Match Thread v Dundee (H)16th March

[JUSTaway]

Campbell I thought was worst player in a terrible first half - so many times he gave it away

It was very bad

Improved second half but still bad - don?t think that formation 4-3-3 works for us at all

I also don?t agree with totally losing our shape and putting on ridiculous number of attackers at the end

We were in the ascendancy so why take off the midfield and defence - just gifts more possession to the opposition

I agree, should have subbed Gallagher for Adeboyaga so we had some pace at the back, and just gambled on either Graham or Adeboyaga driving forward.

[TerryTheTerror]

Yeah, it didn't work but I can see why JG went for it at the end.

[JUSTaway]

I was more alarmed we didn't do anything to stem the tide first half, couldn't understand just watching that unfold. I still don't have a clue what Campbell's role is or what kind of midfielder he is meant to be. He is like tilson, charging, or floating around chasing the ball, but leaving gaps, and he just bounces off opponents, so it's hard to see him as a defensive mid, but he doesn't create either. We should have changed the shape, maybe pulled Middleton back, and stuck one of the midfielders in front of defence to screen it, and just cut off space.

I'm no tactical expert, but doing nothing wasn't an option yesterday first half, we got away with it to a certain extent, and fortunate their mindset changes second half. Shaugnessy coming back for them makes huge difference. Was perfect sh1te storm of leaving ourselves totally open and horrific individual errors.

[shedka]

Yes it was, they pretty much had their strongest team it and set up to counter then realised we'd played a system that was open through the middle to break on, once Luca went off this was even more evident, it was evident before that that we should have went with a 352 and no Campbell in there as he is rotten, and they would not have had anywhere near the joy they got first half

We'd have been better off not signing him, our team was just fine as it was, the only blow being Holt leaving which had messed us up a bit

We still could have ended up at 3-3 and you wouldn't have argued it wasn't deserved in the second half but the damage was done with the system we went with, and a few players well off it, I hope unfit as unacceptable otherwise

[JUSTaway]

Second half was similar to Hibs game though, take out the injury time, we created virtually nothing aside from the goal, lots of ball in dangerous territory and out wide, but gets a bit easy to defend when you know it's coming. Really thought we'd kick on at 2-3, but it never really came, perhaps with one eye to the counter attacks.

In their few attacks second half I thought we looked vulnerable/spooked, there was one bizzare incident when the ball looped into our box, and nobody reacted and it bounced just over the the bar from about the 6 yard box. Actually Waltons command of his area was suspect all afternoon. The stupid goal conceded at 1-3 stemmed from needlessly putting ourselves under pressure by needlessly passing out from the back from a goal kick when it wasn't on. It ended in a goal kick when we should have been attacking cause Campbell misplaced a simple pass with us on the attack.

Could have been 3-3, could have been about 5-1 HT.

[JamesMcClean]

First thing first - Dundee deserved to win, no question. If Moult scores that header in injury time (which frankly he should have), IMO that would have been daylight robbery. The fact we were even still in it at that stage in in itself was incredulous. What the actual phuck was going on in that first half beggared belief. Midfield was all over the place which was where our issues primarily lay. We were out thought, out fought and out muscled for the entire first half and I would agree with the opinions on Campbell - midfield has nosedived since his arrival. The consequence was that the front three were totally starved of possession and isolated and the back four were hopelessly exposed time and time again. The decision to play BOTH of a clearly unfit pairing of RG and DG was ruthlessly exposed as a result. If they were both struggling, then at best only one should have started alongside Manny with the other on the bench. To play both together was mental.

I've been following United for near 50 years and genuinely that is the only Derby in all that time when I actually feared a proper doing and that includes their ?23m era. I couldn't believe what I was watching - how the phuck we managed to get in at HT only down by 3-1 was scarcely believable. The luck (and it was luck) that got us that was about the only thing that went for us in that half.

Going on the more important bigger picture is that I think we have now phucked up top 6. Even a draw yesterday wouldn't have been acceptable but to have lost a game which was one of the ones we had to win I think makes top 6 very difficult. At best, I can only see us getting another 4 pts between now and the split (and that's at best) and even that may not be enough.

[shedka]

That's where that Hibs game still rankles because it's still likely +3 for us and -3 for them and we are secure in top 6

The points above are spot on, the goal that really compounded it was the third, that's where we lost it after getting back into the game, the heavy touch from Ferry from passing out, that relaxed them all over again

We were still not in control but it had become even after Middleton's goal, had the game gone on to half time then we'd have had a good chance of turning it round second half despite all the flaws on the day

It was a perfect storm in the end for them, they were never going down, despite some of the talk, they aren't a side that was ever relegation material and their strength is in attack and we played into their hands setting up how we did to attack

The fact Holt is away, Doc isn't fit to start, Luca went off, Ferry, Ross and Gall all looked like they weren't fit it just ended up in their favour on the day along with them showing me desire which should not happen

Hopefully this break sees us return with a more fit team than the recent ones where we end up with injuries during the breaks which has happened all season and looking to make amends

It can happen, Hearts have lost the last two derbies v Hibs, like us they dominate the fixture generally and they've bounced back both times with wins

[Oor Wullie]

Where to f. Uck is Stoke Arab or should I say Titch.

[offshore_arab83]

canna really put it on one particular player, however, is it any coincidence that since we've brought in campbell we have been utter horse ****e? i left before he was subbed and whole snug cheered when he was subbed, was the sub cheered at the game?

the fun deserved that yesterday, they wanted it more

[JamesMcClean]

You know what, that game reminded me so much of that schitshow at East End Park last season. That was exactly the same sort of thing - dis-organised, nobody knowing what the phuck they were meant to be doing, individual errors etc etc. That one came out of phucking nowhere as well.