It’s a struggle to find the right words to describe what has happened at Dundee United over the last few weeks.
‘Staggering’ is the best I can come up with.
Nothing is ever unprecedented in football but I can’t remember a team going from the heights United hit in that first leg victory over AZ Alkmaar to where they were on Sunday.
Maybe in hindsight the big European result at Tannadice was papering over the cracks.
There are so many questions unanswered.
What’s going on in the dressing room?
Was the manager getting his message across effectively?
And, maybe the biggest one, who is signing the players?
I’ve been part of heavy defeats in my time but never an eight or a nine and never two thrashings so close to each other.
For that to happen – especially with the squad United have – something has to be fundamentally wrong at a football club.
This United collapse has been on another level to anything I’ve ever seen.
🗣️ "Jack is disappointed. He was down when I spoke to him. The players feel like they've let Jack down."
Dundee United's interim boss Liam Fox reflects on Jack Ross' sacking and admits the players need to turn things around ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/TN0FJbOHcB
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) August 30, 2022
What I do know is Mark Ogren must be furious.
He’ll be asking the question – why am I signing yet another big cheque, this time for a manager who has only been in charge for seven games?
There are problems left, right and centre but quite a lot of them would be solved if they decided what role they want their replacement for Jack Ross to perform.
Is he going to be another manager or will it be a Tam Courts-type head coach.
Everything else flows from that.
It’s not the individual I’d be focusing on, it’s the job description.
It was really important for Dundee that they put their bad performance and result against Ayr United behind them quickly.
And it was a huge bonus that a youngster from the academy was the star of the show in the League Cup defeat of Falkirk.
I haven’t seen much of Lyall Cameron but I’ve heard that he’s got a lot of talent.
And let’s hope that after injuries clear up and signings are made, he keeps getting first team opportunities at Dens Park.
The Dee are heading to the Quarter-Finals!
Lyall Cameron with his 3⃣rd Premier Sports Cup goal of the season!#PremierSportsCup | @DundeeFC pic.twitter.com/Eps9LMPz5l
— SPFL (@spfl) August 31, 2022
The Dundee fans will get right behind him and all of a sudden it’s starting to look like there are a few valuable assets at my old club.
Gary Bowyer has put a bit of pressure on himself with the decision to allow Shaun Byrne to move on.
For me, not only is he one of the better players at Dundee he’s one of the best in that deep midfield position in the league.
That has taken me by surprise.
As poor as United were on Sunday, you have to say Celtic were outstanding.
They couldn’t have asked for a better performance ahead of the first clash of the season with Rangers.
I know that some people are already talking about Ange Postecoglou’s side as being better than Brendan Rodgers’ one.
But that’s a bit premature.
The Invincibles reached levels of consistency the current one haven’t matched yet.
But they’re certainly on the right path.
We’re not yet on the right path at Arbroath.
But there’s no panic.
It’s been a case of fine margins.
We’ve lost the last four but they’ve all been very tight matches.
A couple of signings and the breaks going our way will see things turn.
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