Rapid Vienna home

[JUSTaway]

Great couple of matches, really enjoyed them. We did seem to get set in the second half, and when you sustain that amount of pressure, it inevitably tells, but I think you also just have to acknowledge the quality of the opposition in pushing you back. I haven't seen the corner back, but disappointing to lose another goal from corner, and nobody closed the cross down on the second, but there were plenty of blocks etc... throughout the match, eventually something will get through.

I thought the keeper stood up well last night, his dealing with crosses etc... was actually excellent, but he became all Benjamin Siergrist at the penalties and never got near them. I just hope we can channel the frustration, disappointment and positives from last night into the season now, and use that as hunger to get back in europe, and please god no more injuries, that has seriously hurt us in trying to get through. If we can get players back and work on certain elements such as defending set plays (we have been poor at attack and defending corners despite all the big men) we have the potential to have a good/very good season. Also need another striker, don't think Stirton ready to be a mainstay striker, more cameos and coming in for starts here and there this season.

[JUSTaway]

Also ironic after all the talk of foreigners in our team we ended up with 5 Scots in our team, and 4 youth products! Fact 4 defenders ended up taking pens could be seen as indicative of our injuries too. Hopefully Fatah doesn't dwell on his pen miss too much, he showed some exciting potential.

[JUSTaway]

And save the tannoy music for the opponents next penalty contest!

[Arabdownsouth]

Absolutley agree AK.

Given the injury crisis, Goodwin and the threadbare squad did really well. If we had had more senior options available on the bench, I'm fairly sure we would have been able to match them in the 2nd half and win the game in the 90 minutes.

Oh, and that fecker that took out Sapsford for the penalty should have been red carded. Really dangourous and malicous tackle. I reckon Saps will be now be out for a couple of months. Maybe longer.

Great chance for Stirton towards the end of ET. No criticism from me though. He's still young and early on in tems of his development and career.

****e luck for Amar Fatah at the 1st penalty. Struck it well, sent keeper the wrong way, just an inch or two from being the perfect penalty.

Thought Kucherenko could have done a bit better at a couple of their pens. Seemed to chose his side too quickly, making it easy for the penalty taker. He did the same vs Shankland's pen last weekend. But, I'm not blaming him for the defeat. He made a couple of cracking saves during the match.

We certainly had Rapid worried. Despite the gulf in resources, and if they are to be honest, they will feel very relieved to have got through after we had them on the ropes at HT.

Jim was talking about trying to get Zac ready for Sunday so maybe not all that bad,he did play on a few minutes afterwards so maybe just some bruising or slight sprain? Doubt he'll be playing on Sunday but hopefully fit for the derby.

[PT_Arab]

This was the first game I have attended for a while. Thoroughly enjoyed it, but obviously disappointed at the result. I thought we did really well against a quality side that no one gave us a chance of beating. Definitely felt like I got the full ?17 worth out of that game.

Couple of observations - I thought our midfield pretty much evaporated in the second half. Our defending started at the edge of our own box, when it should start much further up the pitch. Similar in an attacking midfield capacity - shortly after Owen Stirton came on, he got the ball and tried to go forward. When he ran out of space, there was no one ahead of him to pass to so he turned back looking for a pass and there was no one there either. So we lost the ball and set up another dangerous attack for them.

Kucherenko at penalties (both last night and v Hearts) he just seems to dive to his right every time, and it's almost as though the Rapid players knew this. He never got a sniff. Is that a strategy? Keep diving to the right and eventually you'll guess the right way?

I think the outcome of the tie could have been different had Sapsford come back out for the second half, but we'll never know. Pretty annoying one that.

I just hope we can put the disappointment to one side and refocus for the rest of the season. I think it was after the Mypa debacle that certain players lost interest and our season unraveled.

I don't see us getting past Kilmarnock on Sunday - I just think the shortage of players, the tiredness and the disappointment will be too much. I would love to be wrong obviously.

