News Round Up For Week Ending 23/09/05

"I'm fed up hearing other people saying we're a good team without getting results. Tuesday night was the last time I want to hear that sort of thing.” Said Gordon Chisholm after Tuesday night’s loss up at Cali-Thistle. "It's not their attitude that's wrong, it's more their mentality and desire. As a manager I'm certainly not happy watching what happened up at Inverness. We had a chat for about an hour to that effect and there was a lot of positive feedback."

"We've maybe got too many nice boys and need a bit of nastiness. But we have a number of players here who could play in any team in the Premier League.

"I've asked the players whether they want to be competing at the top level or stay down in the bottom half of the league. There's no way the likes of Derek Stillie, Lee Miller and David Fernandez came here to be in the bottom half.

"But we've got to show a side to our game that proves we can mix it with the best, and I mean getting in about teams.

"I've no doubt we can do that in terms of competing but talk is cheap and it's got to start happening."

I agree Gordon. There’s been a lot of talk in certain sections of the Arab brotherhood that Chisholm should resign. He won’t, and he’ll not be sacked either I would estimate, unless there is a long and harsh series of defeats. Other Arabs have become exasperated at those who are calling for Chisholm’s head, even though they are few. However, it’s normal for fans of any club to doubt the manager when the club are under-performing. It’s also true that there is pressure on Chisholm to get results even at this early stage, and unfortunately he can expect that pressure to have its inevitable conclusion should results not improve. No manager is an island, so to speak.

Good words above though from the Chiz, and the next series of results is vital to the club, fans, and of course to Gordon’s reputation.

FORMER DIRECTOR MIKE WATSON JAILED

He tried to set alight a set of curtains in a posh hotel because, allegedly, they wouldn’t serve him drinks. Bad enough? He was an MSP too. He got 16 months. He’ll probably do eight. He admitted he had a drink problem in court, and because he lived in Glasgow, will serve his time in Bar-L, where he has to apply in writing if he wants a shower. For bringing shame to our club I hope he has lovely time. Incidentally, it’s not often I praise the Daily Record, but their headline PENITENTIARY MY DEAR WATSON made me laugh - read the full article here – it’s has a cracking rundown of the ‘activities’ the disgraced Lord can look forward to.

THREE DOWN ONE TO GO

Well we are out of the CIS. I’m sure by now you all know the scores, incidents and after-match babble, but in case you don’t – stats are here and here

Chisholm, as displayed above, has come in for harsh criticism over this, but ICT away on a Tuesday night was always going to be difficult. We hit the post 4 times, had, by all accounts, a good goal chalked off for offside, and ICT’s second looked like a handball to all but the officials. Take nothing away from ICT who, despite the above, were the better team on the night, but we were unlucky also. We were also beaten.

Of the three trophies we started competing in in august (UEFA, SPL, CIS) it’s fair to say we are out of all of them. We know we won’t win the SPL, and we have been knocked out the other two. The Scottish cup is now United's only chance to obtain silverware, though we did win the Disco Cup of course!! Irrelevant? We beat Dundee, that makes it relevant enough!

It’s disappointing to have had so much to look forward to before the season started, to have it disappear before you’ve gotten used to the idea!! But that’s supporting United. We’re used to it.