De Vries to join up with Levein

[Thracian]

There is a big differnce between 10 and 18. Whoever said 18 may as well of bought you the pint there and then.

The 18 was at the beginning of the season - we're now talking about whether Fryatt can score 10 in what's left.

[Manwell Pablo]

The 18 was at the beginning of the season - we're now talking about whether Fryatt can score 10 in what's left.

So 8 more . Very diffenrt from saying 18 at the start of the season. I would of said 15 at the very very most at the start of the season.

[TrickyTrev]

The question then is, considering he has excellent shooting technique -

What are you talking about?

why don't we have a specialist striker working on his offensive heading, his fast close control, his finding of space in the box and his partnership work with individuals. Or do we have one I don't know about.

Do you mean why don't we have a specialist striker coach? I am sure all these things are worked on in training but sadly if soemone doesn't have "fast close control" at 20 they aint ever gonna have it. If they aint got it at 12 they aint ever gonna have it! Movement and heading can be worked on but again these things coem naturally to soem more than others.

You seem to be under the misguided impression that you can coach any half decent athlete into being a good footballer. I think you severly over estimate the improvements that can be made by coaching and by players in general.

Even if we do accept that O'Grady could become better at these things, Christ knows he needs to, surely that is evidence he should be in the team in the future not now!

And why isn't he used more?

When he was in the team we never looked like scoring goals and now he isn't we are banging them in at home atleast? He has the worst scoring record of all our strikers? He has far less ability than Hume or Fryatt? I don't know, take your pick.

I know he's been injured but even before that he was a bit part player who's never really been let off the leash. I could never understand the difference in how he played for the reserves - with freedom to orchestrate things - and the limited role he always played for the firsts (Macclesfield apart).

You really don't understand that reserves and youth team football is joke football do you? The reason he is given "freedom to orchestrate things" at that level i the time and space he is given on the ball. At Champonship level you do not get either of these things, you have to have excellent movement, top class anticipation and the ability to perform tasks very quickly when you do recieve the ball. It has nothing to do with the role he has been given!

Logan;

Stearman, McAuley, Kisnorbo, Sheehan/Tiatto;

Williams;

Weso/King, Porter;

Hume,

Hammond O'Grady

We would be weaker defencively and have two strikers with poor scroing records. We'd be unbalanced down the right and hame and several of the players would be required to play above a level they previously have if we were not to be relegated. The only person pleased by such a line up would be yourself and opposition managers.

[Fez of Mahrez]

I couldn't agree more.

Yet another player discarded without forethought and one we could desperately do with as a 3rd option after Hume and Fryatt.

As for those suggesting O'Grady, give me a break he is rubbish and will achieve what de Vries has in his career.

If you're suggesting that I'm suggesting O'Grady, I'm suing you.

[Fez of Mahrez]

I can't be bothered to quote it but the bit about O'Grady having excellent shooting technique may win a Funniest Thread of the Year vote from me.

[Thracian]

I must confess I did think that idea might wind a few folk up - nothing malicious intended just a sprat to catch some points of view - but it does emphasise a lasting problem at City affecting both manager and some of the fans.

That is while everyone pretty much agrees that our team has some problems, apart from the idea of some fairy Godfather coming in and buying the club some magic toys, no-one seems prepared to take the radical action needed to try to put things right.

We put up with players who can't pass. We constantly accommodate people by playing other people out of position. We put up with miidfielders who have yet to play a decent game for us. We put up with strikers who contribute very little and we put up with wingers who don't score.

Every team has its weaknesses but no side can carry so many weak links and still expect to win anything.

We need some vision. An picture in our mind of what we want - and then we need to put a team on the park which is capable of moving towards that vision. Not a team where 60 per cent could manage. And right now we have to do that with what we've got.

[lookwhaticando]

I would not be at all surprised if Craig came in for him.

[Stevosevic]

Good Luck to MDV. honest player and gave his all for us, scoring goals along the way.

will always be remembered for the spurs game chears big man.

[RowlattsFox]

de Vries actually scored 9 goals in about 25 games for us last season, which isn't that bad. What it does hide though is how badly he still played in most matches and how many chances he wasted.

he scored twice in 3 different games though. against sheff wed, blackpool and coventry i think. so thats alot of games he didnt score in.

[Manwell Pablo]

I must confess I did think that idea might wind a few folk up - nothing malicious intended just a sprat to catch some points of view - but it does emphasise a lasting problem at City affecting both manager and some of the fans.

That is while everyone pretty much agrees that our team has some problems, apart from the idea of some fairy Godfather coming in and buying the club some magic toys, no-one seems prepared to take the radical action needed to try to put things right.

We put up with players who can't pass. We constantly accommodate people by playing other people out of position. We put up with miidfielders who have yet to play a decent game for us. We put up with strikers who contribute very little and we put up with wingers who don't score.

