Dundee United Summer 2018

Dundee United

I’ve started then deleted several different types of posts (many written whilst highly emotional) but I have decided that I should let go of my anger and disappointment to focus on the here and now.

We are all very, very angry at the way our league campaign ended and most United supporters are also still very confused as to how Csaba Laszlo remains in charge after failing to gain promotion. The Hungarian has a genuine vote of confidence by Mike Martin and he will be given the freedom of Tannadice when it comes to a summer overhaul that has already started with the termination of nearly 20 playing contracts. We have also seen staffing changes in recent weeks and if rumours are to be believed the changes in coaching, youth and recruitment are not yet over. Remember, Mike Martin stated when he first became Chairman to judge him on his actions…

The purpose of this blog post is similar to one I did in January. I will hopefully update things every few days and add detail when there is concrete and confirmed news regarding signings or any other changes at the club. Brace yourselves, it could be an incredibly busy summer with the addition of at least a dozen new players and changes in backroom staff, the boardroom and, if there is a god, the pies at Tannadice (unfortunately I made up that last bit). I will not be updating this page with rumours or paper talk, the summer is full of ‘names on a dartboard’ type journalism and this is only made worse with a number of social media accounts claiming to be “in the know”. Until something officially happens there is no point in reporting on it.

So with all of that in mind…

Current 1st Team Squad

Stewart Murdoch (contracted until 2019)

Tam Scobbie (contracted until 2019)

Lewis Toshney (contracted until 2019)

Paul McMullan (contracted until 2019)

Billy King (contracted until 2019)

Sam Stanton (contracted until 2020)

William Edjenguele (contracted until 2019)

Jamie Robson (contract extended until 2020)

Scott Allardice (new contract lasting until 2019)

James Keatings (contracted until 2019)

Deniz Mehmet (contract extension into next season)

Fraser Fyvie (new contract lasting until 2020)

Matty Smith (contracted until 2020)

Josh Donaldson (new contract until 2020)

Nicky Clark (signed until 2020)

Callum Booth (signed until 2020)

Sam Wardrop (signed until 2020)

Fraser Aird (signed until 2020)

Craig Curran (signed until 2021)

Frederic Frans (signed until 2020)

Benjamin Siegrist (signed until 2020)

Matej Rakovan (signed until 2020)

Christoph Rabitsch (signed until 2020)

Released/Transferred Players

Willo Flood, Bilel Mohsni, Mark Durnan, Cammy Ballantyne, Jordie Briels, Paul Quinn, Grant Gillespie, Emil Lyng, Thomas Mikkelsen, Harry Lewis, Anthony Ralston, Craig Slater, Brandon Mason, Scott McDonald, Brett Long, Graham Taylor, Dom McMeekin and Logan Martin.

Staffing Changes

Goalkeeping Coach Stuart Garden has left the club. He joined in 2015 as part of Mixu Paatelainen’s backroom squad. Craig Easton arrives as Reserve Team manager and Scott Robertson has joined him but will take responsibility of the U18s side. German coach Werner Burger joins the coaching staff. Former Livingston and Hearts goalkeeper Neil Alexander arrives as a Goalkeeping Coach.

Other Club News

United’s new 2018/19 Home and Away Kits – 

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New Signings/Contract Extensions

17th May – Fraser Fyvie signs a new two-year deal at the club. 

18th May – Declan Glass and Logan Chalmers sign contract extensions that run until 2020.

21st May – Deniz Mehmet signs a contract extension that runs into next season.

22nd May – Jamie Robson signs a new two-year deal and Scott Fraser leaves the club.

23rd May – Striker Nicky Clark joins the club from Dunfermline. He has signed a two year contract.

28th May – Matty Smith signs contract extension until 2020.

30th May – Former Partick Thistle left-back Callum Booth signs on a two-year deal.

31st May – Right-back Sam Wardrop arrives on a two year contract from Celtic.

1st June – Striker Craig Curran signs from Ross County on a three-year deal and is joined by Fraser Aird who pens a two-year contract after leaving Dunfermline. An announcement is also made regarding the club’s scouting team with the addition of Dave Bowman as Head Scout for Scotland and the confirmation that Paul Sturrock is now the club’s Chief Scout. Finally Craig Easton returns to Tannadice as Reserve Team manager.

