I think he's making excuses but I do think the current atmosphere doesn't help the team.

Don't think fans who still go are wrong to be shouting most of what they shout but we really miss some of those who have packed it in for the time being.

Coll had an attitude problem in my opinion and was visually immature at a distance.

That made him an obvious target for some especially when things were critical.

Even when playing against 3-10 year olds in the 100 kids v the 1st team sponsors match when the bairns were told slide tackling was not allowed he slide tackled a wee boy. I asked him about it after the match and his reaction was shite.

I never shouted abuse at him but I was happy his type was gone when he left.

Thought he was like a Harry Enfield type character of a huffy immature overpaid futba player and glad he fucked off.

Nae surprise he his gobbing off about how we saw him as he knows he deserved all he got and wants to feel better about himself.

On the fan support side we are currently missing some of the most vocal which is not all his fault.

Are utd fans on our own players back more than other fans at other clubs?
I dont think so, maybe this season or past few games. But i have said it before i dont think its as bad as some fans have previously made out. I sit in the east stand and speaking from experience around me it isnt bad.

This is way OTT from Donaldson if you ask me.

Lame excuse in my opinion. I dont think we are any worse than anyother fans.
As bowers said where we sit we dont really hear it though i did hear a couple of shouts fae the dode fox on tuesday but thats only because it was so quiet at the game.  The atmosphere has completely gone at tannadice.

Hi .. what utter pish.... Utd fans booing their players when Inverness got a corner???? It was the ref/linesman getting the boos for a ridiculous decision yi fanny!.....


I do agree with some of what Col says though regarding the toxic atmosphere and I do remember that horendous mistake he made that he mentions and some of the abuse he took for it was pretty pathetic... He was a young laddie and wisnae like he meant tae fek up...

Nae matter how bad we are I think its best tae just try n get behind the team.... granted as someone else mentioned a lack o goalmooth action / attacking play disnae help matters in the atmosphere department one jot.

Around about the time McKinnon got sacked i felt that we as fans should shoulder some of the blame for the muted and negative atmosphere, maybe with more positive backing from the terraces it would somehow lift the players and push them on to better preformances, but this really has to be two way traffic, when we all sit there watching a squad of players wearing our beloved tangerine strips that fail to pass a ball to a team mate barely 10 feet away, sideways and backwards play with no pace when we do try to push forward there doesn't seem to be much of a plan in place, bewilderment at the managers playing players out of their comfort zone, watching players accually down tools during a match, ...well...there is not a lot to cheer and get excited about,  so once the players start to step up maybe the fans will to. like i said there was a point recently where i thought we might be part of the problem but im past that now, As poor as we are just now we still represent our team in numbers some premiership teams wish thay had, Home and away.

Coll's a daft laddie, but the general question "Are Utd fans part of the problem?" I'd answer yes.

But just a tiny proportion, mind you. And it'll depend on your viewpoint, some will think the 'happy clappers' have helped cause our issues, others will reckon it's partly the blame of the 'boo boys'.

Generally, I think we don't have any more happy clappers or boo boys than most other teams.The support, to me, has now been dumbed down by a variety of factors, to the point where many of us are apathetic.

I'm just away to leave for Dundee, far more looking forward to the pub and the journey, and prepared to sit shaking my head at the antics of the players, who have much more ability than they've shown this season, and in the past few years

To me, the choice of managers and the direction of the club is almost wholly to blame for our predicament.

I feel the lad has seriously over egged the issue here.
'Wanted to give the game up'
'Didn't want to go to Tannadice cos he was scared etc'

I lost count the amount of times I watched this laddie warming up before the game with the starting 11, clowning around, jumping on players backs, laughing and joking with all the players like a daftie.

Not really the actions of someone going through what he described in the article.

On Saturday, almost to a man the whole United support applauded Scott McDonald for simply closing down a defender. Something that we should expect from every player in every game. Our fans are absolutely desperate for anything.  Some boys were dishing out horrific abuse to players on Tuesday, it's something I will never be able to understand. Same boys who were singing the loudest to drown us out when we were calling for Thompson's to go.


FUCK Col Donaldson btw

Arabnophobia wrote:

“It wasn’t just me, it’s toxic there.

“I saw it last weekend when we played them, they started the better of the teams but we got a corner after 15 minutes and they were all booing them.

“For us winning a corner, they started hammering their own players.

Is he talking about 14 mins later when they scored fae the corner that never was and the support was having a go at the officials?

 
That sounds about right"

HeggyHandshake wrote:

Some boys were dishing out horrific abuse to players on Tuesday, it's something I will never be able to understand.

So has Donaldson got a point then?

​Not saying he didn't deserve criticism/abuse btw. For me he was an immature wee boy who showed no real love for the club or sport.

​But has he by default touched upon an issue that maybe does exist? i.e. our destroyed supporters are showing no patience for certain players and this in turn is having a Catch 22 effect?

​Noticed young Harry Lewis was saying in the Courier yesterday just how much the players appreciated it when the fans got behind them, and how much it spurred them on.

​The Queen of the South double header would maybe be a good example. Small support the night of the away game but the support were very vocal and made good noise. We ended up playing really well and the players to a man came up to the supporters at full time.

Fast forward a week and we lose to them at Tannadice. Can only think trepidation or fear of failure is coming into play.

​Despite that fucking idiot in the dug-out I think our fans could genuinely spur our players on to better performances. Though i appreciate that the players must give the fans something, anything, to get behind.

Even a tackle or block as you said above.
 

Scott Fraser could conduct the same interview when he leaves, word for word.
I'd hate to hear some of our players' views on some of our  'fans'.
I'm a footballer, get me out of here.
 

A professional football player is far more affected by his playing partners and inputs of the management than his view of the fans. Sure, he'd like to be appreciated/loved, but when he's not doing well it's the easiest thing in the world to blame the fans, who don't forget are paying his wages, rather than accept that he is responsible for his performances. 

And these performances are influenced by how the manager prepares and sets out the team, AND how his team mates perform. I don't expect to see a professional state he's being played out of position or can't understand the manager's tactics, or criticise the lack of application or even ability of his current teammates. But in their heads, the fans can take the blame, which is misguided, and simply wrong.