Every team has its weaknesses but no side can carry so many weak links and still expect to win anything.

We need some vision. An picture in our mind of what we want - and then we need to put a team on the park which is capable of moving towards that vision. Not a team where 60 per cent could manage. And right now we have to do that with what we've got.

I've held back long enough.

Seems to me your quite happy to put up with strikers that don't score, and no wingers so that might be why a few people have had a crack at you.

Your getting boring Thracian, you formations are getting stupider (4-2-4 please) and involve a higher percentage of the personal already involved. Your ideas are becoming more radical and show inconsistency's, your saying we need a big striker, yet when he was here your were campaigning for two small ones and were constantly moaning about our tendency to play the long ball. You talk of the need to score goals and then field two strikes who don't score and push our leading scorer back into midfield.

For some bizarre reason you also seem obsessed with criticizing Rob Kelly about team selection and approach, and when you post your own magical cure to these problems (which of course would now see us in the play offs) you include two injured midfielders and one injured striker (who's shit any way) as well as including Tiatto/Sheehan at left back, one of which is always struggling with niggles and the other is out for the foreseeable with a infected toe. I can guarantee it wont be long before your on Gareth Mcauleys back for one reason of another as well.

But more annoying than all of this (as always) is the way you don't express this as your opinion, you tell it like it's a fact that the rest of us a far too stupid to understand, which is not the case believe you me.

[Hullfox]

We put up with players who can't pass. We constantly accommodate people by playing other people out of position. We put up with miidfielders who have yet to play a decent game for us. We put up with strikers who contribute very little and we put up with wingers who don't score.

Every team has its weaknesses but no side can carry so many weak links and still expect to win anything.

Is it a case of putting up with this team or more a case of we've got what we've got? We do not have the resources to alter that in any major fashion.

Your suggested forward line of Hammond and O'Grady is laughable.

[DaveyJ]

I would not be at all surprised if Craig came in for him.

I was in Tesco yesterday, and the headline of some Scottish paper (I forget which one) said something to the effect of Levein wants De Vries. So seems to me it could well be a done deal in January.

[ROSSINDA]

Is it a case of putting up with this team or more a case of we've got what we've got? We do not have the resources to alter that in any major fashion.

Your suggested forward line of Hammond and O'Grady is laughable.

Totally agree.

OK, I think we all have our own ideas on our team’s selections (MDV coming back IMO would be a step backwards, No pace, unwilling to shoot, yada yada yada ..We’ve debated this all before), and also wasn’t he the topic of this thread? Anyway, defensively we seem to be fine no defense in the world is 100% watertight, yes I know we conceded a sloppy goal on Saturday, I was there and it still upsets me to think about it.

So up front, well Hume first on the team sheet for me thanks very much. Now who’s to partner him? From the available resources it has to be Fryatt, now don’t get me wrong I personally like the idea of a big 6 foot plus pacey, header winning, ball holding, goal scoring striker, but we don’t have one and until this take over business is sorted and we MAY have a few quid to spend in January we can’t get one (well maybe on loan). But I feel our biggest problem area is midfield

WE HAVE NO WIDTH (sorry to shout boys and girls)

Low just not good enough, not as quick as I first thought and just unwilling to take players on.

Sylla Oh dear. Lazy, Lazy, Lazy oh and did I mention Lazy? He can be quite skilful but he tends to mix that up with silly showboating sometimes and like Low he needs to attack the oppositions defence more.

Welsh OK not too bad at least he works and is willing to take players on and he is quite disciplined in stopping out wide to receive the ball which I like.

Tiatto. Never a winger in a month of Sundays spends most of his time in the centre of the park.

Porter, love the lad, he’s willing to work but he’s just a little to short, (No ..never I hear you all cry) IMO he’s not a quick as some people think he is as well, and while he does get stuck in, due to his smaller stature he gets shoved of the ball more often than not (sorry)

So what makes a good winger and what do we need I have it,1 left and 1 Right footed Steve Guppy 15 years younger a with more pace .. the end. OK sorry. No 1 pace, No2 not a bad crosser, No3 a worker, No4 someone willing to take on the oppositions fullback for 80 to90% of the game. Who do we have Andy Welsh, Max Gradel (yes I know he is young and untested but so was/is Porter and to be truthful he can’t be any worse that what we currently are putting onto the field) and wait for it, bearing in mind my 1 to 4 needs above, Elvis Hammond. Hear me out please, his first games for City where as a sub and on the wing and he wasn’t half bad and also does any one of us really see him as a striker? He quick, he works and commits defenders

As for centre midfield well as long as it’s made up from Williams Weso, Hughes Stearman if ness and Johnson stays in the bar and Never Never sets foot on the pitch again we should be ok

[Thracian]

I've held back long enough.

Seems to me your quite happy to put up with strikers that don't score, and no wingers so that might be why a few people have had a crack at you.

