Yeah, noticed that. I wish him all the best and am sorry it didn't work out.

Same never nice to see a guy lose his job, and tbh he really does care about the club, unlike the rat McNamara! Good luck ray wherever u end up, arabest

Decent record but for me, it’s the way we won them games! It was just absolutely horrible football to watch

bowers wrote:

SuperMario wrote:

Decent record but for me, it’s the way we won them games! It was just absolutely horrible football to watch

 

How many times did you leave a game and say fuck that was horrific surely be better next week canny get any worse... only for it several times.

Too big of a job for him at the time he took it and it far from worked out.

 Every week near enough

Good Arab and likeable lad. Sad all round it didn't work out for him. Wish him well.

Raymond's not a bad manager at all. I'm sure if he goes to a mid-level championship side with lower expectations, he'll be a big success, given time. The problem is that he just simply didn't have the luxury of time to get things right here, failure this season simply isn't an option. There was no way we could afford to let St. Mirren get out of sight while Ray waited for the team to be "bang at it".

The Brechin and Dumbarton games at Tannadice were when I knew he was done. Everyone expected the team to turn on the style and start steamrolling teams, but when we whimpered our way to 4 points, with the all too familiar performance that makes your eyes bleed, I knew things simply were never going to change under him. For as long as I've watched them, Dundee United have always played with a bit of style and pace in the wide areas. Under McKinnon, I was getting into a nasty habit of coming away from games saying "it's the worst I've ever seen United play" with seemingly each game trumping the last.

I wanted things to work out for Ray, and hold absolutely no ill will against him, he's an Arab and he tried his absolute best to make things work, but things just didn't come together quickly enough for him, and a decision had to be made. I really hope things work out for him elsewhere, and that he's a roaring success wherever he ends up next.

Sad to see Ray fail but ultimately it was the style of football which turned the fans against him. It was slow, ponderous and easy to defend against. He got away with it in home games where often we were able to grind teams down who sat in and had the odd bit of individual quality from Andreu, Fraser or McDonald to nick something but we never looked like beating anyone convincingly. However, in away games it just didn't work if teams got in our faces and pressed the back four and midfield. Add in that we were lightweight all over the park (particularly this season) in a physical league and we were never going to succeed the way we played. A fact NEVER picked up on or analysed by the media who purely speak about results. Anyway, hopefully Ray can get another job and be more successful and of course hopefully his successor will make a better fist of the Utd job.

smedDUm wrote:

Nice summary JD.
I just can't get why 'it's too big a job' & all that.

Because Dundee United are one of the six biggest clubs in the country, we're used to top 6 finishes, annual visits to Hampden, and quick, stylish, attacking football.

Being mid table in the Championship with 3 away wins in almost a year and barely scraping results at home against Brechin and Dumbarton was just never going to cut it.

Last edited by JerryDungle (24/10/2017 5:11 pm)

kdyteejay wrote:

Just noticed from the STV site McKinnons record which was not too shabby

McKinnon bows out having won 40 of his 71 games in charge. He drew 16 and lost 15 since his debut against Arbroath last summer in the League Cup.

Ray won 20 out of 46 League Games (43%) with the exception of Hibs, competing against lessor resourced teams
Ray won 20 out of 26 Cup Games (77%) mainly against lower league teams in the League/Fizzy Pop Cups.
The 20 wins includes 3 drawn games Arbroath, ICT and Dundee which we won after a penalty shoot out).
The only win in regulation time against higher league opposition was the Partick Thistle LC game last season.
We also won the penalty shoot-outs against the Fun and ICT.
he only victory against a better resourced team was the 1-0 v Hibs.
He lost 16 of his 72 games (22%)
During his tenure Ray didn't have to face the Ugly Sisters, the Sheep or Jam Tarts

In the comp that really mattered (and on which Ray is ultimately judged), the 43% win rate wasn't good enough
Its subjective but I dont know how many of Rays games were all that good to watch (very few IMO)
Ray's record is nothing to write home about - I actually consider it quite shabby

 

Tek wrote:

So glad he's gone

Truly and utterly horrendous Manager.

​Way way out of his depth.

​First signing was Lewis Toshney (Son of a best mate).

One of his last signing's was Darren Taylor (his actual best mate).

​Horrendous slow,turgid football.

​Passionless displays.Passionless,boring interviews.

​He made a rip-roaring cunt of the job let's be honest here.

Will have received a pretty damn handsome pay-off btw for the above,therefore my sympathy is severely limited.



 

Don't sit on the fence Tek, tell us what you really think. FWIW you're spot on