8th June – Scott Robertson returns to Tannadice as U18s coach.

14th June – German coach Werner Burger joins the backroom staff.

15th June – Defender Frederic Frans joins on a two year deal.

18th June – Swiss Goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist has signed a two year deal. Soon after this was announced we also welcomed goalkeeper Matej Rakovan to the club.

19th June – Neil Alexander arrives as a coach and the club announce the signing of midfielder Cristophe Rabitsch.

Opinions and Ramblings

This last bit will probably be chopped, changed and edited as the summer moves on but what I don’t want it to be is a look back at the problems we had last season. We all know the issues facing the club and we all know how badly the team performed after the January transfer window so this is more of a look forward. As a Dundee United fan I am still very aware of the major problems at Tannadice but as a football fan I am, maybe naively, still very excited every summer when a large number of players leave and a new squad are assembled. There will be rumours every day linking us with players of a decent calibre and we probably will still have the largest budget in the Championship next year but on paper the division will be tougher so the club MUST get recruitment right. The manager, who many of us expected to leave, will be under intense scrutiny and will not be given any flexibility once the new season begins.

17th May – The first positive piece of news arrived in the shape of Fraser Fyvie extending his stay at Tannadice. Anyone who watched United between October and December of last year will know that Fyvie was pretty much our best player and we can look to his injury as the beginning of our season falling apart. There will undoubtedly be question marks over his fitness and injury proneness but if Fyvie can stay fit the prospect of him playing alongside Sam Stanton for a full season is certainly one that should fill fans with hope. He is easily one of the best players in the division.

21st May – With no real news other than an obscene amount of speculation it has been all quiet at Tannadice these last few days. It is disappointing not to have seen more activity by now but we do need to be patient as transfer negotiations can take time. The one piece of contract news announced today was the extension of Deniz Mehmet’s deal. The goalkeeper only really broke into the team during the last few games and if it wasn’t for a freak injury he would have finished the season as the club’s first choice goalkeeper. I’m pleased he has been given a longer deal but we definitely still need more competition in the goalkeeping department.

22nd May – This afternoon the club announced that Jamie Robson had signed a new contract. As little as 6 months ago there was talk in media about Robson leaving this summer to go and join one of a number of sides in England who had apparently been scouting the young fullback. After an ill-advised moment of madness over the festive period things started to change for Robson and his form suffered. Fans started to question his commitment and many were vocal about the club’s handling of his Snapchat incident. Many fans, myself included, struggle to see what the future holds for a player who still has a great deal to learn but Csaba Laszlo obviously thinks he can be an important part of the squad. The club still need more cover in the fullback area so you wouldn’t think that he has been signed to be number one choice and hopefully we bring in some experience at the back so that we are not reliant on Robson.

It has also been announced that Scott Fraser has left the club. This move was always on the cards and although there is no indication of where he might end up he will get a club very quickly. Probably one of the most frustrating players we’ve had in a number of years Fraser is incredibly talented but does need to work on being a bit more physical and tactically aware. He probably needs a fresh start.

23rd May –Dunfermline striker Nicky Clark has joined United. I am pretty pleased with this deal. We have managed to secure an experienced striker who averages 10-15 goals a season and he is someone who knows the division very well. With James Keatings returning to fitness it is a good base to start from in terms of the forward area. We probably still need a target man and hopefully the club are working hard to make this happen.

28th May – No real developments coming out of Tannadice but a contract extension has been given to Matty Smith. He has shown flashes of real promise but has also never really nailed down a spot in Laszlo’s starting lineup. A decent piece of business.

30th May – We signed a left-back! Former Partick Thistle defender Callum Booth has joined on a two-year deal. I actually watched the playoffs thinking he looked decent and when he was listed as one of the players to be released by Partick I thought he might add depth to the squad and would make a decent enough signing. He enjoys getting forward and will add a great deal of creativity down the left flank. Booth is an experienced player having played over 200 first team games and should become a consistent and reliable presence in the United backline. Overall I’m pleased with this one and pleased we have made a left-back a priority signing.

31st May – After securing a left-sided defender yesterday it is great to hear that today we have signed a right-back from Celtic. In Sam Wardrop United have managed to secure the services of a young, highly thought of player with a great deal of potential. Wardrop, who had an impressive loan spell with Dumbarton last season, enjoys getting forward and is defensively very sound. A former captain of the Celtic youth setup he will provide great balance on the right hand side and it is a signing we should be really pleased with.

