| 2006–07 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Eddie Thompson | ||
| Manager | Craig Brewster (until 29 October) Craig Levein (from 30 October) | ||
| Scottish Premier League | 9th W:10 D:12 L:16 F:40 A:59 P:42 | ||
| Scottish Cup | Fourth round | ||
| League Cup | Third round | ||
| Top goalscorer | League:Barry Robson (11) All:Barry Robson (12) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 12,329 (vsAberdeen, 30 December) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 5,036 (vsMotherwell, 23 September) | ||
The2006–07 season was the 97th year offootball played byDundee United, and covers the period from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007. United finished in ninth place for the third season in the row and meant they had only finished in the top six once in the seven seasons since the split was introduced.
United finished the season in9th place with42 points in the2006–07 SPL season. In a poor end to the post-match split, United failed to win, scoring just one goal.
TheLeague Cup campaign was ended bySt Johnstone – aided by ex-United playerJason Scotland – who won 3–0 in the third round. United also exited theScottish Cup at the second hurdle, losing 1–0 at Inverness CT in the 4th round.
Fans' favouriteCraig Brewster left the manager's position in late-October, with formerHearts andLeicester City managerCraig Levein taking up the post.
United signedCraig Conway,Noel Hunt andSteven Robb in pre-season,[1] withDerek McInnes,[2]Jim McIntyre[2] andGrant Brebner[3] departing on free transfers after being released by the club. United started pre-season with a 4–1 win atRaith Rovers before a week in Denmark with matches againstHerfølge BK andFC Nordsjælland. Back in Scotland, United playedForfar atStation Park before theEvening Telegraph Challenge Cup resulted in a disappointing 1–0 defeat to rivalsDundee atDens. The round of pre-season friendlies meant none were played atTannadice.
United started the league campaign with a 2–1 loss toFalkirk at home on the opening day of the season and then drew atRangers, despite being 2–0 ahead. Goals from new signingsNoel Hunt andChristian Kalvenes had put United ahead but Rangers fought back to draw inPaul Le Guen's first home match as Rangers manager.David Proctor finally arrived fromInverness CT to end weeks of protracted negotiations. Successive 0–0 draws againstKilmarnock (whereLee Miller's only start was marred by an early sending-off) andDunfermline were improved by an extra-timeCIS Cup win overAirdrie United and a 3–1 win at newly promotedSt Mirren, where captainBarry Robson's 100th United match was event-filled, with two goals and a sending-off. The transfer window brought no new faces but striker Lee Miller was surprisingly allowed to leave forAberdeen on a free transfer, although it later transpired he had been disciplined days earlier for breaking club regulations.[4]David Fernández andPaul Ritchie were also freed[2] before the deadline, with Fernandez signing for Kilmarnock and Ritchie joining Cypriot sideOmonia Nicosia.
United started September with a 3–0 defeat at home toHibernian but their unbeaten away run continued inInverness with a 0–0 draw againstCaley Thistle. United crashed out of the CIS Cup with a 3–0 defeat away toSt Johnstone, with ex-United playerJason Scotland scoring the first goal. Further woe followed with only a draw at home to bottom-placedMotherwell. Free agentGrant Smith was recruited in late September to provide goals from midfield.
October started with a 4–0 defeat toHearts atTynecastle and a 4–1 home defeat to Celtic, sending United to the bottom of the table. In-between these matches, formerDundee defenderLee Wilkie signed until the end of the season. a 3–1 defeat to Aberdeen atPittodrie led Brewster to publicly admit his players were in danger of heading for the First Division[5] and the following 5–1 defeat to Falkirk did little to change this viewpoint. The low point of the season represented Brewster's final attempt to turn things around, illustrated by handing debut starts to no fewer than four players. United lost all four games in October, conceding 16 goals in the process.
On 29 October, Brewster and assistant Malky Thomson left by "mutual agreement", with widely tippedCraig Levein appointed less than 24 hours later. Levein's first match, a televised Sunday affair at home to Rangers, was watched from the stand as he completed a touchline ban from his time at Raith; it made little difference, as United came from behind to win 2–1 and record their first home league win of the season. The following weekend, Levein matched Brewster's record of two league wins, doing so in just two matches with a 1–0 win over Kilmarnock (Noel Hunt scoring).Mark de Vries – who played under Levein at Hearts andLeicester City – made public his desire to play for United.[6] Levein's third match in charge brought a disappointing late 2–1 defeat at Dunfermline but November finished with three home wins in a row with a 1–0 win over St Mirren. Three wins from four was enough to hand Levein aManager of the Month award in his first month (something also achieved byGordon Chisholm in April 2006 during his caretaker spell).