Your getting boring Thracian, you formations are getting stupider (4-2-4 please) and involve a higher percentage of the personal already involved. Your ideas are becoming more radical and show inconsistency's, your saying we need a big striker, yet when he was here your were campaigning for two small ones and were constantly moaning about our tendency to play the long ball. You talk of the need to score goals and then field two strikes who don't score and push our leading scorer back into midfield.

For some bizarre reason you also seem obsessed with criticizing Rob Kelly about team selection and approach, and when you post your own magical cure to these problems (which of course would now see us in the play offs) you include two injured midfielders and one injured striker (who's shit any way) as well as including Tiatto/Sheehan at left back, one of which is always struggling with niggles and the other is out for the foreseeable with a infected toe. I can guarantee it wont be long before your on Gareth Mcauleys back for one reason of another as well.

But more annoying than all of this (as always) is the way you don't express this as your opinion, you tell it like it's a fact that the rest of us a far too stupid to understand, which is not the case believe you me.

This team is not what I'd expect to see on Saturday - seeing some of the players are indeed injured - it's a concept for discussion.

a) We should have a big striker option. Doesn't mean I'd always use him. I wouldn't always do anything.

b) Even with a big striker the concept of a long ball approach is thoughtless, ridiculous and counter productive.

c) I'm not at all happy with strikers who don't score. It's one of the reasons I like Dodds so much.

d) Re Kelly: We don't have a fluid team, never have had and we need decisions making that will enable us to have one.

e) McAuley: everyone will get on at him if he messes up, same as anyone else.

f) Whatever your preferred team you need pace and strength. Hammond and COG have that between them, as does Hume. Fryatt doesn't - and even less so at the moment.

[Fez of Mahrez]

This team is not what I'd expect to see on Saturday - seeing some of the players are indeed injured - it's a concept for discussion.

a) We should have a big striker option. Doesn't mean I'd always use him. I wouldn't always do anything.

b) Even with a big striker the concept of a long ball approach is thoughtless, ridiculous and counter productive.

c) I'm not at all happy with strikers who don't score. It's one of the reasons I like Dodds so much.

d) Re Kelly: We don't have a fluid team, never have had and we need decisions making that will enable us to have one.

e) McAuley: everyone will get on at him if he messes up, same as anyone else.

f) Whatever your preferred team you need pace and strength. Hammond and COG have that between them, as does Hume. Fryatt doesn't - and even less so at the moment.

Wind-up merchant. If you're not at all happy with strikers who don't score, you can't play Dumb and Dumber up front.

[Manwell Pablo]

This team is not what I'd expect to see on Saturday - seeing some of the players are indeed injured - it's a concept for discussion.

a) We should have a big striker option. Doesn't mean I'd always use him. I wouldn't always do anything.

b) Even with a big striker the concept of a long ball approach is thoughtless, ridiculous and counter productive.

c) I'm not at all happy with strikers who don't score. It's one of the reasons I like Dodds so much.

d) Re Kelly: We don't have a fluid team, never have had and we need decisions making that will enable us to have one.

e) McAuley: everyone will get on at him if he messes up, same as anyone else.

f) Whatever your preferred team you need pace and strength. Hammond and COG have that between them, as does Hume. Fryatt doesn't - and even less so at the moment.

I agree we could do with a big striker but I'd like one who can actually play a bit as well, COG has struggled in the first team this year. Long ball tactics work in the right situations and can be very effective when mixed up with different styles of passing. Most teams employ it at as part of their game plan in this division. As with all tactics is about finding a effective system that suits the players instead employing tactics with the sole purpose of entertaining Thracian. There is no evidence to show that your changes would result in a fluid team, however there is a lot of evidence COG and Elvis Hammond for all the physical attributes have very little in the talent department. As they don't score goals!

The impatience you show towards Matty Fryatt is shocking, all good strikers have their goal droughts. He's on his way back to full fitness and given time he will be back scoring goals. Hume provides enough pace for our forward line.

[TAFKA Castroneves]

Bugger... www.skysports.com

New Dundee United boss Craig Levein has dampened speculation about a move for Mark de Vries after voicing concern over the striker's fitness.

Levein signed the hit-man for both Hearts and Leicester City and reports in the Scottish media suggested he was ready to bring the 31-year-old to Tannadice as well.

De Vries, who is currently on loan at Dutch outfit ADO Den Haag from The Walkers Stadium, has revealed he would be keen to link up with his former mentor once again, with rumours of a reunion fuelled by Levein's determination to reinforce his striking options.

However the United boss says he has not been in contact with his former charge, and that a lack of match fitness is likely to prove prohibitive to a January transfer.

"I've not spoken with Mark for a while so the first I heard about this was when I read the papers," said Levein in the Daily Record.

