I’ve just watched Dundee Utd be utterly dismantled by the Dutch club AZ Alkmaar in a first half that was Don’t Watch Alone stuff for the Tangerine fans. Their first leg victory was rightly hailed as an exceptional result.
But I didn’t think they’d go through.
AZ are obviously a very good side, and I don’t for one minute think that we got enough credit for beating them last season when we did. With all the focus on Ibrox’s “run to the final” our own European run wasn’t given any scrutiny at all.
Bodo is all people want to talk about.
I remember how I felt when the two draws for the Europa League qualifiers were made; even if we got through the first one, I didn’t think the second had been kind to us at all. I thought the Dutch would beat us.
They were knocked out of the Conference League eventually by … guess who? Yep, Bodo, after the Norwegians had knocked us out. They were yet another high profile scalp that the shock troops of that tournament took last year.
Their sixth place finish in Holland belies their quality.
That night at Celtic Park – a week shy of one year ago today – was the night I knew that Ange was doing something different, some special. AZ were the kind of time who we’d have lost to under Lennon, but that night we played them off the pitch.
Kyogo, who had already shown what he could do in the league, showed what he could do in Europe that night. But the whole team, and the way they played, was brilliant.
I knew if Ange got the rest of the players he wanted that we’d have something special.
The first half score-line of 5-0 is horrendous to look at, but Dundee Utd have been beaten tonight by sheer quality. There is no shame in that whatsoever, although I thought their keeper was awful and you wonder what big Siegrist would have done.
I feel genuinely sorry for Utd because they will eat an avalanche of dirt for that first half display, but they’ve simply been blown out by a vastly better equipped side and that ought to be remembered.
This is not some League of Ireland joke … they were simply overmatched.
I hope all at Tannadice keep their heads up. It’s a bad night, and it could be a very, very bad night indeed before it ends … but they should not let it interrupt their focus on the domestic business.
Yeah… It’s pretty bad man 🙁
Currently 7-0 and Sportsound and BBC Scotland trying to take positives??
They said we were fortunate to beat with a team just being assembled.
Steven Thompson asking John Rankin at half time in the BBC Scotland studio, where Dundee United were getting hammered5-0 ! Well John ,is this tie over?Now I’m no expert,but in the category of extra silly questions,that’s got to be right up there!
I feel very sorry for the United fans, they were so full of hope and then their dreams were shattered very quickly. We have all been there and it’s not a good feeling. I hope their side can pick themselves up, dust themselves down and get it out of their system. It’s a terrible start to their season but life goes on,
Was on another blog just before coming on here and said that ” I’m genuinely sorry for DU”. Not a good thing for any team to suffer. It happens, I hope it happens to Sevco.
PSV finished 20 points above AZ last season, roll on Tuesday.
Is the first leg in Holland? It seems that the Ibrox club always seem to get the advantage of an away tie first. Anyone else noticed that?
I`m not sure but I think it will be Thursday.
Yes this is league of Ireland
No we beat Scottish teams- just ask Motherwell -fans who probably couldn’tpoint out Sligo on the map
I’ off to Celtic Park soon to pay my respects to Big Yogi.
He’s here, he’s there he’s every fkn where Feed The Bear.
RIP Big Man.
Its a sad day alright for Scottish football. Thoughts are with the big man wi the twinkle toes
The question here is, “Why aren’t Celtic and Sevco, for that matter, not beating Dundee United and the rest by similar scorelines week in week out with their vastly superior squads and finance.
Charlie, football doesn’t work that way. That scoreline was one of those farces that occurs now and again. If it was as cut and dried as you are making out, then why did Dundee United manage to beat them a week earlier?
I remember, St Mirren knocking Celtic out of the Scottish Cup by a score of 1-0 less than two weeks after Celtic had beaten them 7-0 and there is just no explanation for a reversal like that. Football is a funny old game and it is impossible to make total sense of it.
Fair comment, JG. I accept that.
I would like to point out that the new guy Jenz scoring was great, however he was responsible for the Ross County goal as he was caught flat-footed and didn’t jump. My point is this why are Carter Vickers, Starfeld and now Jenz allowed to come up for corners and get in the way of the forwards when they can’t do their job at the other end. I would like to see the same commitment for defending corners as they give to the glory seeking of goal scoring.
As soon as the opposition get a corner its “Here we go”.
The second thing is when we get a throw in and all our players are unmarked Taylor will insist in taking it, being ” left back” and by now the opposition are organised. Whoever picks the ball up, just throw it to the first unmarked teammate. Check it out. It’ll drive you mad.
Not sure what you mean by a League of Ireland joke -seem to remember Sligo Rovers humbling Motherwell – our teams are not a joke -nor is our league a joke -bit of respect please -Dundalk managed to defeat AK 4 years ago.