Our best 11 ?

[TerryTheTerror]

I never said it was a level playing field, that would be ridiculous. What I'm saying is our advantages were reduced.

Should we be getting beaten by East Fife at Tannadice? No way. But, it's my opinion the current structure of the competition acts as a leveller and means lower league clubs are getting better results than they would a few weeks later.

[bobafett]

I never said it was a level playing field, that would be ridiculous. What I'm saying is our advantages were reduced.

Should we be getting beaten by East Fife at Tannadice? No way. But, it's my opinion the current structure of the competition acts as a leveller and means lower league clubs are getting better results than they would a few weeks later.

Yep, I think you're right. Every year since this new format has come in there have been 2 or 3 shock results. St Johnstone losing to Montrose and Dunfermline losing to Edinburgh City were both bigger shockers than us losing to East Fife. No-one should think that's OK but these things happen in football, and more regularly at this stage in the season.

[geofoxposse]

The love of a cup is the possible shock. We've been trying to create one for years..... Occasionally it has happened. Its just a bummer being on the end of it.

[ClashCityRocker]

Pretty clear evidence that Robbie was treating the competition as pre-season IMHO.

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

RN was not treating the cup competition as pre - season friendlies - people reel out this excuse as we were knocked out of the competition by a part time team with a squad have the number of United's.

All the teams who qualified for the last 16 get £40,000 - does anyone really think United can afford to miss out on 40K ?

United had the home advantage, were playing a part time with a small squad ( some of whom were not match fit ) - so please, lets put a stop to these lame excuses.

United wanted to qualify - make no mistake about that.

[GUNBOAT]

Short answer, no to both! But give the teams a go off the top of me head.

Benji, Benji, Deniz, Benji, Deniz.
Smith, Watson, Smith, Smith, Watson.
Connolly, Connolly, Connolly, Watson, Butcher.
Reynolds, Reynolds, Reynolds, Reynolds, Frans.
Sporle, Robson, Sporle, Sporle, Robson.
Bouhenna, Butcher, Butcher, Butcher, King.
Stanton, Harkes, Stanton, Stanton, Harkes.
McMullan all?
Shankland, Shankland, Shankland, Shankland, Appere.
Robson, Chalmers, Banks, Banks, Chalmers.
Not sure about Clark and Appere starts, but C Smith was in today.

Watson got his LC chances for injury and suspension, Bouhenna disappeared and anything else looks like giving game time.

So we used around 20 player's in the 4 League Cup games so really should have been fresh as daisies for the decider at Tannadice v East Fife,like i said in another thread we held all the cards when the Fifers came to Dundee and we folded them.I wonder how many posters on here would be critical of the format if the players had done their job and we had a plum draw at home in the knockout stages?.

[GUNBOAT]

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

RN was not treating the cup competition as pre - season friendlies - people reel out this excuse as we were knocked out of the competition by a part time team with a squad have the number of United's.

All the teams who qualified for the last 16 get £40,000 - does anyone really think United can afford to miss out on 40K ?

United had the home advantage, were playing a part time with a small squad ( some of whom were not match fit ) - so please, lets put a stop to these lame excuses.

United wanted to qualify - make no mistake about that.

Great mind's think alike mate.

[TerryTheTerror]

Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

RN was not treating the cup competition as pre - season friendlies - people reel out this excuse as we were knocked out of the competition by a part time team with a squad have the number of United's.

All the teams who qualified for the last 16 get £40,000 - does anyone really think United can afford to miss out on 40K ?

United had the home advantage, were playing a part time with a small squad ( some of whom were not match fit ) - so please, lets put a stop to these lame excuses.

United wanted to qualify - make no mistake about that.

Don't disagree with any of that BUT as GB says Robbie used 20 players in the 4 games...

[Chick A Saw]

Don't disagree with any of that BUT as GB says Robbie used 20 players in the 4 games...

But why did we use these 20 starting players?

GK, Deniz was gonna get a game,
RB, Smith got a blister for one game,
RCB, Connolly got booked,
LCB, Reynolds ever present,
LB, Robson got in because Sporle was not good enough.
DCM, Butchers injured to start with and Bouhenna telt RN he wanted away,
RM, McMullan ever present,
CM, Stanton injury Harkes pish v Stennie,
LM, younsters tried because Pawlett injured,
No10, Clark because Smith injured and Appere showing well,
ST, Shankland ever present.

That to me says this was not an experimental squad through the play-offs, and if all RNs players were fit for the first game, they would have played every game. I just hope i dont see Pawlett line up this weekend!

[TerryTheTerror]

Or he was giving most of the squad game time as it was being treated like pre-season. Otherwise Robbie would have played pretty much the same team each match.

[TerryTheTerror]

Confirmation is what I suspected from Robbie himself:

"Overall, I’ve been pleased with the pre-season, with the obvious exception of the disappointment of the East Fife result and how it transpired."

https://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/f...caley-thistle/