Thoughts on Last Night and Beyond

I am trying to be balanced about this but it is not easy. There has been a split in the United support since around mid-September between those who are utterly horrified at the tactical straightjacket that Micky Mellon has placed on the players in order to protect our defence but has seen us grind out points (often 0-0's but every now and again, grab a win against the bottom six teams) but has led to some of the worst football I have ever seen a Dundee United side produce. This group has argued that the players we have, although clearly not great, have more to offer in an attacking sense especially given our strikers but are being completely stifled as an attacking force by the manager. The other group argues that points on the board are all that matter and that the club's very survival this season is at stake due to the financial havoc of Covid 19 and that performances don't matter, only the league table and the balance sheet. Now of course ultimately, the club's health is the most important thing but I sometimes wonder if some in this group actually watch the games or if they sit looking at the league table on a Saturday for 90 minutes before triumphantly declaring after another 0-0 draw, "That's us solvent for another week!" This group thinks that the players we have in our squad are completely shite even compared to Hamilton, St Mirren (yeah ok), Kilmarnock and Ross County and in a bizarre twist of fate, brand those who complain about our lack of attacking ambition and the managers (apparent) lack of faith in the team as negative???? 

I was very much in the, "lets play 4-4-2 in games against the bottom six and have more of a go," camp and after the second half against Hibs and the Killie game before Christmas felt vindicated in this belief given that for the first time since weeks 1 and 2 of the season, we actually looked like a cohesive attacking unit. However, the Motherwell game that followed also showed how incredibly fragile we are defensively especially if we are outnumbered in the middle of the park as we were that night with wee Fuchs trying to do the work of about 4 men to counteract Motherwell's diamond formation. We were repeatedly caught on the counter attack as our moves frequently broke down due to a combination of horrendous passing which would make a pissed-up Sunday pub team blush, an inability to make the ball stick up top, largely due to one very talented striker continually trying to be too clever with wee flicks, holding onto the ball too long before trying to play the clever pass instead of the simple one or not making enough of an effort to stand his ground and actually lead the line. Finally, it highlighted how our wide players can't cross the ball, however, you could widen this issue out to the entire squad. But, even despite these major issues, you still felt watching these games we looked much more comfortable playing this system with players actually playing in positions that suited them rather than a 5-4-1 formation with Shankland completely isolated and Nicky Clark and Mark McNulty playing so wide and so deep that it was pointless trying to pass them off as strikers (even though the manager was still doing that in interviews). Move after move would break down because the ball wouldn't stick up top and the strikers just didn't have the pace or mobility or skill to get in touch with Shankland anyway. The midfield was also completely over-run due to the amount of ground they were trying to cover due to our defence barely leaving our 18 yard line for fear of being done for pace in behind, even when we were supposedly attacking. 

However, it is clear that some sort of balance is needing to be struck. We clearly need to play 5-3-2 most weeks firstly to get more aerial power in the team (Edwards). However, the experiment of playing Nicky Clark in midfield has to stop. Last night we ended up with him and Ian Harkes playing there are and we'd been as well not bothering playing anybody. I don't think Nicky has the legs to play in that role. Clark should be playing as a second striker if he is going to play, dropping into pockets of space to link the play, then arriving late into the box if we are attacking but also offering us a bit of extra protection if we are under the cosh. Trying to shoehorn Shankland, McNulty and Clark into the team isn't working and the manager needs to make a tough decision and leave one of them out. It doesn't have to mean that they are permanently excluded either, the three of them are all different players and in some games it is clear that we'd benefit from Shankland and McNulty (who is our most mobile striker, buzzes about and can run in behind), whilst other games (especially when the onus is on us to break a team down), Shankland and Clark would work better since Clark is more creative. Dare I say as well, there is also a case for leaving Shankland out in some games because he's been poor in too many matches and his demeanor smacks of a man who is unhappy either with the club, the manager, the system or his team-mates (or all of them). 

What is also clear is that Micky Mellon is 100% correct that formations mean fuck all if the players attitudes are poor. Last night was a case in point. The first goal comes from Robson and then Powers being outjumped from a set-piece. Totally unacceptable. First rule of football: win your individual battles. St Johnstone did exactly that against an on-paper, much more talented and expensively put together Hibs team on Sunday past in the League Cup semi. Every single player won their individual battle. We've done it in some games this season, the second half against Aberdeen away our attitude was spot-on and had the manager shown a bit of ambition, taken off a knackered Clark and put someone on who could run at them from the middle of the park (ie McMullan, Pawlett, Bolton or Sporle) we'd have got a deserved victory. The Killie game pre-Christmas was also won because the formation worked, players looked comfortable and every player worked their socks off.

