We need a good blend of new blood. Boys with a bit of experience and boys who have had a KB at a bigger club but want that opportunity to use United as a move to the big time. Boys with the desire and ambition. Not boys who are happy to be subbies at clubs and pick up a wage. 

I'll be surprised if we sign anyone I've ever heard of. That doesn't bother me one bit. Like someone said earlier, they are more likely to be hungry to succeed.

Tangerine_Ultra wrote:

bowers wrote:

That's the thing TEK there are people who are expecting us to sign top players. Have you read some of the white from these dreamers on social media?

Frightening the amount who don't realise we are in a bad situation and think we have the championship won.

Unreal mate. SOOOO many folk with their head in the sand.
 

 

Dont know how people can even say we have it won, lets face it, at the present moment I dont think we even have enough players to fill a matchday squad of 16. Then again many members of our support genuinely believed GMS to be EPL quality.

lifesanocean wrote:

Of course we have to look at the lower leagues in the hope that we can spot the odd gem like GMS, Gomis, Prince and Swanson. But its important as well that we don't rubbish boys like Murdoch who is solid but unspectacular. Think Darren Dodds. Making us harder to beat should be our top priority. We should also remember that boys like Johnston, the Smiths, Coote and Fraser are all laddies who are attack minded and would appear to have a bit of flair. Building a solid base around these laddies is not a bad start.

GK:?
RB:Spittal
CH:?
CH:Souttar/Donaldson/Dillon
LB:Robson

RM:Johnston
CM:Murdoch?
CM:Fraser/B.Smith
LM:M.Smith

CF:Murray
CF:?

Add in Zwick, Ballantyne and Coote with another 4-5 signings. CH, left back, winger and 1-2 strikers (1 target man ideally). Another rb if the budget allowed.

That team gives me the fear. Far too many young players without grit and determination.  We need some experience in there. Too much youth and not enough guidance in our starting 11 was a large part of our downfall last season and that team is considerably younger and less experienced than what we had.

Don't see the point in trying to put together a line up at this stage. I'm sure RM will be keeping an eye on the Euros to see if he can pick up any gems! 

Hate this "we need older players not younger players" line that gets spouted every year.

What we need are GOOD players with a good work ethic, determination, belief, mental strength, some pace through the team, some flair in wide and forward areas and strength at the back.

No ones denying experience helps, but the problem last year wasn't age it was ability and mindset.  It was the experienced players last year who let us down more than the young ones.

TheShed wrote:

Hate this "we need older players not younger players" line that gets spouted every year.

What we need are GOOD players with a good work ethic, determination, belief, mental strength, some pace through the team, some flair in wide and forward areas and strength at the back.

No ones denying experience helps, but the problem last year wasn't age it was ability and mindset. It was the experienced players last year who let us down more than the young ones.

Younger players in general find it harder to pick themselves up, dust themselves down and take the game by the scruff of the neck.  There's a real sense of apathy about most younger players, at times.

Can't disagree that the older players let us down, but I don't think they were any worse or more responsible for our downfall.

​This coming season is going to be huge for the likes of Fraser.  He needs to man up and stop being so soft.  He needs to learn how to put in a hard tackle, how to take hold of the game and how to put himself about the pitch more.  The young players are also less likely to take responsibility for changing how a game is going.  I don't see any real drive and determination from those younger players that were involved in the first team last year (for example Spittal, Fraser, Telfer). We are going to have a smaller squad and that means less room for passengers or 'one's for the future'.

Tek wrote:

Goodie Conway 2 wrote:

RM talking sense in The Courier

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/dundee-united/183908/manager-ray-mckinnon-ushers-age-realism-dundee-united/

 
I liked the first part of the interview about taking time to sign players and looking into their backgrounds etc.And about building a solid spine in the team starting with the keeper. All sounds good.

The latter part of the interview though I find pretty negative tbh. Going on about how Rangers and Hibs have struggled... yeah we know all that but after the season we've just had I would love to hear some fucking positivity for a change. It'd be nice to hear him say we want to play with style, win games and,of course, try and win the league out-right and if we don't it won't be for lack of trying but that's our main aim.

It almost feels like he's getting his excuses in a wee bit.

As for keeping Dixon. I don't get it. He should be one of the first binned. He's been garbage second time round and worse than that his attitude and demeanour have been very poor too.

He's got a point re Dickers. If he can get back to his best and is used properly, he can be an asset for us again. 

I don't think he's being negative either, He's being realistic. He's showing us how hard it will be to get up at first time of asking. He's not being cocky and saying 'aye we'll cruise that league' because we wont. Its going to be hard but I defniitely like his approach and his attitude/ethos. 

Got to say im happy with that interview...

Maybe he gets the feeling the players currently there think it will be a cakewalk - many of them never having played in the league...maybe he wants fans to know it will be tough.

A couple of signings and i will be happy enough... will they all be inspiring? Probably not - but he seems to be addressing the problems i thought we had under jmac which mixu couldnt deal with.

We need a few lads with never say die attitudes. As much as i like rankin, i dont think he has that - he did run for the whole match but didnt often get the feeling he took the game by the scruff of the neck. Not that i want to pick on rankin as there were far worse than him. If we could get at least 1 in defence and 1 in midfield, that might just spread to those around them. Maybe certain players (for example fraser) need somebody to show them the hard, horrible side of the game you need.... its not all going to be tricks n flicks

The most important thing for RM is to get the right balance, hard working players i.e Rankin Paton Dow are all good and well but if they don't have quality then their no going to win us games we Need quality footballers as well and with a couple of good experienced players to dog around let boys like Fraser and Spittal do what they want going forward and we'll be successful

shedba wrote:

The most important thing for RM is to get the right balance, hard working players i.e Rankin Paton Dow are all good and well but if they don't have quality then their no going to win us games we Need quality footballers as well and with a couple of good experienced players to dog around let boys like Fraser and Spittal do what they want going forward and we'll be successful

Shedba Did you really mean to include Dow in your list of hard working players
 

Dixon ??? Really??? Players like him got us relegated - big reputations and I imagine big wages ! At his stage of his career he should be a self motivator but he was a flop under Jay Mac and equally poor for Mixu. Of all the players who've been told to pack their bags he's the last one I'd make a case to keep! I know he's an Arab and a Dundonian blaa blaa blaa but what is suddenly going to change about him ? I'd have Paton and/or Rankin streets ahead of him on the last chance saloon rosta.

Falkirk finished ahead of Hibs with heavyweights such as David McCracken, Mark Kerr, Lee Miller and John Baird in their ranks.

Let's stop this negativity or 'realism' chat about how hard the Championship will be.

The aim is to win the title.

Failing that it's promotion.

ANYTHING else is failure.