December started with a battling 2–1 defeat at Hibs but a fourth consecutive home win followed with a 3–1 victory over Inverness. In-between these games,Cowdenbeath midfielderMorgaro Gomis agreed a deal to join in the transfer window for a nominal fee. On 15 December, defendersRoss Gardiner and Lee Wilkie agreed one-month loan deals withArbroath andRoss County respectively. United won 3–2 at Motherwell, despite having defenderChristian Kalvenes sent off in the first half. A narrow 1–0 defeat to Hearts ended Levein's impressive home form but plaudits were gained again following a 2–2 draw away to Celtic, although for the second time this season, United threw away a two-goal lead away to the Old Firm. 2006 ended on a high with a 3–1 win over 2nd-placed Aberdeen.
If 2006 ended on a high, then 2007 could not have begun any worse – a second 5–1 defeat to Falkirk, this time at Tannadice. New signing Morgaro Gomis made a late debut with IrishmanJon Daly becoming Levein's next signing, the big target man arriving fromHartlepool United on 5 January. The following day, Levein confirmedGrant Smith's contract would not be renewed butSean Dillon's move fromShelbourne was eventually completed, with the Irishfull back arriving on 11 January. Prior to this, a flu epidemic had seen theScottish Cup game against St Mirren postponed. The after-effects may have been present as United slumped to a 5–0 defeat atIbrox, with Daly and Dillon both making debuts. Shortly afterwards, it was announced thatInverness captainDarren Dods had signed a pre-contract agreement to join in the summer, ending a lengthy pursuit for him that had been started by former manager Craig Brewster some months previously. The re-arranged cup match against St Mirren was full of excitement, with United throwing away a two-goal lead beforeDavid Robertson secured the win with an injury-time winner. United lost a third consecutive league match, going down 1–0 atRugby Park, withDavid McCracken – who had earlier been told he would be leaving in the summer – absent. Shortly afterwards,Alan Archibald andDavid Proctor were also informed they were free to leave. January's final match resulted in a disappointing goalless draw at home to Dunfermline.
Alan Archibald left to rejoinPartick Thistle on deadline day, whileChe Bunce – who had spent a few days at Tannadice on trial – opted to sign forCoventry City instead. United exited the Scottish Cup, losing 1–0 to Inverness.David Proctor became the second player to move with special FIFA dispensation to a third club of the season (afterJavier Mascherano), moving on loan toAirdrie United. On the pitch, United finally picked up a league win in 2007, completing a fourth successive victory over St Mirren this season, courtesy of Barry Robson's strike. The following week saw another clean sheet with a 0–0 draw at home to Hibs, only for a last-minute goal to give Inverness a 1–0 win up north. Off the pitch, there was plenty of excitement with a rumoured summer friendly againstBarcelona,[7] although the excitement failed to materialise onto the pitch as United were held 1–1 at home to Motherwell. The following weekend, Craig Levein's return toTynecastle brought much cheer with a resounding 4–0 win, including Barry Robson's first seniorhat-trick. United closed out March with a credible 1–1 draw at home to Celtic, althoughBarry Robson's second red card of the season spoiled Jon Daly's first goal for the club.
April began in emphatic fashion, with a 4–2 win at Aberdeen which saw five goals in the opening seventeen minutes;Greg Cameron's first goals for United were enough to clinch victory. United entered the league split with an away match at Dunfermline and continued their winless streak that stretched back to 1997, losing 1–0. The following week, David Robertson's goal earned a 1–1 draw at home to Inverness, although it later transpired Jon Daly's knee injury wasposterior cruciate ligament damage and would rule him out for several months.[8][9] On the same day, United's proposed pre-season fixture withBarcelona was confirmed,[10] before St Mirren eased their relegation worries with a 2–0 weekend win at Tannadice. The penultimate match of the season saw a third straight loss for United, going down 2–0 at Falkirk; earlier in the week,Derek Stillie confirmed he would leave the club at the end of the season to pursue anEnglish law career.[11]Collin Samuel was not far behind, although due to the club deciding not to offer a new contract.[12] The Falkirk defeat also saw another début for a youngster withJohnny Russell making a late substitute appearance. The season finished with a 0–0 home draw against Motherwell. It was the final game for Derek Stillie, David McCracken, Lee Mair and Collin Samuel, who each started the match.
Dundee United played a total of 42 competitive matches during the 2006–07 season,[13] as well as five pre-seasonfriendlies, making a total of nearly fifty games played. The team finished ninth in theScottish Premier League.
