FAO Arabian Ian

As I don't get to see much Scottish football, and you know about Championship football, how does our league compare with the SPL?

Where do you think we would be in the SPL and how do you think Scottish clubs would get on in England?

My thoughts would be that we would finish second, the rest of the SPL would be in League One and the Firet Division is about Conference level?

 

Well Conan I'm afraid to say that your thoughts just go to show what little you know of Scottish Football, but that is understandable as it gets very little coverage in England.

Point 1 I'd say the top teams in the Championship are of a better standard than most of the Scottish premier but the likes of United, Motherwell, Inverness,
Aberdeen would IMO be mid table outfits in your Championship and the likes of Hibs, St Johnstone, Hearts and Killie would be scrambling about at the bottom
Point 2 ATM and the way Barnsley are playing I'd say you would be not far off the bottom. Sorry but your Birmingham performance which I saw was terrible.

I really think that there is no way any Scottish premier team is anywhere near League 2 level and I'd doubt League 1 but of course there is no way of proving this.

All I do know for sure is that if Barnsley were to play Dundee United then I'd think we'd run out 3 or 4 nil winners.

 

How weird is that?

I was thinking only yesterday of asking Ian the same question as you have just done, Conan!

 

I find that hard to believe to be honest.

Looking at the attendances I don't think any of the Scottish clubs have the financial clout to compete in the Championship. Looking at Inverness, Butcher said his entire budget last year was £1m and the only player I have heard of is Richie Foran who last played in England in the fourth tier in 2009 when he was released by Darlington. Their top striker seems to be someone called Billy McKay who had two seasons with Northampton and couldn't cut it. They seem to have a few players who have played none league football in England. I really can't see them finishing above 24th in the Championship.

I see that Dundee Utd have signed two players from Hayes & Yeading this season which I think shows the gap between the English and Scottish leagues. Looking at the pedigree of the squad I can't see that it can be anywhere near the level of our squad.

 

Hi ya Conan Sorry but I had to leave for the game earlier on but I have just read your views.
First of all can I ask who exactly are the players we have signed from Hayes & Yeading? I am not sure who you may be referring to. We have at present Gary Mackay-Stevens who is now a Scottish Internationalist, Ryan Gauld who Barcelona, Real Madrid, Man U and a host of others are chasing. We also have a real talent in a Turkish forward we name Shifty also David Goodwillie and Morgaro Gomis and others who are all playing really well ATM.
Secondly mate football is not played on a balance sheet and I don't know where you are coming from. I can only comment on what I see on the pitch. I'd say my own team are possibly better off financially than Barnsley ATM.
As I said previously we are playing players who command much less in wages but possibly are more talented than you have at Barnsley as BigLil might well confirm.

I don't blame you for having the view you have mate because Scottish Football is not well covered down South which leaves you in the dark of anything good which is going on.
Today I was at our game, a 4-1 win v Hearts and with me was a Sheffield United supporter, Malton Blade, who follows the Blades home and away. They play tomorrow so he took the opportunity to once again visit Tannadice. This is the 3rd time he has been and has yet to see us lose. Coming out of the game tonight he said he was surprised that more people did not attend as he thought the game was a great free flowing game full of good attacking football. There was 7800 at the game but what you have to remember is that we share the footballing public with another team in the city who play in div1 infront of 5000 at home games. So perhaps given if we only had 1 team in the city like Barnsley I suppose there is maybe not too much between our teams.

The only way to settle this is for us to FIGHT it out.

 

Malton had his Tangerine shirt on mate , so can I have a reprieve? LOL

 

Dundee United have a terrific young team

They've not been afraid to throw in a number of teenagers and are reaping the benefit right now. United play attacking football, on the deck, at pace,with no fear and are a refreshing joy to watch. I've been fortunate to see them a number of times this season on Sky, BT Sports, ESPN & BBC Alba. Young local lads playing with pride, determination & skill. They can be frustrating on occasions, kids generally don't always make the correct decision at the right time.

 

Re: Dundee United have a terrific young team

At the risk of upsetting Ian, who I've met and is a thoroughly nice guy, the standard of the SPL is poor.

