Mellon gone and Hughes incoming

[cybershed]

I know that but the amount of stuff that comes out about how great our Academy is and then the sudden emphasis on wanting to bring through more young players is concerning as this is 2016 all over again. Throwing young players with good potential in an average squad. There's only 2 of the young players who should be looking to be key players for next season. Appere and Chalmers. Those two have been in and around the squad for a few seasons and should be ready to push on and make a bigger impact within the squad.

Guys like Mochrie, Graham, Neilson, K Smith, Meekison etc all very good players by the looks of it. If they are squad players then great, get them involved but if we are trying to force these guys into the first team it will end badly. Allow them time to develop.

Agreed. Appere and Chalmers look to be ready to push for a 1st team Tangerine jersey. Some of the others should be getting 1st team experience on loan elsewhere but still training with Utd during the week. Whilst a couple of them should maybe be getting chances to appear for us from the bench.

We could do with a couple of good seasoned pro's in though. A winger and an central attacking midfielder IMO.

[BudMill90]

Agreed. Appere and Chalmers look to be ready to push for a 1st team Tangerine jersey. Some of the others should be getting 1st team experience on loan elsewhere but still training with Utd during the week. Whilst a couple of them should maybe be getting chances to appear for us from the bench.

We could do with a couple of good seasoned pro's in though. A winger and an central attacking midfielder IMO.

This is what Mochrie, Neilson, Fotheringham, Freeman, Graham, Cooney, Meekison, Hoti all did in stages last season. I'd be surprised if any go on Loan next season (apart from probably Cooney who didn't get a lot of game time on loan) as I think the club will want to them to get given a chance to see what they can offer.

The thing with the current United squad, assuming no one leaves, is that we are probably 2/3 players away from easily being top 6 level. A centre half to play beside Edwards that is at his level or better, a central midfielder to play in beside Fuchs, and then a out and out winger to play on the left and we have a team that looks like this:

Benji
Smith, Edwards, New CB, Robson
Chalmers, Fuchs, New CM, New LM
Shankland, Appere

I know that team is just off the top of my head, but if all of those new signings are at the level of Edwards & Fuchs then that is a line-up that I'd be confident with going onto most games. Yes, we could do with better full-backs, but the positions I have mentioned are of more importance at the minute.

So then you bring the youngsters in and you are maybe playing Mochrie or Meekison in behind Shanks. Or you put Fotheringham out left mid. Or Freeman comes into one of the fullback slots.

Could one of the young CB's fill that slot beside Edwards all season? I wouldn't be so sure and would want much stronger, experienced full backs to be 100% happy with Edwards and Smith/Neilson/Graham as a centre back pairing. But we saw last season that the Premiership isn't as difficult a place as we think at times. Yes there were some brutal matches but we also got a clean sheet against Celtic with Smith, Edwards, Reynolds, Robson as the back 4. We got 4 clean sheets against Aberdeen with all of the previously mentioned guys plus Neilson and Connolly in there too. So it's not like we are coming up against top quality teams every week.

The most important thing is that we bring in a 2 or 3 players to improve the current starting 11. I'd rather have Courts as manager plus these 3 new players, than McInnes but not make any new signings. I know thats not a situation that is likely to play out, but you know what I mean.

It's a massive summer and we can't afford to mess up recruitment. For me, its more important that the head coach appointment.

[BackRowArab]

This is what Mochrie, Neilson, Fotheringham, Freeman, Graham, Cooney, Meekison, Hoti all did in stages last season. I'd be surprised if any go on Loan next season (apart from probably Cooney who didn't get a lot of game time on loan) as I think the club will want to them to get given a chance to see what they can offer.

The thing with the current United squad, assuming no one leaves, is that we are probably 2/3 players away from easily being top 6 level. A centre half to play beside Edwards that is at his level or better, a central midfielder to play in beside Fuchs, and then a out and out winger to play on the left and we have a team that looks like this:

Benji
Smith, Edwards, New CB, Robson
Chalmers, Fuchs, New CM, New LM
Shankland, Appere

I know that team is just off the top of my head, but if all of those new signings are at the level of Edwards & Fuchs then that is a line-up that I'd be confident with going onto most games. Yes, we could do with better full-backs, but the positions I have mentioned are of more importance at the minute.