[Arabdownsouth]

This was the first game I have attended for a while. Thoroughly enjoyed it, but obviously disappointed at the result. I thought we did really well against a quality side that no one gave us a chance of beating. Definitely felt like I got the full ?17 worth out of that game.

Couple of observations - I thought our midfield pretty much evaporated in the second half. Our defending started at the edge of our own box, when it should start much further up the pitch. Similar in an attacking midfield capacity - shortly after Owen Stirton came on, he got the ball and tried to go forward. When he ran out of space, there was no one ahead of him to pass to so he turned back looking for a pass and there was no one there either. So we lost the ball and set up another dangerous attack for them.

Kucherenko at penalties (both last night and v Hearts) he just seems to dive to his right every time, and it's almost as though the Rapid players knew this. He never got a sniff. Is that a strategy? Keep diving to the right and eventually you'll guess the right way?

I think the outcome of the tie could have been different had Sapsford come back out for the second half, but we'll never know. Pretty annoying one that.

I just hope we can put the disappointment to one side and refocus for the rest of the season. I think it was after the Mypa debacle that certain players lost interest and our season unraveled.

I don't see us getting past Kilmarnock on Sunday - I just think the shortage of players, the tiredness and the disappointment will be too much. I would love to be wrong obviously.

Last night was a far cry from the Mypa decacle

[Arabs4ever]

I wouldn't be risking Sapsford on any plastic pitch. Ideally I'd leave out Esselink, KK, Sevelj & Dolcek. We have Luca, Eskensen, SCH to come in. Would Goodwin go with a back four in Luca SCH Iovu and Ferry?

Last night was something to savour. The atmosphere and taking the game to Rapid Vienna in the first half. Scoring goals is how you make the opposition think they are in a game instead of this possession pish that does nothing for your cause. Sapsford going off let Rapid Vienna off the hook.

However what shone through is that the cost of this team compared to Rapid Vienna is huge in monetary terms. However football matches are not won on how much money has been spent to assemble a squad. The hunger, determination and fight from this squad is worth more imo.

Goodwin has to get enormous credit for building this squad that has pace, trickery and dig. Just needs to sign an Argentinian striker to complete the squad which for me, when fit, has competition for places which should bode well for the rest of the season.

[TerryTheTerror]

This was the first game I have attended for a while. Thoroughly enjoyed it, but obviously disappointed at the result. I thought we did really well against a quality side that no one gave us a chance of beating. Definitely felt like I got the full ?17 worth out of that game.

Couple of observations - I thought our midfield pretty much evaporated in the second half. Our defending started at the edge of our own box, when it should start much further up the pitch. Similar in an attacking midfield capacity - shortly after Owen Stirton came on, he got the ball and tried to go forward. When he ran out of space, there was no one ahead of him to pass to so he turned back looking for a pass and there was no one there either. So we lost the ball and set up another dangerous attack for them.

Kucherenko at penalties (both last night and v Hearts) he just seems to dive to his right every time, and it's almost as though the Rapid players knew this. He never got a sniff. Is that a strategy? Keep diving to the right and eventually you'll guess the right way?

I think the outcome of the tie could have been different had Sapsford come back out for the second half, but we'll never know. Pretty annoying one that.

I just hope we can put the disappointment to one side and refocus for the rest of the season. I think it was after the Mypa debacle that certain players lost interest and our season unraveled.

I don't see us getting past Kilmarnock on Sunday - I just think the shortage of players, the tiredness and the disappointment will be too much. I would love to be wrong obviously.

It's too easy to say we say too deep second half. I think you need to credit RV for passing us back like that. As you alluded to, losing Sapsford probably helped RV on this front.

Great game, great performances from both sides. Shame about the final result but, honestly, I thought we'd get pumped by them in one of the legs.

Need to sort out the defending at corners though, it's criminal.

[Arabdownsouth]

I wouldn't be risking Sapsford on any plastic pitch. Ideally I'd leave out Esselink, KK, Sevelj & Dolcek. We have Luca, Eskensen, SCH to come in. Would Goodwin go with a back four in Luca SCH Iovu and Ferry?

