Deep thoughts for McGhee in New Firm derby clash

dons manager can cast envious glance at size of levein’s united squad

 

By Michael Gannon

 

Published: 23/10/2009

 

Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee would not swap his best team for Dundee United manager Craig Levein’s best, but McGhee can be forgiven for casting an envious glance at the depth of the Tannadice squad ahead of tomorrow’s New Firm derby at Pittodrie.

 

McGhee has been unable to make the wholesale changes his counterpart Levein has made at the Arabs in the past two season.

 

It was a similar tale last year when McGhee was with Motherwell, when the 53-year-old insisted the Taysiders had strengthened their squad rather than their team.

 

McGhee’s point was proven as Motherwell won two and drew one of three meetings with United last season, including a resounding 4-0 victory at Tannadice.

 

But the manager’s words were to prove prophetic.

 

Motherwell’s season collapsed when an injury crisis condemned the Steelmen to the bottom six after the split, while Levein’s large squad proved vital as United claimed fifth place.

 

McGhee can see parallels this season as he has a threadbare squad once more and he still believes the Arabs’ strength revolves around safety in numbers.

 

He said: “I put my foot in it with Dundee United at the start of last season.

 

“I was asked the question about them making a lot of signings when we had not.

 

“Eventually we were caught out because we had injuries to five key players and only picked up one point from seven games.

 

“It is possible Dundee United were able to stay a bit longer with the pace because they had a bigger squad.

 

“What I did say was I felt they had strengthened their squad but not their team. Therefore at that stage I would have still taken my best team ahead of their best team.

 

“We proved that by going to Tannadice and beating them 4-0.

 

“This season is similar in many ways.

 

“That is not something I hold against Craig. He is trying to work miracles and he has found one or two nuggets for nothing, or for very little money.

 

“I think he has some really good players and some who have improved, such as David Goodwillie.

 

“They have lost a few, but I do not know if the ones he has brought in have necessarily strengthened the team rather than maintained the level.

 

“That said, outside the Old Firm, they are as good as anyone else in the league on their day.

 

“We have got to expect them to be as good as they can be on Saturday and therefore we will have to be at our best.â€

 

McGhee will today decide whether to hand new signing Maurice Ross a debut against United.

 

The 28-year-old is in the squad after receiving international clearance yesterday and the manager has been impressed by the former Rangers defender’s fitness, despite him not playing a competitive match since the end of last season.

 

Ross came through 90 minutes in Tuesday’s bounce game against Dundee and is a contender for the right-back slot tomorrow.

 

Really could do with a win tomorrow just to maintain a close distance with HIVs. Hopefully the team can build on what were clear positives last weekend and get a couple of goals and 3 vital points.

Bottom 6 and no goals scored 

And I dont think we will be winning next week

5 games without a win.

 

Not good enough.

 

 

1 defeat in 8.......

2 wins out of 11 (Hamilton and St Mirren)

You're missing the point chaps, at least it's good entertaining football - the crowds will be returning in their thousands...

Despite all of the above we are only 5pts off europe and still 2pts ahead of fearts

Despite all of the above we are only 5pts off europe and still 2pts ahead of fearts

 

What's the facination with Europe? Didn't think it was important...

That was shite.

What's the facination with Europe? Didn't think it was important...

true

there's always the cups.........

It will be a victory for football if we finish bottom six, that twat Jimmy was more interested in playing shite and getting into Europe than he was about entertaining the fans.

It will be a victory for football if we finish bottom six, that twat Jimmy was more interested in playing shite and getting into Europe than he was about entertaining the fans.

yawn

You're missing the point chaps, at least it's good entertaining football - the crowds will be returning in their thousands...

SHock, the knives are out for McGhee and those that wnated him here, why don't you all fuck off, rename this forum to "We Love Jimmy talk" and follow him with his new team... Oh ats right he is that good he doesn't have a new job yet.

oooh nice bite

 

You have the team you deserve.

yawn

yawn

 

yawn

 

yawn

f'n shite match and the second half was probably the worst i've seen the dons play yet ...

as the half time whistle went i shouted at mm to get them going and he replied to calm down .... calm down? i'll give him calm down after that pish ....

 

STAND FREE!!

 

PS - the taxi for Kerr has been ordered again!

SHock, the knives are out for McGhee and those that wnated him here, why don't you all fuck off, rename this forum to "We Love Jimmy talk" and follow him with his new team... Oh ats right he is that good he doesn't have a new job yet.

 

Behave yourself. The fact that anyone's referring to the previous management after any defeat is pathetic. We're here for the long term folks, the sooner we all realise that the better. No-one in the SPL is cutting back as much as us, no-one is relying on youngsters as much as us and no-one is in a period of transition as great as us. But fine, if you want to jump to conclusions after getting beat by United, fire away. I'd rather leave it to the end of the season at the very least.