Will we go down? If you'd asked me after the Aberdeen game I'd have said no chance. The jury's out now. We still have a decent buffer and if we can pull a win from somewhere it will lift the gloom of last night and the past few weeks. I thought early in the season that if we could win 12 points in each full round of games ending up with 36 points going into the split (2 wins and 2 draws from our current position) we'd be fine given our record against bottom half teams you'd see us picking up 4-5 points post-split. Given that teams below us are starting to pick up points and the way we are playing I think I might revise that target to 33 points (1 win and 2 draws), but this would make our need for 2-3 results post-split much more urgent. Last night we were largely fucked by two terrible refereeing decisions but once that happened, we never looked like coming back. We don't know how to attack, we certainly can't keep the door closed if we have to chase the game.

Will Mellon be sacked? No, but I suspect he'll go in the summer if there's still no money if fans still aren't allowed in next season (which they won't be until Christmas at the earliest I suspect and after watching Tony Asghar's interview I hope the club don't make the same mistake of expecting fans back from the start of next season, after their mistake of planning for fans being back by October in this one. Not the club or Asghar's fault, the Scottish Government should NEVER have made that kind of promise). It's ridiculous that it appears he still doesn't know his best team. Mellon has to stop trying to shoehorn Clark, McNulty and Shankland into the team because it doesn't work and its fucking us in an attacking sense. Play Fuchs, Butcher and Mochrie (Powers or Pawlett in tougher away games) in midfield with 2 up front. A back 3 with Edwards back in there. Choose between Smith Robson, Bolton and Sporle as wing backs. Robson needs dropped though. He was shocking last night. I really get the sense though that the players don't like Mellon or what he's trying to get them to do. There is a disconnect there, you can feel it watching games. They've been working hard, but they don't look happy. I hope I am wrong on this. What is clear to me is the approach were are taking in games won't go down well when fans are back. It didn't under Csaba and the atmosphere at games was horrible due to frustration with how dull and ineffective the tactics were and crowds quickly declined as it was just a turn-off to go to games due to what was happening on the park and in the stands.

Mellon also needs to stop taking the piss with his interviews. It's like it's all an act when he speaks. Cliché's and shite corporate motivational speak (we will 'grow forward': wtf does that even mean?).  You know those motivational courses at work that are just filled with corporate wank-speak that most punters think are a load of shite but there's always one person who embraces it? ("We're on a journey" is another stock phrase. Just call a spade a spade man). The 'We are Dundee United' quote is starting to feel very hollow. Maybe it is the Generation X'er in me but I always felt a wee bit cynical of the comment at the time. We're not stupid. Well, we're not that fucking stupid. A wee bit of honesty is needed, maybe not Mixu level honesty but you know what I mean.

In fact this situation is the opposite of Mixu, those players all clearly thought they were wonderful and were shell-shocked when Mixu let rip at them and told them the truth that they were shite so then they went in the huff and downed tools. Under Mellon you get a sense that from the Killie 4-0 game onwards he's been telling them they are shite and setting them up so defensively that they clearly believe it and look demoralised. Now to be fair, we are pretty shite but his tactics have completely neutralised the part of our team that is clearly not shite (I think McNulty is a really good player and works hard for a loan player) in order to make the rest of our team slightly less shite. The only problem is when we lose a goal or two, we are fucked. It's clearly a difficult balance because if we start chasing the game we are so vulnerable on the break it's frightening.

As far as the players go what do I think?

Benji: Been our best player, no doubt. Probably won us more points than any player this season. Playing behind that defence must take years off your life. He'll go soon unfortunately. Deniz (until last night anyway) has looked decent at least.

Smith: We missed him when he was injured. He's done ok. Works hard, appears willing to learn. Needs to improve when faced with a winger one-on-one. Too often allows crosses to come in. He'll get better at this level though. You can tell. Can't cross the ball.

Robson: Looked outstanding until the Killie away game but tailed off after that. Since Christmas he's been absolutely horrendous though. The ultimate confidence player. I used to always think he was decent in the air for his size too (the games he played centre half for us he won everything) and yet last night Danny Devito could've outjumped him (pinched from Twitter). Needs taken out the firing line for a few weeks. Can cross the ball occasionally.

