Dundee Utd

[Turps]

Quite damming statement from the chairman.

Statement From The Chairman

February 17, 2016

Stephen Thompson, Chairman of Dundee United Football Club, issued the following statement this morning:

“As Chairman of the Club, I would like apologise to all Dundee United supporters for the abysmal performance last night against Motherwell. The current position at the bottom of the Ladbrokes Premiership is wholly unacceptable. It is not where Dundee United should be under any circumstance.

“The board and myself have made certain decisions in the last eighteen months which in hindsight were incorrect but were made for the greater good of the Club and with the ambition of maintaining our position at the top of Scottish football, something we have done successfully for the last eight years. This included supporting a playing squad that commands the third highest wage bill in the Ladbrokes Premiership.

“However, we have failed miserably on the pitch with only three wins in 25 league matches and an early exit from the League Cup. Performances such as last night simply cannot be tolerated. The current playing squad now have thirteen matches to preserve the Club’s premiership status and redeem their own professional reputations.”

[Vinnie]

Selling the likes of Gauld and Armstrong and Mackay-Stevens didn't help their cause.  It may have raised some cash, and we'll not know how desperate they may have been for that, but it wasn't reinvested in the playing squad. 

As far as Im concerned, outside of the Old Firm, Scotland doesn't generate enough money for these teams to be considered big clubs.  That died in the late 80's - mid 90's.  Clubs are living on past glories and living beyond their means.  Weve had a bigger reality check than many clubs, its Uniteds turn now.

[Mr Mac]

Comments like this from directors only ever have two kinds of effect, very rarely positive.

If I was Mixu I'd be working out how to put a positive spin on my CV...........

Though it's clear the issues run much deeper: squad depleted by sales and replacements not cutting it, along with off the field stories like the Chairman wanting to run off to Oz.......details of Jackie Macs contract leaking and so on.

[Paradox]

Thompson needs to have a long hard look in the mirror.

He has stripped a decent side of all it's best players, not reinvested sufficiently and sacked a good manager in recent months.

[scottyboy]

I think these chairmen hope when they sell the best players for profit,  that their replacements will fill their boots without having to spend. Sometimes it can work if you have a decent youth player ready to make the breakthrough. If a player is worth 500k surely that would be what a replacements worth would be if you want the same standard. 

Did they need to sell to balance the books? 

 

[Paradox]

He comes across as a power-hungry guy, with little interest in the greater good of the game in Scotland.

United are another team living on past glories.

[Deutsch Par]

Statements like that are always damaging.  He has a half-hearted stab at taking some responsibility admitting that the board have made mistakes, does that include sacking McNamara?... Mixu Paatelainen must be wondering what he has got himself into and I think he'll jump before he's pushed.

United have sold a good few players over the past few years for less than they are worth and they haven't signed adequate replacements.  They're doomed imo, and when they go down I wouldn't put money on them coming back up immediately.

[DJAS]

Constantly selling their top players has led them to where they are. They could have potentially been challenging with Aberdeen/Hearts at the right end of the table.

 

Would be good for us if they dropped and we go up. Decent away following , better than Motherwell or Killie could offer.

[Vinnie]

Each club has the potential to be challenging. It just seems to be whoever gets the best run of form going and being able to hold on to players when January comes.

[Captain Deadpool]

They're going down. 

 

Whilst most of the criticism levelled at Thompson and his board, the selling of the top players isn't a fair one. Those players wanted to leave, so the club had to sell them or end up with a disgruntled player who may have totally lost form and who would have ****ed off for nothing months later. They can't compete financially with Celtic or offer the prospect of Champions League football, so could they have held on to the players?

[Vinnie]

They're going down. 

 

Whilst most of the criticism levelled at Thompson and his board, the selling of the top players isn't a fair one. Those players wanted to leave, so the club had to sell them or end up with a disgruntled player who may have totally lost form and who would have ****ed off for nothing months later. They can't compete financially with Celtic or offer the prospect of Champions League football, so could they have held on to the players?

Ryan Gauld never wanted to leave.  I think it is a massive opportunity for him, the club couldn't stand in his way.  Having said that, we hardly hear of him?  Last I heard he played in the Portuguese cup last year against a wee team and scored twice. 

Armstrong and Mackay-Stevens maybe had their heads turned, and ok, you grab what cash you can before players run their contracts down, but not replacing like for like is still an United?