Jay

I've got to be honest and say that, on reflection, I think I'd have preferred it if we'd been given a smaller allocation (assuming the club were able to make sure the "core support" got tickets). I'd far rather be apart of a 6,000-strong Motherwell support making lots of noise and getting behind the side, than a 16,000-strong Motherwell support largely uninterested in making a sound.

IMO Webster, Conway and Goodwillie all deserved call-ups at the time (especially Webster given he was arguable United's best player and we were, and still are, needing centre halves), Dixon was called up at the same time as Lee Wallace as Levein struggled to find a left-back, and Scott Robertson was originally in and around the Scotland squad before Levein was appointed. The only one out of that list that raises eyebrows, for me, is Kenneth - and I've already explained why I think he was included. Let's not forget this was a side that was one of, if not the, best non-Old Firm side in the SPL at the time. That's not really relevant though. My point is, however, that this mythical squad that Levein named with 5 or 6 Dundee United players in it - either once or on multiple occasions - never actually happened, and yet it seems to be taken as fact that it did. It seems to be one of those things that has been said enough times that people actually believe it. As I've said with regards to Kenneth, being appointed as an international manager and naming players who you have indepth experience and knowledge of, and who you believe can do a job, isn't some mental occurance - it's completely natural and understandable, it's blatant common sense (and in the case of Garry Kenneth, it was also naive because he's a player who is not anywhere near international quality). But I fail to see how anyone can really argue with that concept - it's not some sort of underhand "jobs for the boys", or a pro-United conspiracy - it's a new manager starting with a limited database of Scottish players and building up his knowledge of eligble players over his term in charge. As he has, the United players you have mentioned have mainly dropped out - that surely backs up this argument? I'd rather change the record though, because I feel like I'm constantly defending Craig Levein and I don't really want to as I think he's a cock. I only am defending him with regards to the United-bias claims, he's still an arsepiece who owes me a flight home from Prague, and I'd have sacked him on the spot the moment he put out a 4-6-0. Back on topic, if the STV reporter is correct that Bell, Murphy and Wallace narrowly missed out, then there's still a very good chance Jamie will be in the squad after call-offs.

That's irrelevant though, surely? If a newly appointed international manager recognises that the side is crying out for new centre halves and genuinely believes that a player he spent years working with will be capable of doing a job - or at least has the potential to do so - then it's surely completely natural and understandable that said player will be called up? Especially, as has already been mentioned, it occurred while Kenneth was apart of a pretty decent partnership at club level with Webster. There's a difference between having a "Dundee United leaning", and including a player who plays in a problem position based on your previous club experience, then discarding him when you realise he can't step up.

Does Steven Saunders know this?

I genuinely don’t remember such a squad. 5 or 6 seems a bit of an exaggeration to me, I can’t even think of 5 or 6 United players that have been picked, never mind all at once. Happy to admit I’m wrong though if this squad was chosen. I’m bored out my mind at work though, so I might have a look on the SFA site. The only truly mental squad I remember Levein choosing was the one for the Faroes game featuring the likes of Paul Caddis and Steven Saunders. Apparently it’s been suggested by an STV reporter (posted above somewhere above) that Murphy just narrowly missed out. I agree with that up to a point. I can understand why Levein includes the likes of Bannan, Wilson and Hanley – but, as I said earlier, if that’s part of his policy, then the likes of Templeton and Murphy should also feature. Well, I can’t claim to have watched Kenneth as much as you obviously have to make such a judgement, but I’ve always seen a bit old-style centre-half who’d header anything whenever I’ve seen him play. Given he’s been a regular for Dundee United for years and was the subject of a bid from Blackpool last year, allied to the fact that his inclusion doesn’t seem to result in Arabs moaning or demanding a replacement, I’d say he’s clearly a half-decent SPL defender. Very good. Please don't let us big, superior, celebrity TA members participating in a relevant debate deter you from doing the same. Now can this thread be moved to the TA Section so there's less of the "club only" peasants and riff-raff on it?!

Believing that a half decent SPL centre half might be able to do a job for Scotland then quickly realising he's gash and leaving him out of all future squads does not equate to a bias towards Dundee United players. That is all.

Weren't Garry Kenneth and Scott Robertson the only two United players in that squad though? I agree though, suggestions of a United player bias are mental and can be easily disproved just by looking at the squads. Levein has been poor so far and even if we manage to qualify, I don't think I'll ever forgive him for the 4-6-0 debacle - but I don't think his actual squads have been the problem.

Always guaranteed a good bit of outrage on here after a Scotland squad's announce. No one still shouting for Mark Reynolds to be included or do the C&A specs come off the moment a player leaves the club?! For what it's worth, I would have had Murphy and Templeton in there from a "one for the future" point of view, purely because that seems to be a big part of Levein's squads, with the likes of Hanley, Wilson and Bannan being continually chosen. But Murphy is far from an automatic pick and, as has already been mentioned, hasn't been playing nearly consistently enough to justify any kind of uproar at his lack of inclusion IMO. Anyway, I'm surprised anyone is shocked given Levein was guaranteed to continue with his mythical policy of favouring Dundee United players!