Connolly: The great enigma. There's no in-between with Connolly, he's either brilliant or awful. Until last night he'd been brilliant since December too. The only centre half who tries to pass the ball out from the back. The only cunt who can really header the ball. Tries to hit worldys too often, largely because no midfielder ever shows for a simple pass out from the back.

Reynolds: To quote Rocky Balboa: "Time beat him. Time takes everybody out, he's undefeated." Still got something to offer this season but next season we need to be thinking about a replacement. Ideally one who is left footed. Starting to lose his man too often at set-pieces.

Edwards: He's good in the air. We look a bit more solid when he plays. Don't expect anything more than that. He's going to be useful in the next few months. He's not as good as Mark Durnan up front. If we had someone who could cross the ball he'd be a threat at set pieces. But we don't. So he isn't.

Butcher: It would appear that injury has hampered him this season so hopefully when he returns we'll see the real Butcher. Too often anonymous in games. Needs to start showing for the ball much more from the defence. Too often his back is turned leading to Connolly or Reynolds just launching it. Playing against bigger, stronger, more athletic midfielders in the Premiership has meant the fear factor he carried in the Championship has disappeared. My young lad thinks he's worth a shot at centre half. 

Fuchs: Cracking wee player. Great engine, incredible in the air for his size too. Sir James of Fuchs. Come back soon please. His time in Tangerine will be fleeting I suspect but at least we'll make money on him. Unless his agent has carved out a Ciftci-style deal where he takes most of the transfer fee that is.

Harkes: When Ian Harkes made his debut against Morton and then we played St Mirren in the Scottish Cup a week later I thought we had a real player on our hands. He was cool on the ball, showed for it but also looked like an athlete and their players bounced off him. I don't know what has happened but he's gone backwards and really needs to toughen up. He's had some decent games and still does some good things in games (once last night he played his way out of trouble with a cracking bit of skill) but it's largely not happening for him and he has probably played more games than he should have simply because of injuries to other players in midfield. He's clearly a good lad and I suspect another manager could get more out of him though and somebody will take a punt on him, maybe even in the Premiership if he were to go, although with his post-Neilson/pre-Mellon contract extension (hmm), it won't be any time soon.

Powers: Technically, he's probably our best player. Great touch, can pick a pass, good awareness of what is around him, can shield the ball very well. If he played in the Netherlands or Belgium or the lower reaches of Spain or Italy, he'd be a very effective player due to the slower tempo. In Scotland he looks great for a few games until managers cotton on to the fact he wants too much time on the ball and if you press him he'll make mistakes. Jim Goodwin clearly did his homework after watching our game against Hamilton and told St Mirren's players to press him quickly and because we had set up with him as the midfield 1 in a 4-1-4-1 system, if he lost the ball or gave it away we suddenly looked very exposed. Still think him and Fuchs is worth a shot since the wee man could compensate for Powers's lack of mobility. Having two footballers in the middle of the park might help us keep the ball a bit better.

Sporle: Another enigma. Far too inconsistent. He can run with the ball though and given the way we play with a huge gap between defence and the forward(s), having a ball carrier in the team is worth a go more often. Should be playing either left wing back or left midfield in my opinion. He's unpredictable as well which might break up the monotony of watching us. Can't cross the ball.

Bolton: Started well. Got moved about position-wise. Tailed off. Not really cutting it. Appears scared to go and actually beat a man. Even the Killie game when he set up Shankland's goal you could see a clear reluctance on his part to just go and commit the full back and it was Mellon screaming at him that forced him to do it. Can't cross the ball.

Pawlett: Hardly played in months. Glides past people then has no end product. Probably worth one last chance in a 5-3-2 but if he just starts disappearing in games again start using young Mochrie instead. A signing that promised so much, cost even more and delivered very little sadly. Can't cross the ball.

