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No guile, ponderous, and pedestrian. United were no great shakes but until the last 4 minutes we offered absolutely nothing going forward. Lump it up the park, give away possession, rinse and repeat. Austin needs to shut his mouth and not blame another hungrier looking young player for his laziness.

WTAF was Austin shouting at Anthony for? He’s not exactly ingratiated himself with the North Stand today - think the body language showed he knew he’d fecked up. But echo all on here, poor today, poorest for a while. Fatigue maybe.

I would let Austin go. He has scored 2 or 3 very nice goals with some composed finishes but that is the exception rather than the rule. He has had a lot of game time and in general he has failed to impress. He gets himself into decent positions and has had some decent service but all to often he doesn''t seem to be committed enough or have enough belief in his own abilities and ends up turning a half chance into a no chance. His strike rate is not bad but he doesn't offer a lot else apart from the occasional goal. He's better in the air than Jordan White but Jordan has other attributes which put him well ahead of Nathan in my book. At 25, I 'm not sure he's really going to get much better. Kevin McHattie is also 25 but shows a good bit more maturity than Nathan. He's had less game time than Austin but done well when called upon. He had a pretty decent game today as part of a makeshift defence. He was obviously highly regarded as a youngster with Scottish Caps at both under 17 and 21 levels. His career has been dogged by injury, but if he can remain largely injury free then I feel he could be a real asset to us both at Championship and Premier division level. Carl will be 34 later this year and sadly will be approaching the end of his career soon. If he can be retained, it would not surprise me if he had established himself as first choice left back by this time next year.

He thought MacDonald should of passed it to him instead of taking the shot himself fair enough. But MacDonald is only a teenager & he shouldn't of been treated like that i'm pretty sure he even apologised to Austin afterwards. If anything he should be getting a pat on the back for actually creating a chance cause we were struggling to create chances all game!

That was rubbish. Why on earth we did sign all those youngsters last summer on full time contracts and then spend all season not playing any of them. Apart from Mckay and MacGregor's cameo appearances non have played. Come on Robbo you have two 'nothing' games to show why you signed the boys.

Totally agree with this. Anthony Mcdonald had his head down just beaten 3 or 4 men then took the shot. Austin should have been applauding him not shouting at him.

Very lackluster performance today felt like we were playing in a friendly at times we only turned it up a gear in the last ten minutes. Dundee United looked like they wanted that win much more then we did they have certainly proved a point heading into the play offs. What the hell has happened to Nathan Austin? he was brilliant this time last year nothing seems to be going right for him this season. That 3-2 win against Ayr Utd has been his only highlight so far.

If asked for my top 5 I think I would have picked 4 of the 5 the club have listed but I don't understand the rationale for limiting it to 5. For a start, who is it in the club who decides who the 5 nominees are? It can't do a great deal for players like Jordan feeling appreciated by the club if they are not included in the list. Secondly, surely the whole point of a fans vote is that it is the fans who decide. With an open vote, I am sure both Jordan and Liam would get more votes than 1 or 2 on the list (although not mine as it happens!) How can the players know the level of support they have if the fans are not allowed to vote for them?

Of course we can beat United. We have done so very recently. However, we will have to play much more clinically, defend better and be more committed than we were today. Any one of the four teams taking part in the play offs are capable of winning through and that, on our day, includes us. If we go in to them with a defeatest attitude we will, without doubt, be defeated.

Well last two games of the season let the youngesters get some game time before the playoffs and see if the team improves.

Get Austin out or loan him off until he grows up and starts taking responsibility for his own stupid mistakes, rather than taking it out on the young loanee who has done pure bits since he's arrived...

Great work down the left with McDonald firing a shot in which went just wide. Austin had got himself into a good position but the shot was a good option. Had McDonald seen Austin and tried to play the ball to him I think it may well have been intercepted so the shot was a fair enough option. Had Austin been a bit more aware I think he could have got onto the back post and tapped the misplaced shot in. It was one of those agonising ones where had it been a better shot it would have gone in but had he pushed it a bit wider it might have fallen to Austin. Anyway, Austin was totally out of order at the way he had a go at young McDonald. It was a shame some supporters started booing Austin though. Whatever they do on the park they need our encouragement and this is an issue I am sure Robbo will deal with appropriately behind the scenes. As for the Brad Mackay sending off, I may be wrong, but my impression was that having evaded one player he simply slipped and fell onto his knees which the referee interpreted as a dive. Whether he was given a 2nd yellow card for simulation or for dissent at a foul being given for simulation I don't know, but it certainly looked like a genuine slip to me. Interesting that Brad gave away a penalty the other day for holding in the box. Today White was was held in the box with the defender's arms right around him with the referee less that 2 yards away. Nothing given. I don't know what it is with Jordan but it is as though the SFA have give a diktat that he can be held, pushed, elbowed as much as a defender wants and a foul will not be given.