So then you bring the youngsters in and you are maybe playing Mochrie or Meekison in behind Shanks. Or you put Fotheringham out left mid. Or Freeman comes into one of the fullback slots.

Could one of the young CB's fill that slot beside Edwards all season? I wouldn't be so sure and would want much stronger, experienced full backs to be 100% happy with Edwards and Smith/Neilson/Graham as a centre back pairing. But we saw last season that the Premiership isn't as difficult a place as we think at times. Yes there were some brutal matches but we also got a clean sheet against Celtic with Smith, Edwards, Reynolds, Robson as the back 4. We got 4 clean sheets against Aberdeen with all of the previously mentioned guys plus Neilson and Connolly in there too. So it's not like we are coming up against top quality teams every week.

The most important thing is that we bring in a 2 or 3 players to improve the current starting 11. I'd rather have Courts as manager plus these 3 new players, than McInnes but not make any new signings. I know thats not a situation that is likely to play out, but you know what I mean.

It's a massive summer and we can't afford to mess up recruitment. For me, its more important that the head coach appointment.

No issues with that line up. Only change I'd make is Appere out wide and someone else in behind Shanks. I think Smith and Neilson rotating in and out alongside Edwards (and/or Reynolds) is perfect.

[offshore_arab83]

This is what Mochrie, Neilson, Fotheringham, Freeman, Graham, Cooney, Meekison, Hoti all did in stages last season. I'd be surprised if any go on Loan next season (apart from probably Cooney who didn't get a lot of game time on loan) as I think the club will want to them to get given a chance to see what they can offer.

The thing with the current United squad, assuming no one leaves, is that we are probably 2/3 players away from easily being top 6 level. A centre half to play beside Edwards that is at his level or better, a central midfielder to play in beside Fuchs, and then a out and out winger to play on the left and we have a team that looks like this:

Benji
Smith, Edwards, New CB, Robson
Chalmers, Fuchs, New CM, New LM
Shankland, Appere

I know that team is just off the top of my head, but if all of those new signings are at the level of Edwards & Fuchs then that is a line-up that I'd be confident with going onto most games. Yes, we could do with better full-backs, but the positions I have mentioned are of more importance at the minute.

So then you bring the youngsters in and you are maybe playing Mochrie or Meekison in behind Shanks. Or you put Fotheringham out left mid. Or Freeman comes into one of the fullback slots.

Could one of the young CB's fill that slot beside Edwards all season? I wouldn't be so sure and would want much stronger, experienced full backs to be 100% happy with Edwards and Smith/Neilson/Graham as a centre back pairing. But we saw last season that the Premiership isn't as difficult a place as we think at times. Yes there were some brutal matches but we also got a clean sheet against Celtic with Smith, Edwards, Reynolds, Robson as the back 4. We got 4 clean sheets against Aberdeen with all of the previously mentioned guys plus Neilson and Connolly in there too. So it's not like we are coming up against top quality teams every week.

The most important thing is that we bring in a 2 or 3 players to improve the current starting 11. I'd rather have Courts as manager plus these 3 new players, than McInnes but not make any new signings. I know thats not a situation that is likely to play out, but you know what I mean.

It's a massive summer and we can't afford to mess up recruitment. For me, its more important that the head coach appointment.

i get what you're saying bud but this is best case scenario as far as players of the Edwards/Fuchs ilk are concerned, im not getting the vibe from the club that we will be strengthening as the emphasis is on giving youth a chance, to then flog for cash.

For me the manager/head coach is the most important position as i cant see how Tam will bring and progress players careers for us, all i can see happening is players thrown in at the deep end and alot of pumpings knocking the confidence even more

[JUSTaway]

Agree with above posts, utd should always be about promoting youth where possible, but only with safety net of a decent first team at your disposal.

After we sold off all our gems last time we filled the squad with youngsters who either weren’t good enough or weren’t ready. We should have accepted the club would go with plan B for a couple of seasons, seasoned proven pros until the next batch of kiss were ready. Instead their development was hampered coming into a struggling team with Toxic atmosphere. Results in youth development taking a hit and we sell youngsters for Cheap Clause they havent developed potential and were desperate for Cash as relegated.

Need to walk before we can run. Courts himself wont be a name to attract players, but If he was taking over couple of seasons Down line and we were established top 6 club on the up, would ne less important, club would sell itself.