Last night was something to savour. The atmosphere and taking the game to Rapid Vienna in the first half. Scoring goals is how you make the opposition think they are in a game instead of this possession pish that does nothing for your cause. Sapsford going off let Rapid Vienna off the hook.

However what shone through is that the cost of this team compared to Rapid Vienna is huge in monetary terms. However football matches are not won on how much money has been spent to assemble a squad. The hunger, determination and fight from this squad is worth more imo.

Goodwin has to get enormous credit for building this squad that has pace, trickery and dig. Just needs to sign an Argentinian striker to complete the squad which for me, when fit, has competition for places which should bode well for the rest of the season.

We cannot be leaving out Esselink, KK, Sevelj and Dolcek thats just mental. We have a 2 week break after Sunday for players to recover. We need everyone who is fit to be ready to give everything again on Sunday. Sapsford yeah if he's not 100% but we can't decimate the team for a game in a competition that we at least have a hope of winning at a ground that we never do well at. We might as well not turn up.

[Arabs4ever]

We cannot be leaving out Esselink, KK, Sevelj and Dolcek thats just mental. We have a 2 week break after Sunday for players to recover. We need everyone who is fit to be ready to give everything again on Sunday. Sapsford yeah if he's not 100% but we can't decimate the team for a game in a competition that we at least have a hope of winning at a ground that we never do well at. We might as well not turn up.

I just hope none of them end up with an injury like Louis Moult got last season at that ground. Is it true that the three clubs that have the plastic pitches are lodging an appeal to get the ruling thrown out that their pitch has to be grass?.................

[PT_Arab]

Last night was a far cry from the Mypa decacle

Oh no, I'm not trying to compare the two in that sense, more just the effect it had on certain players who had offers to join other clubs but came to us as we could offer European football. Players who then performed very poorly seemed disinterested after we went out of the competition at the earliest opportunity.

By "certain players" I'm basically talking about Lee Miller.

[Arabdownsouth]

Oh no, I'm not trying to compare the two in that sense, more just the effect it had on certain players who had offers to join other clubs but came to us as we could offer European football. Players who then performed very poorly seemed disinterested after we went out of the competition at the earliest opportunity.

By "certain players" I'm basically talking about Lee Miller.

Yeah I kinda knew how you meant it mate. I'd just like to hope that the experience of last night,even though it didn't go our way,would light the fire for this group of players to want to earn more of the same this season. I am sure thats going to be the case.

[shedka]

Last night was a far cry from the Mypa decacle

Yea agree, no comparison at all other than the final score

That was a god awful Utd side that shouldn't have been in Europe, that were 2-0 up at half time going on 5-0 against a very poor side

The last week was a Utd side giving everything against a better team that is better than all we face in the country outside maybe one or two, despite having no room to rotate effectively due to injuries and being unlucky in some ways not to progress to next round

Last night was an achievement to get 2 ahead, we were knackered end of first half then again midway second half, changes made, Sapsford injured too, bounced back and played will in extra time

Crowd showed the appreciation, I was proud of the team last night and pretty sure that is the consensus from the majority of the 12k Arabs in attendance

Will say I thought Kucherenko was great last night but didn't rate him in the shootout, thought he could have done better

[Whitfieldarab]

So unlucky against a top top team but the goals we are losing this season is very concerning. Its almost like we need to score 3 or 4 to actually win a game. Offensively we look an absolute threat but every time a cross goes in our box I'm absolutely 5hitting it and teams will see the type of goals we are losing and go for the jugular.......but what an atmosphere last night. Can't honestly remember a night like that in the last 30 odd years at Tannadice.

[shedka]

So unlucky against a top top team but the goals we are losing this season is very concerning. Its almost like we need to score 3 or 4 to actually win a game. Offensively we look an absolute threat but every time a cross goes in our box I'm absolutely 5hitting it and teams will see the type of goals we are losing and go for the jugular.......but what an atmosphere last night. Can't honestly remember a night like that in the last 30 odd years at Tannadice.

It was something else the atmosphere, the city hasn't seen anything like it this century

What a club and what a stadium we have