Well I must have missed that one as I have never seen Nathan Austin do anything brilliant! He comes on runs about falls over gets hurt and creates nothing, today he missed a sitter and started shouting at Macdonald?

Gregor, if the team gave us something to shout about at home they would get ' vocal support'. However we have been witness to some shockers at home this season. I couldn't manage the game today so I can't comment on the performance, but getting beat again at home is not good.

Too little effort. Only turned up in last ten minutes. And Nathan Austin should take a long hard look at himself ranting at Anthony McDonald the way he did. Gone down in my estimation.

Come on - Who actually thought that we would get to the play offs - I didn't and I am a feckin Seer.

Horrendous horror show of a performance.... That's all.i can say

Fair point. Equally one might question why our leading goal scorer is not on the list either!

i wonder why there is a list of 5 this year unlike previous years. no Polworth on the list either, he has been a standout player for us this year imo.

I don't care about county "winning" today, they've won it anyway, there's no chance DU are making it up the GD now let alone winning every game. Best of luck to them in the spl, we must now forget everything else and win today to get us into 3rd and keep pushing to keep us there, at end of day we win today there's only 6 points between us and DU, why not push for 2nd too? Gives us 2 less games and a better chance of surviving the play offs. We've been guilty of not turning up at certain points in games or not at all, we must treat every game like a cup tie from here on in, the clubs future and the players careers depend on this now, time to truly stand up and be counted

Can I ask what he has done to rile so many of our fans on Twitter, apart from be a useless footballer, who, in my humble opinion needs released or sold during the summer?? Another that should be ashamed of himself, and deserves as much pelters is Brad McKay but that is for another thread.

Neilson and McMullen both admitted to the press it was handball.

Did the same at Edinburgh City to Walsh. Seems its never his fault?

Again I think some of the comments on here are a bit on the harsh side. This was always going to be a tough game. Utd needed to get something out of the game to secure 2nd spot and a place on the playoff semi-final, and they were obviously really up for the game. We had a significantly weakened side missing Ridgers, Tremarco, Donaldson and Welsh from our defence, plus it looked as though Doran was carrying an injury and he duly got subbed on the hour mark. I thought that we did pretty well. For the most part we showed some real desire although Chalmers was not at his best today. I thought Cammy Mackay did well in goal. I don't think he could have done much with either goal but generally he looked pretty assured and his kicking and distribution was good. McCart was excellent and my MOTM whilst McHattie looked pretty solid at left back. Generally we kept possession well and worked hard to get the ball back when Utd had possession. As often this season, we tended to be a bit slow getting forward but nevertheless we created a lot of chances. We had 15 attempts on goal which was more than any other team in the division this weekend apart from Partick. What we lacked was that bit of composure at both ends when it really mattered. For their first we failed to pick up Safranko although to be fair to the lad, it was a very well taken goal. And we just stood around appealing for handball for the second rather than playing to the whistle. We then took Doran, Walsh and Polworth off and played the last 25 minutes of the game with only 4 of our preferred starting 11 on the pitch. We ended with just 3 after Brad Mackay got sent off for slipping on the wet grass. (or did I miss something?) Austin will want to forget today, but both McDonald and McCauley were excellent when they came on. So all in all, I thought there was quite a lot to be positive about. Despite the loss we have confirmed a play off place with two games to go. That is an improvement on last season and given the financial position of the club, that is an achievement for which Robbo and the players deserve great credit. We now have the opportunity to rest any players who are carrying slight niggles and ensure they are fit for what could be a strenuous play-off campaign. Hopefully this will be an opportunity to see a little more of our home grown talent which is so important to the future of this club.

