DUNDEE UNITED
Manager
Jackie McNamara.
How are they looking?
Having lost their three outstanding players – Stuart Armstrong, Nadir Ciftci and Gary Mackay-Steven – since the turn of the year Dundee United are not the force they were at this time last season. Much depends on how their new signings fare. But at first glance they do not appear to be like-for-like replacements. The demands for success at Tannadice are always, regardless of who has departed and arrived, great as well. Can the new arrivals click with their new team mates and meet them? That remains to be seen. There are many Tangerines fans who are unhappy with manager Jackie McNamara after it emerged last season that he was contractually entitled to a percentage of the transfer fees the club received. There is sure to be an element of the support who turn against him if all does not go to plan. United led the Premiership for a spell at the start of last term before fading and ending up in fifth spot. It is highly unlikely they will scale those giddy heights again. Finishing in the top six – and above their city rivals Dundee – is as much as they can reasonably hope for.
Who’s in? Who’s out?
Simon Murray, Justin Johnson, Mark Durnan, Coll Donaldson, Darko Bodul and Rodney Sneijder have all arrived on Tayside in the close season. Michael Gardyne, Brian Graham, Keith Watson, Radoslaw Ciernziak, Kudus Oyenuga, Darren Petrie, Calum Butcher, Jaroslaw Fojut, Nadir Ciftci, meanwhile, have departed.
Star player?
Hopes are high among supporters that Rodney Sneijder, the brother of Wesley, will improve the Dundee United team. Aiden Connolly is also a talent. But it will be interesting to see how Charlie Telfer does in the 2015/16 campaign. There was great focus on how the central midfielder would do after his much-publicised moved from Rangers. He blew hot and cold. He performed superbly for spells and earned rave reviews – he was named Player of the Month for November - but disappeared from view and was anonymous at other times. A season of competitive football, though, will have been good for the promising 20-year-old. He should be able to achieve the consistency which eluded him at times. There is, with the departure of Armstrong, Ciftci and Mackay-Steven, the opportunity for Telfer to step up and establish himself as the main man for his club.
Unsung hero?
Sean Dillon, Paul Paton and John Rankin are all good honest professionals who do a wealth of fine work for United. Ryan Dow, though, is invaluable to them.
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