Agreed. We were lucky enough to be right in front of the 'Well Boys which meant our section was mostly standing for the entire game, but I couldn't believe how many 'Well fans were happy to sit on their arses in relative silence in the "Singing Section" during a Scottish Cup final.

It's a complicated mental process, all to do with your subconscious. If you go to a gig or a festival, you are in a particular psychological state that subconsciously improves your ability to deal with gravity and the difficult task of standing up. However, your subconscious reacts differently when the people in front of you are kicking a ball rather than singing a song, and therefore standing up becomes border line impossible and gravity itself appears unbalanced. This can be perfectly demonstrated by watching MTV whilst standing perfectly normally in front of the TV, and then suddenly collapsing in a heap upon switching over to Sky Sports. It's a strange phenomenon that causes real danger across the world, and we should be happy that those in charge of our game recognise that the human brain is yet to evolve to a level of being able to stand at the football without hitting the deck on a semi-regular basis.

Agreed. It was a good strike but the keeper was at fault. Reminded me of Konterman's goal against Dubourdeau at Hampden. Good goal but Lasley's was far better for the sheer fact that no keeper in the world was getting near it, whereas I'd expect most goalkeepers to be disappointed with conceeding a goal like McKeown's.

Looking forward to a good away day and my first game of the season after missing the Caley game. Quite like a wee jaunt through to Killie. 2-0 'Well - Higdon with two bullet headers.

Stuart McCall's done very well in the transfer market since his arrival at the club IMO - there is really no need to ruin all that good work by signing dross like Robbie Neilson.

Missing the game as I'll be at Wickerman but I'm confident I'll be checking about 5pm on the Saturday to find we've won our first three points of the season. Some of the football we've played during pre-season has been excellent and there's no reason why we can't carry that into the season. I'll go with a 2-0 'Well win - a strike from Murphy and big Higdon to open his account.

Don't want to have too big a moan at the programme - I usually view folk moaning about it for standard games a bit of "moaning for moaning sake" as it doesn't really make a difference to your average punter - but for a programme that you'd assume Craigan, and perhaps members of his family, will want to keep and will be honoured to have (and that cost £3) would it really have been difficult to spend half an hour making sure it wasn't riddled with mistakes?

Which is it?

You can't expect anyone to understand where you were coming from if you quite blatantly list Humphrey alongside Lasley and Jennings in midfield. For what it's worth, I don't think your actual system would work in the slightest. If you have Humphrey on the right wing (which I'm assuming is what you mean, because you're not going to have a narrow 4-2-2-2 as it would provide absolutely no width), and Lasley or Jennings (or both) presumably pushing forward when attacking, then Law would automatically end up out on the left anyway, as by roaming anywhere else he'd be getting in the way of the other midfield players. You either play Law behind the front two with three central midfielders behind him, or you play him on the left (or of course in the centre of midfield), but having a midfield pairing of Lasley and Jennings, Humphrey on the right wing, and Law roaming about the place is a pretty unworkable system.

Chris Humphrey should be absolutely no where near the centre of midfield. If you're going with Law behind the front two and a midfield three, you play three midfielders who can actually play there - you don't stick an out and out winger there for no apparent reason.

I'd agree that they look considerably weakened from last year, but I don't think enough of the other teams have strengthened to a level that would see United struggle to make the top six. Who would realistically take their place? The likes of Hibs, Aberdeen, Kilmarnock etc still look, on paper at least, absolutey dross. The only difference this year is that Dundee Utd have gotten closer to that level, but not to a point where they'll struggle to finish in the top half IMO.

Blatant dive from Murphy, very decent penalty by Craigan, Nicky Law looks the mutt's nuts. That about covers it for me!!

My favourite Craigan memory was 'Well fans turning up at the Caledonian Stadium shortly after Norn Iron had beaten England 1-0 - I seem to remember he was warming up, and the 'Well fans were giving him shouts about having the likes of Rooney in his back pocket. I can almost remember him slapping his back pocket in response, but I may have made that up - it was Inverness away so I was absolutely mortal. Still, that's my favourite memory! As for tonight, hopefully a decent crowd turns up. I'm giving the Leeds game a miss on Saturday as I need pennies for Wickerman and I'm simply not interested in a meaningless friendly at Fir Park, but tonight being Craggo's testimonial adds a little bit of incentive to go along and I'll be leaving for Motherwell shortly.

Maybe to prove his fitness? He was a bit of a fat bastard last year!

I don't really remember this. You or Cloudy got a bigger version of the photo mate?

Cheers mate, probably just play it by ear tomorrow, not particularly bothered where we get off as long as there's decent boozers about and the ground isn't a ridiculous distance away!

What's Dumbarton East best for though? Distance from the ground, distance from the boozers, or both?