1st June – The busiest day of the summer so far. Two new signings, new roles for Dave Bowman and Paul Sturrock plus the return of Craig Easton as he becomes Reserve Team manager. I must say that this has been an enjoyable couple of weeks so far and it is great to be getting so much news and how regular the developments have been. I think it is probably the case that some of the signings were made a number of days ago and it is PR by the club to announce them separately to give fans a constant stream of news but we are busy and that is a positive. I am pretty pleased with both Aird and Curran as I think they can both add a lot of energy in the attacking areas but both have suffered from big dips in form during their careers. The squad still needs reinforcements in the defence and we still need a new goalkeeper but with two weeks before the start of pre-season it is looking likely that we will have much of our business done before the players return.

14th June –A quiet couple of weeks at Tannadice. The return of Scott Robertson to United as U18 coach was the only real piece of news up until this evening when it was announced that long-term friend and colleague of Csaba Laszlo, Werner Burger, has joined the coaching staff at the club. The German had been heavily linked with a move to United and things were made official today. Not entirely sure what kind of impact this might have but it does look like we have a very strong set of coaches at the club (and we may still add a goalkeeping specialist to this). The general consensus is that we may add two or three to the squad this weekend so watch this space…

15th June – Thankfully the rebuild continues and we can now boast an experienced central defender who should become a key player for United. I am delighted with the capture of Frédéric Frans and I was always impressed with him whilst he was at Partick. His previous (and childhood) club Lierse have been recently liquidated so Frans arrives as a free agent. This is a really important signing for the club and if we can secure at least one more central defender with a decent pedigree then we have the makings of a very solid defence. Frans is an experienced captain and is the type of leader we need.

18th June – We’ve added two goalkeepers to the squad! I would be lying if I said I knew anything about Benjamin Siegrist but he has had a pretty varied career and at 26 he is at a good age. It looks like he has spent much of his careers a backup and was only number one choice at his previous club Vaduz. In terms of Matej Rakovan he is a bit more experienced and is someone we had been linked with previously. He has also signed a two year deal and you would imagine he will start the season as first choice.

19th June – A surprising addition to the coaching staff in the shape of Neil Alexander. I thought he was excellent for Livingston last season and assumed that he would like a final season in the top flight before retiring. He has decided to join United and I personally think it could be a great addition for the club. He is a winner, young in terms of coaching and will bring a real enthusiasm to the coaching staff. On the player front we have signed Austrian Cristophe Rabistch. Like a few of our other new signings we don’t really know much about Rabitsch other than he is a combative, defensive midfielder and at 22 he is a good age.

 

Playoff Preview – Dundee United vs Livingston

Dundee United,

Well let’s be honest, after 55 turgid minutes of football on Friday night I did not expect to be writing a piece previewing the next round of the playoffs. I had sat in my seat for most of half-time thinking about what I wanted to write in an end of season rant but from the moment Scott McDonald’s neat flick ended up in the back of the net to level the score it was pretty much all United and now we can look ahead with genuine optimism as we face Livingston tomorrow night and again on Friday. Although we did play some pretty uninspiring football against Dunfermline we did eventually dominate the game and we ran out comfortable winners in the end. We managed the game very well and it was a rare glimpse of United’s players showing grit and determination. We may have only had two days rest but you would hope that the professionalism and experience of the squad will give them that extra energy boost ahead of tomorrow’s home leg.

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Moving on to the game itself and I actually quite like the fact that we are at home in the first leg. I know that generally speaking the advantage is always if you play at home in the second game but to be honest our away form is so poor that if we can get a decent result at home then it would give us something to hold on to. I also think that the mood after the game on Friday was really positive so hopefully that good feeling (coupled with the bank holiday weekend and decent weather) might mean a good turn out and a great atmosphere from the stands. The players need us to give them our complete and unwaivering support until the end of these playoff games.

On paper I am actually more optimistic about beating Livingston compared to Dunfermline. I think that Dunfermline have a stronger squad of players and Livingston, for the most part, have relied heavily on team spirit, form and good man management. In a one-off cup-tie like fixture I think that United should be confident of securing a result and the home advantage tomorrow night should give the players confidence.

