Matchday Thread Dundee -V- ICT

[Tichy_Blacks_Back]

Beat County at home next week and all of a sudden all is well in the world again :-))))

Whatever happens great season - far prefer this to the usual scenario - I guess my expectations and interpretation of success are different from others but hey ho there you go.

Today's result is another game (and point) closer to top 6 :-)

I guess some would prefer we were in Aberdeen's (and a certain Mr Hayes) position ;-))

[Renegade]

On the train home now. Very poor display I'm afraid. We should have beaten that mob and often seemed to run out ideas when we got into the final third. In saying that we started alright with Andrew Shinnie hitting the bar and another where the ball bounced around in the box before getting stuck in the mud!   

The second half was a poor showing from both sides, with ICT looking rather static in possession and on the attack, along with many poor passes.

Next week's Highland Derby is the probably the biggest and most important there has ever been. And I for one do not fancy our chances.

Edited March 9, 2013 by Renegade

[Donview]

[quote

I guess some would prefer we were in Aberdeen's (and a certain Mr Hayes) position ;-))

Edited March 9, 2013 by Donview

[NoIInTeam]

Remember we have a survival budget and punched above our weight before the break. This will go down to the wire but let's judge after these games are finished. It could go either way at the minute but we are unbeaten in 5 (I think) so not the end of the world. We don't have a right to beat anyone, we need a bigger squad and no team these days can expect to have continuous great form with maybe 12 first team players with spl quality. So take a deep breath and hope tf that we make it. Ignore our neighbours, ignore everyone except killie, DU and Aberdeen, they are the only ones who can stop us making the top 6. Signing off, no comments from me until the next three games are over.

[djh222]

Just got back home. Were very poor. It was almost as if we were playing rugby every pass went back apart from aimless punts up the field. It didn't help though with such a poor pitch. Also Andy Shinnie looked and played as if he was already thinking about Birmingham. In the end I thought a point was just about right

[Potandbrush]

Shinnie, Scotland international and maybe a championship player next season, what a joke. Hasnt played anywhere like he can since all the transfer talk about him around the turn of the year, to many of the players do a lot of talking in the papers but fail to deliver on the pitch, lets see if they can do their talking on the pitch next Saturday !!!

[caleydawson]

a points a point if we just keep going then we can still make top six 

[Renegade]

County are above us

 

[+DoofersDad]

With us playing the bottom side today and County playing the top side, for them to get two more points than us and leapfrog us into third has to make it a bad day.     

 

But let's look at the positives.

 

The teams in mid table seem to be doing all they can to avoid being in the top six.

 

If we win next week and other results go our way we could confirm our top six slot.

 

If we win next week then we will have the longest unbeaten run in the league.

 

And who would ever have thought that the two Old Filth teams would be gubbed by such small town teams as Ross County and Annan Athletic on the same day.  Now that just has to be good for Scottish football. 

 

 

[Heilandee]

Match report from Dee perspective for any interested.........

 

Dundee's improved form continued with an entertaining 1-1 draw with Inverness Caley Thistle at Dens Park this afternoon. Disappointingly the Dee couldn't hold on after John Baird's early goal and Billy McKay equalised with a late header.

Caley Thistle spent the first 10 minutes largely in the Dundee half without creating any real danger. It was Dundee who took the lead after 12 minutes with a well worked move. Harkins and Conroy combined cleverly on the left to create space for John BAIRD to run on and score with a sweetly struck low shot from 18 yards that flew inside Esson's right hand post.

Two minutes later Nicky Riley crashed a 20 yard shot just too high when the ball broke to him after a corner. Any thoughts that Caley Thistle might allow Dundee an easy ride were swiftly dispelled as the visitors came agonisingly close to equalising.

First, Douglas failed to reach a corner and Warren's header was kept out by Irvine, who managed to turn the ball onto the crossbar. Lewis Toshney scrambled the ball away when it dropped onto the goal-line.

Next Andrew Shinnie turned neatly and smashed a 20 yard shot over Douglas and off the crossbar.

Caley Thistle might have been menacing in attack, but their defence continually lost shape and concentration when they were coming forward. Dundee always looked capable of opening them up on the counter attack. However, it was a spell of patient passing around the visitors' penalty area that nearly brought a second goal. Riley swung a dangerous cross into the goalmouth, Baird lunged at it and Esson pulled off a remarkable reflex save at point blank range. The ball broke to Harkins, but the defence managed to crowd him out.

Caley Thistle had the better of the later stages in the first half. Billy McKay managed to burrow his way into the penalty area, but the Dark Blues managed to get bodies in the way to block his first shot and follow up. A dangerous cross from Doran on the right was then turned away by Iain Davidson's fine defensive header.