We didn't really deserve anything from the game in fairness. A long range Walsh effort, a White header and another effort from Walsh probably should have seen us on the score sheet by half time but Safrankos well taken goal and another header off the bar could well have had United two goals to the good before United's second. If McMullan has handled it for the second then that's a bit shit as that'll be twice he's cheated to get a goal against us in the last couple of games. That said it was seriously naive of us not to play to the whistle and basically allow the guy to scamper across the penalty area before scoring. When Robbo took off Doran, Walsh and Polworth it was clear we had given up today. A really bizarre moment when MacDonald skipped clear of the United defence and cut a shot / cross across the face of goal which Austin watched go wide without really making any effort to get on the end of it. He then raced over to berate MacDonald for not passing it to him which was bang out of order given his lack of effort in trying to get to the ball in the first place and led to a loud chorus of boos from the North Stand directed his way although the constant abuse which followed was over the top. Time to rest a few players I think now that we have the playoffs secured. Chalmers and Trafford were really poor today and the attacking three who were subbed off were nowhere near as good as they have been this season. McCart did really well though and was probably my MotM for ICT.

Austin had a tantrum because he's a lazy sod and did absolutely nothing most of the game, and then took it out on a wean because it was apparently his fault he missed an absolute sitter...

During the game today, young Anthony Macdonald went on a great run beating a few united players and his shot went just wide at which point very obviously to anyone who was at the game Austin started shouting at the boy and having a proper go at him even though Austin had done nothing today apart from stand around.

3 players below are not on list Tom Walsh who is second top scorer Polworth probably top for assists White who is top scorer and probably will be important in the playoffs Just think it should have been open to all players like we do on the forum for match days. Strange one imo

Dundee United had three shots on target and scored with two of them. We could scarcely manage one decent attempt until the last few minutes. Why will Robertson not introduce some of the youngsters? They surely cannot be any worse than some of those players masquerading as footballers who he plays every week!

Why the feck were they wearing fatigues ?

We're just lucky that Dunfermline bottled it...

If we perform like we have been recently we won't make it past the Play off QF hopefully we can get back in form by the end of the season.

I'll keep it short we were Crap

At this rate we can write off the play offs. Shambles.

At least the playoff place is in the bag, but today is a setback in terms of going for 3rd place and the much needed extra prize money.

We are top of the away league but unfotunately we are 6th of the home league which has cost us the title. Maybe if the home fans got behind the team in the same manner of the away fans then we would maybe produce more points. In reality its the same team so I dont think they decide not to turn up for home games. Same team different atmosphere so maybe Robbo was correct few months ago

Well said Cable Guy can someone show your post to the team before 3pm as you say they are guilty of not turning up at times

4 years since David Raven scored the greatest goal of his life ?

I agree with all three who have posted so far. The main and worst culprit has departed the club and will not be missed. Time for a fresh start and to back one of our home grown players who, in the circumstances, have to represent the future.

Four years ago already...

...18 days late with that one.

Sorry ,should have mentioned its Liam Polworth I am talking about.

I like John Hughes, I always have, even before he was our manager. He seemed like someone you could have a laugh and a joke with and had a wicked sense of humour. However, lets indeed talk about reality deniers and note that it has been well documented that JH did not operate on a shoestring. He had the largest budget of any manager in our history. I would say he used that budget wisely and got results as you have noted, but it was definitely not a shoestring ! However, two things soured his relationship with the club . The first was when private discussions about the next years (reduced) budget were conducted in the media and the second was his reaction to the club's refusal to let him speak to Dundee Utd after Jackie McNamara's departure. This led to irreconcilable differences between club and board. He was not some innocent party here. There was enough blame to go around. In my mind, we got two things wrong at that time, and with the benefit of hindsight I am sure you could ask Kenny Cameron and he would agree now. The first was refusing to let him speak to the Arabs. If our manager - any manager - wants to speak to another club then let them ... and don't let the door hit them on the way out ! If they are not committed to ICT then they can go. The second was appointing Richie. Every single one of us wanted Richie to succeed but Kenny showed too much loyalty in the end by not sacking him earlier, and that hurt us big time. I appreciate what JH did for us when he was here, but lets not erect the statues or canonise him just yet ! As for blowing opportunites to run the club succesfully ... I disagree. We have had several opportunities over the years, starting with Pele, and it could be argued our current manager kick-started our golden era in the 2003/04 season when we first got to the SPL. If you recall he had to fight tooth and nail to get our board moving and for the SPL to let us in, and had he not taken up the offer from Hearts - which I believe was the only team that could have lured him away at the time - then who knows what our history might have been ......

My financial advice is never to take professional financial advice from anyone over the age of 50. If they are any good they'll have taken their own advice and been able to retire by then.