However you wouldn't know as the clubs comms have went drastically down hill.

japanarab · 17/10/2020 3:53 pm

Tek wrote:
For anyone who can't watch the match live there is a re-run of the match at 6pm on BBBC ALBA.

On hes again. Won’t post the .com as my Twitter got suspended for doing the same there lol.

Beharder · 17/10/2020 5:12 pm

I think the shape and discipline were good today against a team that has more good players than us. Even more so when Smith came on
A few good performances from Siegrists & Connolly but Edwards MOM for me.
Poor/ very poor from Robson , don't think he blocked any crosses and Harkes, shocking standard of passing.

Arabdownsouth · 17/10/2020 5:37 pm

That's a good point won today, hopefully the players get a bit of a confidence boost from it.

Looks like I was completely wrong about trying out the back three midweek too, defended very well today. Massive boost having Benji back too.

Top six after the first round of games will do for me.

Last edited by Arabdownsouth (17/10/2020 5:37 pm)

Snacks94 · 17/10/2020 6:06 pm

Benji was excellent

Centre halves were better and we defended set pieces pretty well for once

Butcher and Harkes in midfield just isn’t working at this level, Powers deserves an opportunity

McNulty looks like he’ll do a job once fully fit

kdyteejay · 17/10/2020 6:13 pm

We were far better when we went to 4-4-2. A good point overall but they had better players all over the park and must feel like a couple of points dropped.

Billy_Hainey · 17/10/2020 6:39 pm

Aeberdeen were the better side the day, have'na looked at the stats yet, but sure they'll show that.

Yeah most in agreement Benji was excellent the day, and saved our bacon. Efter the half-oor mark, Eh was expecting a pounding.

Most frustrating thing for me to day, was on some oe the occasions we cleared our lines, and were on the break, the player in possession would stop and turn, losing the advantage, and losing the ba.

However we defended well (well enough to prevent the SSBs fae scoring). So a deserved point. Just a pity young Chalmers couldna finish (woulda been a legendary goal).

PatReilly · 17/10/2020 7:38 pm

Happy with a point and finishing the first set of fixtures with twelve points. Thought we were lucky to get a point, though were better when replacements came on in the last third of the match. I don't think the players really look comfortable (yet?) playing in a system with three at the back.

I wonder if Micky has a problem in his mind trying to accommodate Reynolds, Connolly and Edwards in his team. Think he has to be more ruthless, decide on two central defenders which needn't be from those three, and stick with them for a run of games.

Finally, Shankland's transfer value to the club will drop quite a bit if we continue to fail with basic distribution and passing of the ball. We create little, giving our striker(s) very few opportunities to shine. And he appeared to be deeper than Clark and then McNulty for most of the match today, but that might be a reflection of Aberdeen's domination.