Post Christmas Crash

[USArab]

Here we fecking go again FFS

[Chick A Saw]

Here we fecking go again FFS

How many seasons is that where we have done quite well until christmas, or a point not so long after, that we seem to just throw in the towel?

4 different managers now that i remember it happened under, and im sure that those that remember Houston will say it happened under him as well.

[RAM1971]

Someone at the Club no longer believes in Santa.

[shedka]

Didn't happen under Houston, the opposite under him, we would have a ok start then go on great runs after new year

[shedka]

Like I said yesterday

Before the injury to Fyvie at 3-0 up v Livingston on Dec 23rd having won won 6-7 and drawn one post McKinnon I didn't see anything crash on the horizon

That's why it's clear how much these injuries have fkd our season up just when we were getting on a roll and had found our best team and system

Dumbarton 0-2 United (comfy win)
United 2-1 St Mirren (much more comfortable than score suggests, worldy volley from 35 yards with very last kick making it look close)
Brechin 1-1 United
United 3-0 Falkirk (literally 3 going on 10, very flattering score for them)
United 2-1 Dunfermline (late pen for them made it closer)
Morton 0-2 United (good win on the road, well deserved abd professional)
Queens v United (0-0 when abandoned at ht but by all accounts Utd dominated, played well and looked much the more likely to win)
United 3-0 Livingston (comfortable win)


There is no doubt in my mind the team that played those games was good enough to go to the wire for the league, hugely frustrating what has happened since, the timing of it, you almost couldn't make it up

Teams know it aswell, they know we are much more vulnerable than we were, our players aren't confident either with those two out, the belief is gone, whether they believe than can get 2nd is now a worry

[darrenshedtastic]

thats the problem though. we need to stop hiding behind this fyvie and fraser being injured excuse imo.

yeah the form we had when he had them before xmas was good and certainly would have been more of a title race if we had continued that form but its football things happen! players get sold, players get injured! other players need to step up to the plate! we need to find other solutions to win games. since new year the football has been poor and look a shadow of the pre xmas team and needs to improve.

confidence can come and go but what should always be there is the fight and desire to win games! which is severely lacking in recent games

[duke_the_arab]

thats the problem though. we need to stop hiding behind this fyvie and fraser being injured excuse imo.

yeah the form we had when he had them before xmas was good and certainly would have been more of a title race if we had continued that form but its football things happen! players get sold, players get injured! other players need to step up to the plate! we need to find other solutions to win games. since new year the football has been poor and look a shadow of the pre xmas team and needs to improve.

confidence can come and go but what should always be there is the fight and desire to win games! which is severely lacking in recent games

Losing Fyvie and Fraser definately a big loss but it really boils down to the rest of the squad being full of schite or finished players and then the players being brought in on loan also being no better than what we have.
Every January transfer window for the last 3 seasons we never seem to improve on what we already have.

[TerryTheTerror]

But taking the best two creative players out of any team is going to cause them huge problems, especially if you're squad isn't that big. It's unfortunate but we can't play down the impact this has had on us, total killer.

[SmedDUm]

But taking the best two creative players out of any team is going to cause them huge problems, especially if you're squad isn't that big. It's unfortunate but we can't play down the impact this has had on us, total killer.

That's it Terry. Yeah we know we've got to get on with it without them but what a massive boot in the balls.
If Fraser & Fyvie had not departed the team when they did I would have us as two points behind St Mirren with a game in hand.
It has totally derailed us. As Shedka says, you could scarcely make it up.
But we've got to get on with it...

[Wullie]

It's been a boot in the balls, it should've hampered us, but this is a complete derailing.

[shedka]

We wouldn't have been having these discussions had they not been injured as we wouldn't be in the form we are but it is what it is now, was no chance of replacing either this window at such short notice so the signings thar came in win would never added depth have instead just plugged holes and it's not gelled yet

Csaba needs a summer window to be fair to him, players shouldn't be allowed to hide behind another manager

[Hoofballer]

This is the same Fraser & Fyvie who both played up at Brechin when we were humbled and should have been beaten.

Fraser who was missing in action at St Mirren when he last played and would not have been up for the battle in the last 6 games.

The shortfalls in this current team are massive and 2 players couldn’t possibly carry the like of Quinn, Flood, Robson, McDonald, Fall Down Phil, and others !

And we were brutal to watch then too.

Our problems are so much worse than a couple of injuries......

[Sutherland Arab]

This is the same Fraser & Fyvie who both played up at Brechin when we were humbled and should have been beaten.

Fraser who was missing in action at St Mirren when he last played and would not have been up for the battle in the last 6 games.

The shortfalls in this current team are massive and 2 players couldn’t possibly carry the like of Quinn, Flood, Robson, McDonald, Fall Down Phil, and others !

And we were brutal to watch then too.

Our problems are so much worse than a couple of injuries......

Have to agree with this. Does losing two players, key players or not warrant such a dramatic collapse?
A new manager, different players- some with good CV's- and just like last season they down tools.
Can take not winning, playing poorly but these players have no heart, desire, commitment to the cause.
But they could join Partick Thistle, Hamilton and I bet they'd play 10 times better.
What does that tell you about the running of the club?

[bobafett]

But taking the best two creative players out of any team is going to cause them huge problems, especially if you're squad isn't that big. It's unfortunate but we can't play down the impact this has had on us, total killer.

I'd also argue that, after those 2, Briels is our next best player. That trio should be the baws of our team in the middle of the park. They would control and outplay every team in this league 9 times out of 10. Without them we are utterly rudderless.

Keatings and Scobbie being out hasn't helped, either. And Paul Quinn not being injured. That's hurt us a lot the past few weeks.

[shedboy71]

when is Briels back? I agree btw he is a player we need but i fear he is jinxed by injury

[bobafett]

Keep hearing conflicting reports. Apparently he will be back in a few weeks......but apparently he has arthritis in his hips and his career is likely over.... :s

[Chick A Saw]

when is Briels back? I agree btw he is a player we need but i fear he is jinxed by injury

Tele last week mentioned he was back in training but suffered a setback.

[JUSTaway]

last season we fell away around the same time, but performance wise we had been rotten up to then so it was no great surprise.

This season we looked ok once Fraser got moved to centre midfield and was fit, and Fyvie got fit, but even then we were are least a right back and Centre forward short, the injuries to those two finished us, too much to repair in the Jan window, it has proved too much to find almost half a team in a jan window. The squad was imbalanced from the summer.

[jjaflup22]

Have to agree with this. Does losing two players, key players or not warrant such a dramatic collapse?
A new manager, different players- some with good CV's- and just like last season they down tools.
Can take not winning, playing poorly but these players have no heart, desire, commitment to the cause.
But they could join Partick Thistle, Hamilton and I bet they'd play 10 times better.
What does that tell you about the running of the club?

I would put that down to player's mentality rather than the running of the club.

[Hoofballer]

I would put that down to player's mentality rather than the running of the club.

Agreed.