 

 

By all means, criticise factors which affected the outcome of this afternoon's events, but for the sake of our sanity don't bother judging the current management against the previous. It is an irrelevant discussion.

 

 

 

Also, consider this a 'bite' if you wish, I imagine that 'fishing' occurs at a level above this pish.

Behave yourself. The fact that anyone's referring to the previous management after any defeat is pathetic. We're here for the long term folks, the sooner we all realise that the better. No-one in the SPL is cutting back as much as us, no-one is relying on youngsters as much as us and no-one is in a period of transition as great as us. But fine, if you want to jump to conclusions after getting beat by United, fire away. I'd rather leave it to the end of the season at the very least.

 

 

By all means, criticise factors which affected the outcome of this afternoon's events, but for the sake of our sanity don't bother judging the current management against the previous. It is an irrelevant discussion.

 

 

 

Also, consider this a 'bite' if you wish, I imagine that 'fishing' occurs at a level above this pish.

yawn

I'm fucking tired

Is that ok?

Behave yourself. The fact that anyone's referring to the previous management after any defeat is pathetic. We're here for the long term folks, the sooner we all realise that the better. No-one in the SPL is cutting back as much as us, no-one is relying on youngsters as much as us and no-one is in a period of transition as great as us. But fine, if you want to jump to conclusions after getting beat by United, fire away. I'd rather leave it to the end of the season at the very least.

 

 

By all means, criticise factors which affected the outcome of this afternoon's events, but for the sake of our sanity don't bother judging the current management against the previous. It is an irrelevant discussion.

 

 

 

Also, consider this a 'bite' if you wish, I imagine that 'fishing' occurs at a level above this pish.

 

I'm not going to argue with your post, you're absolutely right. But why are we not allowed to mention the previous management team? They were removed because the product on the pitch was poor, and attendances were suffering as a result. Well the product on the pitch is still poor, same tactics, largely the same players, same 'favourites', same unrest amongst some of the support. Only change so far is we cant seem to win any games.

 

A gutless 2-0 defeat at home to one of our fiercest rivals might be something some fans can take in their stride, but right now I'm pissed off. Is that ok?

 

And minijc, the knives are certainly not out for McGhee (nor are the post-it-note protest 'banners')

As I've said before my gripe is not with MM, I hope he gets things right for us. However, I'm still struggling with the decision to spunk away however many hundreds of thousands of pounds it was to replace one flawed manager with another. Because if that money had been invested properly, on playing staff, we would have almost certainly been at least 2nd in the league tonight.

You can not say that though CTS, Jimmy was going to be signing, Harkins and McCunnie, I doubt either of them would have got us in to second place, last year we had went backwards, football had gotten worse, this year it would have probably have been much much worse and almost unbearable and I reckon we'd have been mid table.

He isn't fantasising though, I think he is being serious, McGhee was expected to come in, have money to spend and get his brand of football on show, soo far the club have failed him and he can't get his football on show as these players are too one dimensional and not willing/able to pass the ball.

 

Oh and Jay, come back when you've been to a game.

Minijc, IF we'd spent the money on quality players instead of needless management change we could easily have been in the position hibs are in now. That's not speculation.  The Old Firm are poor, Hearts are awfull, and Utd are nothing special. McGhee could do just as well as Jimmy with a good budget - but any hopes of a transfer kitty disappeared when we started paying compensation to the Jimmys and Motherwell.

 

The 'Mark McGhee silky football' dream was never going to materialise with the squad we have.

But CTS, you know aswell as I do that the money wouldn't have been spent on quality.

 

 

PS - the taxi for Kerr has been ordered again!

 

I hope it hurries up then because he was absolute murder today.  His passing is guff, his movement is worse, his tackling is weak and he showed absolutely none of the credentials a captain has to show.  However, the thing about his play that really frustrates me is that he is incapable of striking a ball.  How can a centre midfielder be utterly useless at shooting like that? In fact, how can a professional footballer be so inept at hitting the ball?  You can even see that he knows his shooting is worse than shite, and if that's the case why the fuck is he not working on it?  Kerr can be a good player, we all saw it last season, but if he continues like that then I'd get shot of him in January. 

 

Nobody got pass marks today, perhaps maybe Maurice Ross who was ok.  Miller's miss was utterly shocking as was Fyvie's but I think at least in Fyvie's case you could say he thought about it too much and was exceptionally early in the game.

 

A couple of points of note to Chris Maguire;

 

Look up when you have the ball, you made us lose a potentially brilliant chance to break by not looking up and then running into a dead end.

 

You are not Diego Maradona.  You don't have to go on a mazy run everytime you get the ball.

 

Stop running like a girl.

But CTS, you know aswell as I do that the money wouldn't have been spent on quality.

 

Exactly, he would have spunked it on players like: Nicholson, Severin, Mulgrew, Miller, Aluko, Smith, et all.