Another good header by Davidson nearly gave Dundee the perfect start to the second half, but Esson managed to tip his glancing effort from a corner over the bar.

Dundee had their best spell of the match after half time. A series of neat moves, mostly involving Riley on the right, posed problems for the Caley Thistle defence that they struggled to deal with.

The visitors were still very much in the game and looked dangerous whenever they came forward. Doran's wicked cross into the goalmouth caused near panic before the Dee defence managed to clear.

That was a rare moment of consternation in the home defence in the second half. For the most part they handled the Caley Thistle attacks better than in the first half, and it was the visitors' defence who looked utterly unconvincing. They were wide open when Dundee broke out from defence, and the Dark Blues should really have punished them.

Two particularly promising breaks were wasted by the Dee. Riley led a fast counter attack, but Gary Irvine's poor cross ended the attack. Another swift breakaway was spoilt when Conroy couldn't control Riley's cross.

Caley Thistle came close when Douglas had to leap to his left to touch Tudor Jones accurate 20 yard shot round the post.

It seemed likely that the game would see at least one more goal. Terry Butcher threw on Richie Foran to play alongside Billy McKay, with Andrew Shinnie just behind them. 

Caley Thistle managed to get the breakthrough before Dundee could take advantage of the visitors' undermanned midfield and unimpressive defence. They worked the ball patiently around the park in front of the Dundee defence till Graeme Shinnie found space to swing over a dangerous cross to the far post where Billy McKAY, under pressure, managed to force his header inside the post.

Both sides tried to win the game in the last few minutes, but the two defences managed to see the game out without too much concern. Carl Finnigan came off the bench, replacing Gary Harkins for the last few minutes, but there was to be no dream ending.

A point apiece was a very fair result over the 90 minutes. Caley Thistle could rightly point to some very good play and poor luck in the first half. However, any away team that allows the home side so much space to attack should be grateful to concede only one goal. 

It was certainly disappointing that Dundee couldn't hold out for all three points, but they should have sewn the game up with their counter attacks in the second half long before Caley Thistle scored. The visitors carried constant threat when they attacked, and a single goal never looked likely to be enough for the Dee. 

That's three league games undefeated, producing five points. John Baird has scored in each of them and is looking a far happier and more effective player with the increased confidence that the goals have brought. There was a good shape to the Dundee team today, and Caley Thistle were allowed no peace when they were in possession. When we had the ball there were plenty of pleasing moves, mainly involving Baird, Harkins, Riley and Conroy. 

Caley Thistle won the previous two matches between the sides 4-1 on each occasion. This was a very even match and it never looked like being a repeat of those trouncings.

It might be too late to avoid relegation, but Dundee are now looking a good, competitive side, capable of playing some attractive football. That should give the Dark Blue faithful something to enjoy in last few weeks of the season. Today was no thriller, but it was a decent entertaining performance and match, which is a pleasant contrast to many of the games we've seen before this season.

Dundee FC 4-4-1-1

Douglas
Irvine, Grassi, Toshney, Easton
Riley, Davidson, McAlister, Conroy
Harkins (Finnigan 85)
Baird 

Unused subs; Alex Baird (gk), Benedictus, Gallagher, McBride, Stewart

Goal; Baird (12)

Bookings; Easton (foul on Doran), Davidson (foul on Andrew Shinnie)

Inverness CT 4-4-1-1

Esson
Raven, Warren, Meekins, Taylor (Ross 57)
Doran (Foran 71), Draper, Tudor Jones, Graeme Shinnie
Andrew Shinnie
McKay

Unused subs; Reguero (gk), Polworth, Gibbons, Devine, Sutherland

Goal; McKay (82) 

Bookings; Graeme Shinnie (foul on Riley), Foran (dissent)

Attendance; 4,114

Referee; Craig Thomson

Report; James Christie   

[Bush]

If we win next week then we will have the longest unbeaten run in the league:

Really? I didn't realise that. County are currently on 11 - did we go longer?

[+DoofersDad]

If we win next week then we will have the longest unbeaten run in the league:

Really? I didn't realise that. County are currently on 11 - did we go longer?

That's not what I meant.  If we win next week we will be 5 games currently undefeated in the league,  Dundee Utd are also curently on 4.  County may be on 11 undefeated at the moment but next week they will be on zero ganes undefeated.

[finmack]

Heilandee saw the match very much as i did. Our passing today was atrocious. If we can beat County next week we may still make the top six

[CaleyD]

Superb effort from Caley today!   Not saying that Dundee should be pushovers, but looking at how County are going you would think that a little more passion and eye for goal would be in the team! So now we've got County at home ABOVE US? Ridiculous considering how well we were going before!

