I agree they didn’t dominate. However, in my opinion that was due to the switch of Robson to right-back and Caddis on the wing.

Caddis rarely touched the ball and Robson’s battling qualities, as well his professional accumen (switching when Brown or Hartley move outside, etc.) were missed.

If controlling mid-field were an issue – clearly it was – with a lead one can “defend” through posession as well as tackling and blocking.

Why not sub in Marc Crosas and go one up-top for twenty minutes? Or, a straight sub for Brown?

Brown was fantastic, both in attack and defending forward. Yet, he has played many, many minutes while Crosas posses and distributes with more precision.

Crosas might have taken the sting out of Dundee Utd, as well as spelling Brown, at the same time building himself up.

I think Strachan developes a game plan on the trainin pitch but has difficulty “in game”. He decided Caddis was going to get a run-out. Therefor, the first opportunity which came, in went Caddis. Never mind that Caddis hasn’t played a first team match in a while and the inclusion required moving three pieces to accomodate (Wilson-Robson-Caddis).

If I were Loovens or D’Day, I’d be asking why?
If I were Marc Crosas, I’d be asking why?
If I were Samaras, I’d be asking why?

Taken off on the verge of a hat-trick, at home, with a lead?

I am a huge critic of the Greek. I think he is the eppitomy of “one-dimension”. However, today, it was he that was causing Wilkie et al, all the trouble.

McDonald put a shift in but found it very difficult to turn his man and Wilkie did a nice job of nullifying his hold-up play.

We were getting love through Brown & Naka creating and Hartley & Robson battling while Samaras floated around and got on the ball whenever he could. McDonald’s role was to occupy defenders.

So…when our RIGHT-BACK gets a knock we explode our formation and tactic in order to “out-clipboard” ourselves into a draw.

Not good.

Ryan M Liddell

1. VOH for Samaras? No matter we are 2-nil to the good. Wilkie was all over McDonald and VOH doesn’t have the legs yet.

2. Caddis for Wilson? Why have O’Dea and Loovens on the bench if not to sub for defense…and we were a goal-to-nil at the time.

3. Mizuno for Nakamura? The Caddis sub screwed this up. Dundee on the acendency and only 9 minutes left, so WGS says, “Here Koki. Bail us out”

If Mizuno figured in the plans he should have come on instead instead of Caddis and Robson should have come off for a real defender.

This is not to suggest that Robson is to blame for anything. But, you have depth at positions for a reason. Strachan, regularly does not utilize this depth. Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad draw: Dundee Utd +1; WGS -2.

By the By, me Nan is from Lochee! (er, Go Arabs! ‘Big’ Ron Yeats, Doogie Smith and Mr. Malpas please)

Ryan
AE: 3W 2D 1L