Dundee United have got another good batch of youngsters coming through, and I hope they go far in the game.

Look at recent "star" players in the SPL though, the likes of Goodwillie, arsehole off the pitch, and Darren Randolph, the Birmingham 'keeper.

Decent players who excelled in the SPL but are average at best in Championship. That's just my opinion though.

 

Re: Dundee United have a terrific young team

Yes you are absolutely spot on LD regarding those and other players. What I do not agree with is your labeling of all teams in the SPL as poor.
I watched Hearts today and although full of young players because of Admin at Tynecastle I actually though they did rather well and play some good stuff at times. Yes you can go to a game and it may very well be poor but on the whole I don't think Scottish football is all that bad. My only gripe would be that the pricing is all wrong 22 to 25 pounds for a game to me is well over priced and at times not worth it.

 

Re: Dundee United have a terrific young team

I've been to many SPL games, as you know. I think compared to the Championship the standard is poor, but then you can only look at the money thrown at the top teams in the Championship to make a comparison. They're worlds apart.

I've not seen your Arabs live this season, but Nadir Ciftci certainly looks a player.

 

Re: Dundee United have a terrific young team

Exactly.

Gomis and Goodwillie were spectacularly gash in England and at this level.

Kris Boyd scored a **** load in the SPL, couldn't hit a barn door for Boro.



Not digging at Scotland, but Celtic apart, the rest of the SPL would be League One mid table fodder, and that's being very kind.

Look at the lad Murphy who went to the Blunts. He was **** hot in Scotland. Absolute rhubarb in League One.



The Scotch lads that make it in England are few and far between, and it's been that way for years now.

And if you look at their national side, they're heading down the same road that Ireland did, capping English lads with Scotch relatives etc.



And before I feel the wrath of Ian or Kev, may I point out that I saw the victory shield match between our nations the other week and the Scotch kids looked a lot better than the English, who even at 15 and 16 year old all looked like 'athletes', built like Welbeck etc. In other words, run fast, but technically poor with little heart.


End of the day, British football in general has deteriorated badly for the last two decades, and primarily due to the money of Sky and the influx of foreign players.


Just my opinion (all the above).

Remember, I ken as much as the next wee fella.

 

Re: Dundee United have a terrific young team

To be fair, I never saw the fuss about Murphy in the SPL, he looked OK, but never that good.

I think it was more the tag that Motherwell FC put on him as "the local lad that's going to make it"

 

Re: Dundee United have a terrific young team

Anyone know how the lad Higdon is getting on at NEC?

Another gash lower league Englishman who prospered spectacularly in the SPL.

 

Re: Dundee United have a terrific young team

A lot of fair comments Whitey. What I will take up with you would be the fact that I'd think my own team if playing in England would certainly not be playing in Div1 or 2.
Again as you say it is all opinions of which mine is right. LOL

Oh BTW Whitey we are not Scotch but Scottish. Scotch is what you Englanders drink at the New Year.

 

Re: Dundee United have a terrific young team

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/...former-motherwell-star-michael-higdon-2671539

Doing well by the looks of it.

Bet he regrets turning BFC down...

 

Re: Dundee United have a terrific young team

What is Scotch mist, by the way? Always wondered that.

 

Re: Dundee United have a terrific young team

Think its when you've had too much Scotch Whisky or is that Scotch p!ssed? LOL

 

Re: Dundee United have a terrific young team

Pished?

Or as I sing to my Scottish Mother every Christmas, "It's beginning to look a lot like Pishedmas"

 

Morning Ian. The players I'm referring to are Calum Butcher and Kudus Oyenuga. Don't know much about them but if we signed two players from a none league side I'd be worried. I don't know anything about the Turkish lad but he looks to have had a go at our level and not done much.

Football is not played on a balance sheet as you say but the haves will generally do better than the have nots. I see that your average attendance this season is 7,092 which puts you above Yeovil by five. Inverness's average is 3,414 which would put them below all but three teams in League One. There is no way that they could compete at this level with attendances like that. Ours is a not particularly great 11,311, Dundee's is 4,318 so between the pair of you you're about 100 in front of us. As a whole we are about 2,000 above the SPL average.