Dundee Utd -V- ICT : Matchday thread

[Conival]

The last game I was at was Motherwell, and this was just such an improvement. God knows what Brewster has done, but it's certainly worked.

A nice goal, a win and a clean sheet.

I thought Proctor did well today, good defending and going forwards. Good to see Rankin and Black starting too. Also, was that Iain Vigurs' first appearance for the first team?

[Strathman]

Think it was. Congrats to Ian Vigurs on making his SPL debut. 

Have seen him in the reserves and the boy oozes composure.

[CaleyD]

A much improved performance compared to what we have seen in the last 2 or 3 games.  When Brewster arrived back at first he seemed to have an immediate impact and our performance away to Hibs was top drawer despite the result.  Today we proved again that we can get results when we choose to keep the ball on the ground and play football....add to that the fact that Brewster has found a way to utilise the best we have available in the squad with the setup he put out there.

I'm not convinced we had a "solid" formation on the park today as it seemed to drift from 4-1-4-1 to 4-2-3-1 to 4-4-2 to 4-3-3, the players seemed to be reading the game and each other pretty well and adapted to suit the play....I think this gave Dundee Utd huge headaches as they were finding it difficult to man-mark or even play any kind of zonal positioning.

Having that extra man sitting in front of the defence paid dividends as he was able to drop back and cover when Hastings or Proctor were pushing forward.

The game plan today didn't suit Niculae at all, he doesn't have the speed to play the lone striker role and despite turning defenders he didn't have the pace to play the ball and chase it....however, you could see he was trying and I would not question his commitment.  Not sure if his shaking the refs hand was time-wasting or getting at the Utd fans who were going ape over not having got any of the dozens of handballs we apparently committed in the box....a bit of gamesmanship and if nothing else it got a laugh.

Rossco.....better start bringing a cushion with you on match days as your going to be spending a bit of time on the bench if Proctor keeps performing the way he has been.  Don't think the lad put a foot wrong today and it would be hard for him to take if Tokely were to get straight back in to the squad.  I'd go as far as to say that Proctor out there today reminded me very much of a younger Rossco....long may it continue.

Hope Hastings is ok as that was a nasty knock he took...I heard the "clonk" from the stand as he was caught....Wouldn't be surprised if he had a serious concussion and he looked white as a sheet as he was carried from the pitch.  His departure saw McBain move into the left back role (which I think should be his new position on a permanent basis) and the arrival of Wilson looked to be causing the Utd Defense problems.

Rankin and Black....if these guys didn't prove today that they are worthy of a regular start then I have no idea what it will take.  The two of them were out there giving it everything.  If a discipline issue exists with Black then Brewster has to find some way of dealing with it that does not result in him missing games.

As to the opposition.....

Wilkie...all the footballing ability of a Hippo in high heels.  He spent more of the game on his erse than anything else and his endless attempts to run through players instead of around them should have seen him on at least 2 yellows.  Not since Viduka in "that game" have I seen any player so entirely owned by the ICT defence

Dods...We talk about missing him from our squad this season, but I tell you something, based on todays performance I wouldn't have him anywhere near the current ICT team...he was largely ineffective and seemed more intent on fouling our guys than playing any kind of football.

[kencar]

I don't want to take anything away from what was a fantastic result for the team and manager but I can't help wondering if we would have played the same formation if Wyness had been fit?  :024:

Not that it matters now of course. 3 points = a good day at the office  :021:

[CaleyD]

Perhaps not Kencar and I share your reservations...however "every cloud has a silver lining" as they say, and if this is the case then the absence of Wyness has proved to be a blessing in disguise.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

:rotflmao: The Dundee "Mexican" feckin wave - not ole but "HANDBALL2

I went to day with a fair bit of trepidation but that was the ICT "away" of yore - 4-1-4-1 - total committment, trying to pass the ball, two wide players, Duncan in front of the defence - Black, Cowie and Rankin bursting a gut to get forward as much as possible. That first half was the best performance in a long, long time. The Arabs came out of the block after half time, they pressed - took over midfield - and we lost our shape fer 15-20 minutes - plus Niculae was hardly an outlet. But we stuck at it and could have pinched 2 or 3 more on the break. We survived approximately 347 handball appeals, rode our luck at times and Brines gave some shocking decisions either way but we just about deserved the spoils in the end. What a difference a week makes.

FRASER  :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: Never really "tested" as such but his kicking and handling were first class today. The central defence looking solid probably helped as well.

PROCTOR  :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: Rosscoe is going to struggle getting his place back. Enuff said.

HASTINGS  :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: Defended well enuff but is a shade of the player he was.