Chalmers: Brought back from the wilderness of Arbroath's reserves at age 20 and I thought he looked poor playing wide left however, when he was moved wide right against St Mirren and Hamilton he looked like a real player. A travesty that he got injured and still no return on the horizon. With McMullan gone he's probably our best option wide right in a 4-4-2 but I'd like to see us try him in behind two strikers in a 5-3-2 as well. And he can actually cross the ball. A word of caution though, I'm pinning my hopes on a laddie who's now 21 and still only played about 15 first team games in his career. As a mate said the other day, he's only 6 months younger than Lewis Ferguson who's probably played 150 games and has been in a full international squad. United's much-vaunted and expensive academy needs to stop producing 5-a-side popstars and start delivering some street-wise, battle-ready players much sooner since we are still miles behind several other clubs in that respect.

Clark: Good football brain, movement and finishing clearly dictates that you play Clark as an orthodox central midfielder and keep him as far away from the box as possible😠. If he had the pace/mobility he'd not be at United. As said earlier, Clark needs to play in a front 2 or as a 10 in a 4-2-3-1. Not aggressive, quick or mobile enough to play in midfield and certainly not wide in the Premiership. Fair play to him for always giving his all despite clearly looking like a fish out of water in some of the positions he gets played in. Hits the first man a lot with crosses.

Appere: Almost forgot about him which tells its own story sadly. To go from being such an important player last season to the nonentity he has been until the last few weeks raises serious questions. Do think his best position needs nailing down. He's struggled badly with the pace of Premiership football and doesn't appear to be able to play wide because of it. But then, if Shaun Rooney can get man of the match playing as a wing back in a cup semi final, Louis (who repeatedly took Rooney to the cleaners last season) could surely make more of an impression out wide than he is currently showing??? Played a bit better up at Aberdeen and against St Johnstone but reverted to type against Hamilton. For his size he is shite in the air which is criminal and shows no signs of improving. Surprised none of our 100 analysts have noticed this and told the coaches to work on it. Can cross the ball, but never plays wide these days anyway.

McNulty: He has a bit of the Simon Murray about him in my opinion, in a good way: works really hard and has pace and mobility and is the only striker we have who is capable of running in behind but has suffered from being shunted about positionally. A total waste of a good player and a good striker when he is stuck out wide. Last night he was virtually playing at left back at times in the first half to try and help the struggling Robson. I hate it when good players are moved about to 'Do a job for the team'. Fuck that.

Shankland: Dennis Law once said in the fantastic 1980's BBC Scotland football documentary, "Only a Game," that you have to be a great player, to play the game simple. Shankland needs to start keeping things simple, like he was last season i.e. when balls come into him, control it and find a man with the lay off, not trying fancy wee flicks, wee passes round the corner that fail to find a man. No, just play the easy ball and make sure you find your man. I've lost count of the amount of our attacks that break down because of this. I would also add that at times he needs to fight his corner a bit more up top and physically try and out-muscle defenders and win some headers. He was doing it last season, but isn't doing it now. You can moan about a lack of service and being isolated up top (and by god he's got reasons to moan about those things) but sometimes you've just got to stand your ground and battle with defenders. On the flip side, he's scored two collectors items this season. I just wish he could score more of the goals like he did against Hamilton and Killie in the six yard box but you need service for that and it is absolutely scandalous that the way we are set up fails to play to his strengths. Most managers would kill for a boy who you know is a natural finisher, we've got three of them and never get the ball into the box. No wonder he looks pissed off most of the time.

So there you go. This season we MUST stay up in order keep us afloat. If 'Mellon Murderball' is the only way to do that then I can accept it and don't expect a 4-4-2 cavalry charge with two wingers every week but if we are going to play 5-3-2 can we at least play boys who can actually play in that shape, stop chopping and changing every week (no more halfway house 4-1-4-1 with strikers playing as wide and central midfielders like last night ffs) and try and get a settled line up that the players look comfortable in? But if we do stay up, what then?  One of two things needs to happen, either the manager has a clear out and gets his own players in or if money isn't there he goes and we get someone in who will have to try and get a tune out of what is left of the current squad (minus Shankland and Benji no doubt) and a bunch of unproven kids. I'll tell you what though, I can't go through another season of watching this shite and I'm sure that when the crowds do come back I won't be the only one who'll not accept watching anti-football in order to stay up with no other ambition. Fans have really stepped up to the plate recently through the growing support for the Foundation. Pumping money in and accepting getting zero entertainment back will not go on forever. Judging by the reaction online last night it was the most United I've seen our support this season as almost unanimous disapproval was sounded about performance, tactics, lack of effort and the manager. Folk have had enough and will expect much better moving forward. 

Why? Because we are Dundee United that's why.