I personally hope that Laszlo will start with a more recognised 4-4-2 and I think that, fitness permitting, we should be looking to play our most physical starting 11. Livingston know how to play a more physical game and I worry that players like Fraser and Robson may not be given the time and space on the ball they want. The changes I would make would be to drop Robson and bring Durnan back into the heart of the defence, allowing Murdoch to be shifted over to the left. I would also start with Mikkelsen upfront alongside McDonald to give him help in unsettling the Livi defence. I’d like to think that McMullan would be fit enough to start out wide with King on the opposition flank. It is safe to say that King has not exactly stood out in the playoffs but to be honest he is the only other genuine wide player we have.

What we need again is a good backing from the fans. The atmosphere at East End Park was great and although the first half on Friday meant a chorus of boos at half-time the atmosphere in the last twenty minutes was brilliant. It felt like Tannadice should and it was great to hear some of the lesser heard songs getting a run out as we made our way out of the ground and into the queue for tickets.

United are more than capable of securing their place in the playoff final. Let’s make it happen, let’s back the team and let’s turn Tannadice into a sea of tangerine tomorrow night.

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Match Preview – Dunfermline vs Dundee United

Dundee United,

Let’s get one thing straight, the playoffs are a time for unwavering support. This blog post will be a positive one, a supportive one and one that will hopefully lift the spirits a little.  These upcoming fixtures may lead to nothing but as long as we are in the playoffs the reality is that we are one step closer to a promotion and a return to the Premiership. It might seem like a pipe dream and it might seem like we require a footballing miracle but this is football after all and miracles can and do happen. If we are to demand every last ounce of energy from the players then we as fans must also give the same.

Fatigue will play a part but the supporters can alievate that a little by giving the players that extra ounce of energy. We faltered badly by the time we reached the Hamilton games last season but there is more depth to this squad and we do, on paper, have more options in most areas of the park. The team is also actually on a pretty good run of form (Queen of the South apart). There is more than enough experience in this squad to see off Dunfermline and then Livingston next week. As I write this I know some of it sounds like an alien language compared to recent blog posts but once again I say, this is football and miracles can happen. From the moment I step into East End Park tomorrow to the moment that the final whistle is blown in whatever playoff fixture we end up in the team will get my complete backing. The United fans are a loyal bunch when the pressure is on and if early ticket sales are anything to go by the team will have the support they want. It is all down to them. I would suggest that these playoff games are like one-off domestic cup fixtures, the team that wants to win the battle will be the team that wins out in the end.

I also hope that in all of is managerial experience we have someone in charge who can at least try to tactically navigate his way through these high-pressure ties. In Csaba Laszlo we have a manager who is eccentric and unpredictable so maybe, just maybe this is the kind of environment he will thrive in. He has promised a new Dundee United, he has promised that things will be different in playoffs. Csaba, I hope that you are right.

I’m not sure what kind of system the manager will deploy tomorrow but I hope that he picks a side who can play the occasion and not the game. I know that maybe sounds like the complete opposite of what a manager would say but to be honest the winning formula in a playoff game is the occasion taking over and giving the players the energy and passion to get over the finishing line. I look to the St.Mirren game recently as an example of a team playing the occasion. We fought, we battled and we bent the rules a little when it came to gamesmanship. For me this is what I want again tomorrow as we travel to Dunfermline. The home leg is maybe an opportunity to open up a bit more but I think tomorrow is all about stamping your authority on the tie.

All talk of form, head-to-heads and hoodoos don’t really make a difference in my opinion. It might be that football record books show that we have a ridiculously good record over Dunfermline but others might say that maybe now is the time for them to end that. Tomorrow and Friday are about heart and fight, not statistics and form guides.

When all is said and done and as we look ahead to these games against Dunfermline and beyond remember, this is football and miracles do happen…

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Match Preview – Dundee United vs Livingston

Dundee United,

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Saturday’s game against Livingston is even being played. For United the focus is now the playoffs (okay we still need a result to guarantee 3rd) and for Livi it will be a case of party mode as they can relax in the knowledge that they have a bit of time off before they face Dunfermline in the second round of the playoffs (see what I did there?).

