Mellon gone and Hughes incoming

[BackRowArab]

Micky Mellon wanted to go in a different direction to Dundee United strategy -

I would like this explained to me.

Which direction did Mellon want to go? (I don't mean England)

Bring in some of his own players and faze in youth?

He wanted the club to be renamed Tranmere Rovers and for it to relocated down to Merseyside

[BudMill90]

Micky Mellon wanted to go in a different direction to Dundee United strategy -

I would like this explained to me.

Which direction did Mellon want to go? (I don't mean England)

Bring in some of his own players and faze in youth?

From what I've heard he wanted to mainly recruit players that were 28/29/30, experienced heads. Whereas the club felt we had enough of those around the squad now (which is correct) and look to focus on Fuchs/Shankland types of signings where we sign them at 23/24 and they have a potential sell-on value whilst improving the team and also keeping a pathway for the youngsters.

Could all be sh1te, as there have been so many stories. But that was from an 'ITK'.

[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

[offshore_arab83]

Yes if we can keep siegrist, Edwards, Fuchs, shanks, and strengthen in certain Areas, some youngsters emerging to make impact, team could be ok next Season. If Courts appointed, Onus totally on ashgar to give him the tools. Recruitment Massive, nightmare scenario we loše some of these players, and recruit poor.

we lose them and we will more than likely go down

[offshore_arab83]

100%

Look at 2015/16.

Players that left:

Keith Watson
Calum Butcher
Jarek Fojut
Rado Cierzniak
Nadir Ciftci

Players we replaced them with at the start of the season:

Zwick/Szromnik
Donaldson
Durnan
Bill McKay
Aaron Kuhl
Darko Bodul

There are more but I'm about being sick just typing those names.

If the players that left all stayed, we would never have been relegated in 2016. We could have lost Nadir and still stayed up, but losing Butcher, Watson, Fojut and Rado were a nightmare for us. Then you have Paton, Dixon, Erskine all getting major injuries that ruled them out long terms at the start of the season and we were always right up against it.

Benji, Edwards, Fuchs and Shanks are our most important players (by a country mile btw) so if any one of them leave, we CANNOT rely on anyone else at the club to replace them. We need to recruit players close to or above their level.

As for the rest of the squad, I feel all other players who were in our 'best' 11 all have fairly able replacements already at the club. Full back for example, Freeman and Sporle aren't miles away from Smith and Robson.

bang on, apart fae the last bit Robson is lowping and Sporle isnt looking like a defender at all

[BudMill90]

bang on, apart fae the last bit Robson is lowping and Sporle isnt looking like a defender at all

Yea mate in an ideal world we get a new left back who is above their level. Canna see it being a priority position though.

[offshore_arab83]

Yea mate in an ideal world we get a new left back who is above their level. Canna see it being a priority position though.

nah i know mate, its a 'nice to have' we really need someone to create if shanks is staying eh

[JamesMcClean]

100%

Look at 2015/16.

Players that left:

Keith Watson
Calum Butcher
Jarek Fojut
Rado Cierzniak
Nadir Ciftci

Players we replaced them with at the start of the season:

Zwick/Szromnik
Donaldson
Durnan
Bill McKay
Aaron Kuhl
Darko Bodul

There are more but I'm about being sick just typing those names.

If the players that left all stayed, we would never have been relegated in 2016. We could have lost Nadir and still stayed up, but losing Butcher, Watson, Fojut and Rado were a nightmare for us. Then you have Paton, Dixon, Erskine all getting major injuries that ruled them out long terms at the start of the season and we were always right up against it.

Benji, Edwards, Fuchs and Shanks are our most important players (by a country mile btw) so if any one of them leave, we CANNOT rely on anyone else at the club to replace them. We need to recruit players close to or above their level.

As for the rest of the squad, I feel all other players who were in our 'best' 11 all have fairly able replacements already at the club. Full back for example, Freeman and Sporle aren't miles away from Smith and Robson.

The bottom line is - sell too many, too quickly, and replace them inadequately and you’re rubber ducked. We saw that in, as you say, 2015/16. In contrast the 2010 team wasn’t just suddenly ‘arrived’ at - it was built over a good 3-4 seasons.But we still sold - Barry Robson and Noel Hunt being the obvious two off the top off my head. But the difference was that the ‘replacements’ for these players were already at the Club and the sales were genuinely part of a long term strategy with the interests of the first team front and centre in the selling policy.

That’s what the Snake forgot to our eternal detriment. He prioritised the bottom line over the team on the pitch whereas there should always be a balance between the two. He failed to do that and we’re still living with it’s consequences even now. I pray that the Club doe not allow lightning to strike twice.

[Shedboy1971]

we lose them and we will more than likely go down

yes Edwards and siegrist especially - i expect our keeper is going but really want to keep edwards

[Shedboy1971]

so Jim duffy being interviewed today - john brown and Ivano bonetti already interviewed and did well.