MCGUIRE  :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: Best that I have seen him. He and Granty were tight and together today.

GRANTY  :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: Shades of the old Munro. Did well against Hee-Haw Wilkie who should have been red carded fer persisitent fouling.

COWIE  :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: Just shaded MOM fer me. What a feckin engine. Looked like ripping them apart in the first half. Played wide to great effect.

DUNCAN  :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: Possibly suffered by having to play second fiddle to Black and Rankin but did his usual sturdy "cleaning up" job.

BLACK  :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: Ruled midfield in the first half - gutsy display in second. Meant the chip but goalie should have had it - but what the feck.

RANKIN  :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: Almost pipped Cowie fer MOM - That was some display given his lack of matches.

ROYSTER  :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: A bit "invisible" again but had to play second fiddle a la Duncan.

NICULAE  :024: :024: INEFFECTUAL - If he is anything he isnt a lone striker. His lack of pace is so frustrating. Should have been hooked earlier. Fell over like Norman Wisdom and wore gloves - soft ******* - whats next - tights.   :rotflmao:

WILSON  :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03: Really looked up fer it. Gave us that extar option on the left when he came on.

BAYNE  :clapping03: :clapping03: :clapping03:  May not have the skill and the finesse but showed in 10 minutes just how to play the lone striker role. When Bayne came on we had an outlet and we began to take the game to them again  

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Is he being played in the wrong position ?

No - He is being played.  :001:

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

To those who say this was a weakened Dundee United side, Wilkie played centre forward at the Caledonian Stadium in a weakened side and they humiliated us.

This was an ICT side refreshed and much fitter with a sense of direction. The Dundee side was little changed in many respects. We have improved, they have started on excuses following Levein's run of good fortune after Brewster cleared out all the years of dead wood and created a youthful foundation with a few experienced guys coming in.

With speculation on the Scotland job likely to affect Hibs and United we can but hope they both lose concentration.

[chris123]

NICULAE  :024: :024: INEFFECTUAL - If he is anything he isnt a lone striker. His lack of pace is so frustrating. Should have been hooked earlier. Fell over like Norman Wisdom and wore gloves - soft ******* - whats next - tights.  :rotflmao:

Black wears gloves all the time. I'd luck to see you call him soft.

[Kingsmills]

Brewster's taken a lot of stickfor his tactical ineptitute in recent matches. It's only fair that he gets full credit for getting this one right.

[Ritchie Sacramento]

Think it was. Congrats to Ian Vigurs on making his SPL debut. 

He was pretty steady, and had a shot just wide a minute or two after he came on. :003:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

NICULAE  :024: :024: INEFFECTUAL - If he is anything he isnt a lone striker. His lack of pace is so frustrating. Should have been hooked earlier. Fell over like Norman Wisdom and wore gloves - soft ******* - whats next - tights.  :rotflmao:

Black wears gloves all the time. I'd luck to see you call him soft.

Calm down fer fecks sake - I really want Niculae to succeed but he is not progressing. My account of the game is what I saw. I think you may note - if you didnt concentrate so much on my comments - that a lot of peeple agreed with me.

Black didnt wear gloves but if he did he would be an even softer *******.

[chris123]

NICULAE  :024: :024: INEFFECTUAL - If he is anything he isnt a lone striker. His lack of pace is so frustrating. Should have been hooked earlier. Fell over like Norman Wisdom and wore gloves - soft ******* - whats next - tights.  :rotflmao:

Black wears gloves all the time. I'd luck to see you call him soft.

Calm down fer fecks sake - I really want Niculae to succeed but he is not progressing. My account of the game is what I saw. I think you may note - if you didnt concentrate so much on my comments - that a lot of peeple agreed with me.

Black didnt wear gloves but if he did he would be an even softer *******.

:blah01:

[CaleyD]

Maybe it as the gloves that were causing Blacks attitude issues....stroke of genius that he left them at home yesterday.

I think Niculae having the gloves on made him a little top heavy as he seemed to be on his erse a fair few times  :015:

Seriously though...I noticed a couple of our players sliding about early on yesterday and it brought back memories of that spell under Robbo when it appeared that our whole squad had gone out with no studs on at all and seemed to spend more time slipping on their butts than anything else.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

NICULAE  :024: :024: INEFFECTUAL - If he is anything he isnt a lone striker. His lack of pace is so frustrating. Should have been hooked earlier. Fell over like Norman Wisdom and wore gloves - soft ******* - whats next - tights.  :rotflmao:

Black wears gloves all the time. I'd luck to see you call him soft.