As soon as I published my last match preview I knew that I had pretty much guaranteed United losing the game in Dumfries. It was full of positives and praise for the players who had started to show grit, desire and determination. Amazing then that this all seemed to disappear and at the most important time. I am all for questioning Csaba Laszlo and his managerial capabilities but last Saturday was all on the players. They made the errors, they suddenly lost any drive they had in previous games and they were the ones who let us down YET AGAIN.

The match against Livingston is an absolute non-event. Should the manager play the youngsters? Should he use it as a way of testing the team he would like to start in the playoffs? Either way the atmosphere on Saturday will be completely flat and it will be a pretty meaningless game of football. We don’t have long to wait until the first playoff matches but my worry is that most United supporters (myself included) seem totally nonplussed by the whole scenario. I am absolutely behind the team in terms of wanting them to achieve but it does feel as though there is an inevitability about our failure to secure promotion for the second time in succession. Maybe I shouldn’t be so pessimistic and in many ways there is more depth to this squad compared to last season but the reality is this group of players have a track record for falling short when the pressure is really on.

A short match preview for a match short on excitement. Maybe by Sunday I will be in a better place to go full steam ahead for the playoffs. Hopefully the United players will feel the same. If we do fall at the first hurdle then I suppose we can comfort ourselves with the knowledge that you would expect some major reshuffling at the club to start pretty soon after the last ball is kicked.

Match Preview – Queen of the South vs Dundee United

Dundee United,

A week is a long time in football.

After I published my St.Mirren match preview I was sent three separate messages via Twitter and Facebook accusing me of being overly pessimistic. I would argue that the match preview didn’t contain anything that wasn’t true and that it was written after a series of very, very poor performances. Maybe it was Csaba who messaged me and then decided to pin the report up in the Tannadice dressing room because less than 24 hours later Dundee United produced, in many ways, the performance of the season so far. To deny St.Mirren the title at Tannadice was important for the players but more so for the fans. The team has since followed that win with another 3 points against Falkirk and then again against Brechin on Tuesday night. It gives us all hope that maybe, just maybe, the season might still have a few surprises left. We are in a very strong position to secure at least a playoff spot and you can now begin to even dream about a 2nd place finish. If we did somehow finish behind St.Mirren it would give the team some extra rest before the playoff fixtures. It requires Livi dropping points but they may well do that against Inverness next Tuesday night as the Highland side can still sneak into the playoffs and they will travel to the Tony Macaroni Arena full of confidence after a remarkable run of wins. If David Hopkin’s men do drop points then the last league game of the season will be a really exciting fixture to look forward to. It also looks like Csaba has finally found a fairly settled side that can produce some consistency at the right time. Is everything falling in to place?

The most pleasing aspect about the last few games and, in particular, the St.Mirren performance is the fact that we have played like a Championship team. By that I mean we are a bit happier to kick folk, waste a little time and ‘play the game’ a little bit in terms of sportsmanship. For some it might be a little much but for me and most United fans it is a refreshing and satisfying style of play because it shows another side to a team that we have been questioning. We are not out of the woods, there are still flaws, but the last three games have shown us a different Dundee United.

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There is no doubt that the game on Saturday is a must win. Hopefully this newly galvanised group of players can yet again produce the goods and, as long as the footballing gods are smiling on us, it means we can then begin to look forward to a final day showdown against Livingston.

What we will definitely need in Dumfries is another strong performance by our defenders and goalkeeper. Amazingly we have now managed three clean sheets in a row, something that would have been unthinkable a few fixtures previous. Praise must be given to Deniz Mehmet who has now probably cemented his number one spot for the remaining games and it has been very pleasing to watch the development of Tony Ralston who is growing with each passing minute on the pitch. There is also no doubt that we are now beginning to see the real value in our surprise signing of Bilel Mohsni. He may well have been a figure of fun before he arrived at Tannadice but he is clearly the best defender we have and he could be the key to any possible playoff success (ironic given his history in these games). Reports today suggest we are trying to negotiate a contract extension for the defender, whose contract expires this summer.

It was mentioned the other day that we now have more points than we did last season which feels a bit strange given the overall disappointment in this campaign. Make no mistake, if we do not get promoted it will be seen as a failure but we are at least putting ourselves in a position to make it a possibility, regardless of how slight a chance that might be.

All talk of the boardroom strife and potential investment is probably going to put in hold over the next four weeks as these season, and potentially club, defining games begin. It would be fantastic if this squad can give us something to get excited about in the month of May.