 

6 of their last 8 games have been at home, on a pitch that is nothing short of diabolical and gives them a clear advantage against all visitors.

 

The 2 away games were against Dundee when they were at rock bottom, and before the "new manager bounce" and Aberdeen who's pitch would have felt like home to them.

 

Also need to keep in mind that two of those games should have been played before they were able to strengthen in the transfer window....games postponed by state of their pitch, so another advantage from it being screwed up.

 

Let's see how they perform next week on a proper pitch where their opponents can get the ball down on the deck and play some football against them.  My prediction is that we'll well and truly put them back in their box with a lesson on how the game is played on a level (quite literally) playing field.

[Doch4]

Didn't look so bad when watching the highlights. We had chances. So did they.

 

[MarkD]

Ooerr... Nick Ross with an LDZ like clearance towards our box!

[Yngwie]

Very disappointed with that result, and the one in Dingwall just made things worse.  All the more that Rad Douglas was clearly injured (never once kicked the ball) yet we hardly tested him.

 

First half - huge gulf in class and the HT score was a travesty. We probably had more possession in their 18yd box than they had in our half. Cut through their midfield with ease and got into countless good attacking positions, but nothing came of the chances we had. More of the same in the 2nd hald and I'd have expected us to win 3-1.

 

Second half - we never really got our fluidity going. I'm not sure it was because Dundee stifled us, I think we stifled ourselves, and the heads dropped when the players were clearly thinking about the rollocking they knew they were goping to get from Terry. The equaliser lifted them, and Dundee got a bit panicky, but time ran out.

 

 Draper was my MoM, in a game in which we must have disposessed Dundee in midfield a dozen times.

 

Warren had a rather shakey 2nd half, uncharacteristically unsolid. Noticeable because it's just not like him.

[tm4tj]

Anyone got a match report for me????????????

[davie]

My match report's done.... But that was a horrible surface to try and play on - it was like glue. The penalty boxes were both ploughed and it was really only when I walked across the pitch at the end that I could figure out how strong the wind was out there. Allied to the fact that Dundee fought like hell, it wasn't a bad point.Glad we won't have to go back there this season all things being well.

[SMEE]

Well...way i see it.....its one more point towards securing Top 6, which is progress.....so im Happy :)

 

In FACT......3 games to go till the split. 9 points to play for, we are 5 points ahead of team in 6th place (but they have one game in hand.) but basically, Hibs or those around them will have to go on a 4 game winning streak, with us not picking up ANY points, to threaten our place in top 6. I reckon If we can get 3 point from our next 3 games...its gonna be our most sucsessfull season ever (ie: a top 6 finnish) :)

Edited March 10, 2013 by SMEE

[Renegade]

A real pet peeve of mine is the fact that we never really ever press from the front.  This could have been very effective yesterday, as Douglas was seemingly injured and barely kicked the ball all game and had that Grassi take every (bar one) goal kick for him.  It was the same against Dundee United a few weeks ago.  When their keeper or defenders were in possession we just seemed to let them have it.  I'd much rather see us put them under pressure.  They say Ross County are very good this.

 

Also, has the 4-2-3-1 system and team selection ground to a halt?  Of course there are benefits to having a settled team, but has it now gotten to the stage where teams will now exactly how we'll line-up and how to play against us?  There doesn't seem to be much momentum just now either and maybe the starting line-up could do with some freshening up.  We also never really spring any tactical surprises.  Whatever happened to Pepper?  On the plus side though, Butcher has started to make changes before the 85th minute, which is nice.

 

I wonder if a switch to a 4-4-2 diamond or 4-3-3 would be of a great benefit to the final push.

Edited March 10, 2013 by Renegade

[tm4tj]

http://caleythistleonline.com/page/index.html/_/reports-2012-13/dundee-v-inverness-ct-report-r1032

 

full report now published with match video added

[NorthOfInverness]

Lot's of people not thinking we will make top 6?? We only have to get 3 or so points and we will get it comfortably!

[lukemackay]

top six is barring a miracle secure, i cant see dundee utd catching 5 points on us in 3 games.

 

next goal is to end countys run and then create some space between us and them, and gain that european place. do we need certain players to get back to their best, yes. can we do it? fecking right we can.

Edited March 10, 2013 by lukemackay

[ICTPaisley]

Chances are we've already reached top 6.  Even for Hibs to get above us who are already in the top 6 they need to beat us at home, and then beat either Celtic or Motherwell away.  Thats a tough ask i reckon.