Calm down fer fecks sake - I really want Niculae to succeed but he is not progressing. My account of the game is what I saw. I think you may note - if you didnt concentrate so much on my comments - that a lot of peeple agreed with me.

Black didnt wear gloves but if he did he would be an even softer *******.

:blah01:

:moon2:

[tm4tj]

highlights of yesterdays game now on the BBC site

blackies goal

[Caleyjag]

Does anyone else watch the BBC screenings of games on Sundays? In this weeks game the commentator clearly calls Russell Duncan Alan Duncan. Fair enough if the game was live and it was a slip of the tongue, but its recorded and it really annoys me!!! Its sheer ignorance!! :008:

[The Mantis]

Alan Duncan  :015: :015: :015: :015:

Think it'll catch on?

[chris123]

NICULAE  :024: :024: INEFFECTUAL - If he is anything he isnt a lone striker. His lack of pace is so frustrating. Should have been hooked earlier. Fell over like Norman Wisdom and wore gloves - soft ******* - whats next - tights.  :rotflmao:

Black wears gloves all the time. I'd luck to see you call him soft.

Calm down fer fecks sake - I really want Niculae to succeed but he is not progressing. My account of the game is what I saw. I think you may note - if you didnt concentrate so much on my comments - that a lot of peeple agreed with me.

Black didnt wear gloves but if he did he would be an even softer *******.

:blah01:

:moon2:

[Scarlet Pimple]

TMFTJ--where exactly is the link to Blackie's goal. Have searched everywhere on the site/ Road map please. THX  :004:

[tm4tj]

on bbc.co.uk................can you get that in the West

or try the link under blackie goal.............or are you winding me up.

[Guest Arab4Ever]

To those who say this was a weakened Dundee United side, Wilkie played centre forward at the Caledonian Stadium in a weakened side and they humiliated us.

We did have 2 natural full backs the first time :023:

Excuses aside theres no complaints. The team was so disjointed it looked like something from the McCall/ Brewster era. We deserved nothing from the game and I dont even remember us threating goal once. Gomis was awesome yet again, especially the first 30 mins. My MOTM although Im sure you'l disagree. Peach of a goal. Niculae was disapointing and has no pace or mobility. An interesting Lee Milleresque "sack of tatties" style of diving as well.

Interesting to note in the matchday programme they had a ICT quiz which had the question "Why ICT was recently caught with cocaine" :002:

[Guest Arab4Ever]

Wilkie...all the footballing ability of a Hippo in high heels.  He spent more of the game on his erse than anything else and his endless attempts to run through players instead of around them should have seen him on at least 2 yellows.  Not since Viduka in "that game" have I seen any player so entirely owned by the ICT defence

Well you do realise hes a centre back with no knee? Sure hes got less mobility than Niculae but in a team with NO fit strikers in it then hes still one of the better options. In our two games this season Wilkie has looked like more of a striker than Marius Niculae. With the exception of a few sympathy call ups for the Scotland B squad (as the game was at the TCS) has any defender in your history had enough "footballing ability" to get called called up for Scotland at full or B level?

[chris123]

Wilkie...all the footballing ability of a Hippo in high heels.  He spent more of the game on his erse than anything else and his endless attempts to run through players instead of around them should have seen him on at least 2 yellows.  Not since Viduka in "that game" have I seen any player so entirely owned by the ICT defence

Well you do realise hes a centre back with no knee? Sure hes got less mobility than Niculae but in a team with NO fit strikers in it then hes still one of the better options. In our two games this season Wilkie has looked like more of a striker than Marius Niculae. With the exception of a few sympathy call ups for the Scotland B squad (as the game was at the TCS) has any defender in your history had enough "footballing ability" to get called called up for Scotland at full or B level?

:rotflmao: :rotflmao:

This coming from the fan of a team that have been ejaculating over  a certain Darren Dods since he moved to you. Oh, wait, and did he not just win a Scotland B cap.

Diddy

[CaleyD]

Wilkie...all the footballing ability of a Hippo in high heels.  He spent more of the game on his erse than anything else and his endless attempts to run through players instead of around them should have seen him on at least 2 yellows.  Not since Viduka in "that game" have I seen any player so entirely owned by the ICT defence

Well you do realise hes a centre back with no knee? Sure hes got less mobility than Niculae but in a team with NO fit strikers in it then hes still one of the better options. In our two games this season Wilkie has looked like more of a striker than Marius Niculae. With the exception of a few sympathy call ups for the Scotland B squad (as the game was at the TCS) has any defender in your history had enough "footballing ability" to get called called up for Scotland at full or B level?

My apologies.....had I stopped to think about his knee I would have realised that high heels would have been out of the question.