Quote Originally Posted by arab777 View Post
Something that has been troubling me for some time how ineffective Pawlett is in United’s midfield so I decided to do the stats and even I was shocked by what I found

Last season Pawlett started 14 games. In a season when we strolled the league we only won 4 games he started.

It gets worse of these 4 games one was against Partick. He was subbed after 3 minutes with an injury so that one doesn’t really count. Another of the wins was the 2-1 against Arbroath. That game he was substituted after 80 minutes, scoreline at the time United 0 Arbroath 1.

That leaves 2 wins in a season we won 20 matches.


This season his stats are better but nothing spectacular. We have won 5 games. Pawlett started in 3 of them (although one of them was against non league opposition)

So when we are analysing where our deficiencies are, on a previous thread I laid out our woeful defensive record last season when Connolly started games. Midfield is also a problem . The stats tell a story.

Maybe Micky can improve him as a player but the signs are not looking good.
FWIW i have no problems with any player at us personally, but I put these stats up on this forum last season, everyone says Shankland got Neilson up but the injuries to Pawlett were just a big a reason as Shanklands goals as when fit Neilson shoe horned him in to the side and ruined us. For some bizarre reason people were saying all over twitter that he started this season well. No he didnt!! he looked slightly better for very brief moments within 90 mins but most of the games still passed him.

What is Mellon expecting to get out of him?

Starting with him and Clark at this level is like starting 2 men down, they are completely innefectual and the games just pass them by. It is no surprise that we looked better when both were off the pitch. I think most people put our improvment down to change of shape but imho the changing of those 2 were just as big a reason for improvement.

Unfortunately I think Pawlett has lost what ever he had in his youth when he had a bit of pace and confidence, and the issue with Clark for me is hes not a 10, he should be used to score goals, not be a core player in the build up.