Feeling a bit of dread about Saturday

[shedka]

We had an opportunity there after Livi, with Brechin away, Peterhead home and Kelty home (not exactly a difficult set of games really) to put down a marker in the group before St Johnstone away next month and at same time build some confidence for the league games coming

Instead we became the first Prem team since 2012 to lose at home to a team outside the top two divisions and edged past Kelty and came out of the week feeling pretty meh just as we felt before

Aberdeen at home, should have been feeling excited and looking forward to it, gonna be a long afternoon I think, McInnes will make sure they know this game means more than others for them, kind of dreading it as it stands

On the upside by the following week we should hopefully have Shankland, McNulty and Fuchs etc all available

[Yeats 62]

We had an opportunity there after Livi, with Brechin away, Peterhead home and Kelty home (not exactly a difficult set of games really) to put down a marker in the group before St Johnstone away next month and at same time build some confidence for the league games coming

Instead we became the first Prem team since 2012 to lose at home to a team outside the top two divisions and edged past Kelty and came out of the week feeling pretty meh just as we felt before

Aberdeen at home, should have been feeling excited and looking forward to it, gonna be a long afternoon I think, McInnes will make sure they know this game means more than others for them, kind of dreading it as it stands

On the upside by the following week we should hopefully have Shankland, McNulty and Fuchs etc all available

Last two, nowhere near fit tho mate.

[stokearab]

Would agree with that. Don't think Fuchs will arrive to save us any time soon though. Might be a couple of weeks away. Disappointing that he didn't give Hoti one single opportunity to show what he can add in these games, still persisting with players who are obviously nowhere near good enough for us.
That midfield needs a clear out, we still cant hold the ball up in midfield and play one two's in front of an opposition defence, no wonder we cant score.

The worrying thing about these recent games is that we don't seem to have a settled team, a pattern of play, ideas how to break teams down and we're not creating chances. And Mellon screaming at them all through 90 minutes unlikely to help that.

The plus side is there are players due back in.
But I can't think of any other positives except there's another window in January.

[geofoxposse]

The main issue with any young player coming into the side, its easy to come in with a rush and do well for a couple of weeks, then with so much dross and creaking wood all around they fall into mediocrity just like Bolton has done.

[stokearab]

Against Ross County Motherwell and Celtic we played very few long balls and as a result kept possession much better than we'd seen last season. I put that down to good coaching from Mellon. But what I've seen in the last few matches is more long hopeful balls being played up to Appere and Clark resulting in losing the ball again and that worries me. It's hard to understand what's going on. If he starts Pawlett yet again on Saturday it would be a real worry because the experiment to find out if there's a player in there this season is over. There isn't.

Not sure if Sporle has been to Argentina or if he has if he's back, but if fit he needs to be coming in for Pawlett.

He won't start McNulty so if Shankland comes back uninjured it will be Clark and him up front. Harkes and Butcher appear to be undroppable under this manager so I expect them to start. So we will be under the cosh from the first minute.

We could get run over by a large margin on Saturday except football doesn't always work that way. We'll spend a lot of time defending so we need to have pace in the counter and I would bring Chalmers back in. Time to drop Harkes and give Neilson a chance imo, cant be less effective. Won't happen. We also need to see what Hoti brings but he won't feature on Saturday, would like to see him coming off the bench in the next run of games though because we have GOT TO improve this shambles in midfield.

What I would like to see

............Benji.......
Bolton......Edwards.......Reynolds....Robson
Chalmers......Neilson....Butcher.....Sporle
.................Clark........Shankland..........

[BackRowArab]

I'd rather see Powers in for Butcher, much better range of passing.

[JUSTaway]

Funny enough I was thinking about neilson in midfield, would at least be able to drive us up the park. Problem is you see problems all over the pitch just now, centre halves flog goals, midfield overrun, the strikers struggle to hold the ball up or physically compete with centre halves so any high ball just comes back and they don’t have pace to get in behind.

[stokearab]

I'd rather see Powers in for Butcher, much better range of passing.

Yeah I considered that but felt if we get hosed he'll get the blame so I would introduce him after the Aberdeen game.

[BackRowArab]

Yeah I considered that but felt if we get hosed he'll get the blame so I would introduce him after the Aberdeen game.

United fans do love a scapegoat!

[tHeArAb]

I'd rather see Powers in for Butcher, much better range of passing.

Powers has to be given more game time. He came on last night and there was composure, there was a guy demanding the ball and as you say, his range of passing is was very good. He keeps things easy and keeps things moving. I'm not saying he's the answer but he has to be given a shot.