"It's been a case of someone putting two and two together and giving him a call because you can see we need more strikers here and I've already said a target man would give us a different option.

"With Mark I don't think he has played too much football this year and come January I will be looking to get players who are match fit."

[lookwhaticando]

He didn't mind last time. <_<

Bargaining ploy. If he came out and said "I've got to have that man" (oo-er) we'd hold out for a higher price as we knew he was desperate.

[Manwell Pablo]

Do we even know if we're allowed to sell him in January? It might be that he's Den Hagens player until the end of the season.

[lookwhaticando]

Do we even know if we're allowed to sell him in January? It might be that he's Den Hagens player until the end of the season.

Dunno... I'd have thought we were able to sell him. After all, we're still the club who owns him. Surely a loan can't deny us the right/ability to sell him on?

Who wants to go on a fact finding mission about this topic?

[The People's Hero]

I can't be bothered to quote it but the bit about O'Grady having excellent shooting technique may win a Funniest Thread of the Year vote from me.

Absolutely.

Him and Hammond up front would struggle to score many between them.

Both are comical technically.

If we ever pair those two up front, that's it for me I'm afraid.

This is how far we have sunk. This is why Mandaric needs to come in.

I'd rather fu ck a quiche than watch those two up front in Leicester shirts.

In fact, that's a dishy quiche over there.

*back in 5*

[Katy]

Ahh balls. Keep sending him on loan if we can't get rid.

[Fez of Mahrez]

New Dundee United boss Craig Levein has dampened speculation about a move for Mark de Vries after voicing concern over the striker's fitness.

Levein signed the hit-man for both Hearts and Leicester City and reports in the Scottish media suggested he was ready to bring the 31-year-old to Tannadice as well.

De Vries, who is currently on loan at Dutch outfit ADO Den Haag from The Walkers Stadium, has revealed he would be keen to link up with his former mentor once again, with rumours of a reunion fuelled by Levein's determination to reinforce his striking options.

However the United boss says he has not been in contact with his former charge, and that a lack of match fitness is likely to prove prohibitive to a January transfer.

"I've not spoken with Mark for a while so the first I heard about this was when I read the papers," said Levein in the Daily Record.

"It's been a case of someone putting two and two together and giving him a call because you can see we need more strikers here and I've already said a target man would give us a different option.

"With Mark I don't think he has played too much football this year and come January I will be looking to get players who are match fit."

Levein is also anticipating that United will be linked with Hearts defender Steven Pressley after he was dramatically left out of Monday's game against Falkirk with rumours flying around about a dressing room mutiny.

Whilst Hearts are still to confirm if Pressley has been stripped of the captaincy, his future at Tynecastle looks very much in doubt, but Levein has already ruled himself out of a likely race for the Scottish international.

"It will be no surprise if Steven is linked with us but I really don't think we can afford him," Levein insisted.

Link

[BartonFox]

Absolutely.

Him and Hammond up front would struggle to score many between them.

Both are comical technically.

If we ever pair those two up front, that's it for me I'm afraid.

This is how far we have sunk. This is why Mandaric needs to come in.

I'd rather fu ck a quiche than watch those two up front in Leicester shirts.

In fact, that's a dishy quiche over there.

*back in 5*

Yes but they were on fire during pre-season, banging them in against Macclesfield, Boston, Stockport and the might of the Confrence North, Hinckley United.

If it wasn't for the fact I'd look like a big girls blouse, I'd cry at that suggestion. Whoever it was needs banning from football for the safety of everyone else who goes or enjoys the game.

[Thracian]

I agree we could do with a big striker but I'd like one who can actually play a bit as well, COG has struggled in the first team this year. Long ball tactics work in the right situations and can be very effective when mixed up with different styles of passing. Most teams employ it at as part of their game plan in this division. As with all tactics is about finding a effective system that suits the players instead employing tactics with the sole purpose of entertaining Thracian. There is no evidence to show that your changes would result in a fluid team, however there is a lot of evidence COG and Elvis Hammond for all the physical attributes have very little in the talent department. As they don't score goals!

The impatience you show towards Matty Fryatt is shocking, all good strikers have their goal droughts. He's on his way back to full fitness and given time he will be back scoring goals. Hume provides enough pace for our forward line.

COG has hardly played this season - as you are quite aware. And the only time he's had a relatively free attacking role was against Macclesfield.

Sylla doesn't score goals - ever - not in 40-odd games. Hammond has scored far more and our results improved when he came into the side too suggesting that his pace really is quite valuable, which I'd actually think was obvious in a side so short of pace.

I've nothing against Fryatt, not that I think he deserves any more patience than anyone else if he can't be bothered to get himsel;f properly fit for the start of the season - which seemed to be the case to me.

Fact is he's scored a couple of goals and that's about it in close to a dozen appearances - same as Hammond and only one better than COG who's only played half the games.