In the cup competitions, United were knocked out of theScottish Cup at the fourth round stage, losing 1–0 atInverness CT. The club also exited early in theLeague Cup, losing 3–0 away toFirst Division sideSt Johnstone in the third round.
| Win | Draw | Loss |
All results are written with Dundee United's score first.
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Position | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 July | Falkirk | Home | 1–2 | x | 6,616 | Robson |
| 5 August | Rangers | Away | 2–2 | x | 50,394 | Hunt,Kalvenes |
| 12 August | Kilmarnock | Away | 0–0 | x | 5,328 | |
| 19 August | Dunfermline | Home | 0–0 | x | 6,171 | |
| 26 August | St Mirren | Away | 3–1 | x | 4,902 | Robson (2),Duff |
| 10 September | Hibernian | Home | 0–3 | x | 6,387 | |
| 16 September | Inverness CT | Away | 0–0 | x | 3,586 | |
| 23 September | Motherwell | Home | 1–1 | x | 5,036 | Hunt |
| 1 October | Hearts | Away | 0–4 | x | 16,849 | |
| 14 October | Celtic | Home | 1–4 | x | 10,504 | Hunt |
| 21 October | Aberdeen | Away | 1–3 | x | 10,747 | Robson |
| 28 October | Falkirk | Away | 1–5 | x | 5,386 | Samuel |
| 5 November | Rangers | Home | 2–1 | x | 10,392 | Kenneth,Mair |
| 11 November | Kilmarnock | Home | 1–0 | x | 5,815 | Hunt |
| 18 November | Dunfermline | Away | 1–2 | x | 6,129 | Robson |
| 26 November | St Mirren | Home | 1–0 | x | 5,681 | Hunt |
| 2 December | Hibernian | Away | 1–2 | x | 14,032 | Own goal |
| 9 December | Inverness CT | Home | 3–1 | x | 5,294 | Hunt (2),Robertson |
| 16 December | Motherwell | Away | 3–2 | x | 4,420 | Samuel,McCracken,Hunt |
| 23 December | Hearts | Home | 0–1 | x | 7,789 | |
| 26 December | Celtic | Away | 2–2 | x | 57,343 | Robertson,Samuel |
| 30 December | Aberdeen | Home | 3–1 | x | 12,329 | Samuel (2),Barry Robson |
| 1 January | Falkirk | Home | 1–5 | x | 6,261 | Barry Robson |
| 13 January | Rangers | Away | 0–5 | x | 50,276 | |
| 20 January | Kilmarnock | Away | 0–1 | x | 4,732 | |
| 27 January | Dunfermline | Home | 0–0 | x | 6,295 | |
| 10 February | St Mirren | Away | 1–0 | x | 3,849 | Robson |
| 18 February | Hibernian | Home | 0–0 | x | 6,453 | |
| 3 March | Inverness CT | Away | 0–1 | x | 3,901 | |
| 10 March | Motherwell | Home | 1–1 | x | 5,183 | Robb |
| 17 March | Hearts | Away | 4–0 | x | 17,172 | Robson (3),Hunt |
| 31 March | Celtic | Home | 1–1 | x | 11,363 | Daly |
| 7 April | Aberdeen | Away | 4–2 | x | 12,148 | Daly,Hunt,Cameron (2) |
| 21 April | Dunfermline | Away | 0–1 | x | 5,131 | |
| 28 April | Inverness CT | Home | 1–1 | x | 5,273 | Robertson |
| 5 May | St Mirren | Home | 0–2 | x | 6,875 | |
| 12 May | Falkirk | Away | 0–2 | x | 4,161 | |
| 19 May | Motherwell | Home | 0–0 | x | 6,070 |
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 January | St Mirren | Home | 3–2 | 4,010 | Robson,Kenneth,Robertson |
| 3 February | Inverness CT | Away | 0–1 | 3,402 |
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result | Attendance | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 August | Airdrie United | Home | 1–0 | 2,851 | Robertson |
| 19 September | St Johnstone | Away | 0–3 | 4,653 |
During the 2006–07 season, United used 29 different players, with a further three named as substitutes who did not make an appearance on the pitch. The table below shows the number of appearances and goals scored by each player.[14]
| No. | Pos | Nat | Player | Total | Bank of Scotland Premier League | Scottish Cup | CIS Cup | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||||
| 1 | GK |  SCO | Derek Stillie | 41 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2 | DF |  NOR | Christian Kalvenes | 32 | 1 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | SCO | David McCracken | 36 | 1 | 33 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | DF | SCO | Lee Wilkie | 15 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | DF | SCO | Lee Mair | 19 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | SCO | Alan Archibald | 19 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | SCO | Mark Kerr | 40 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 9 | FW |  IRL | Jon Daly | 13 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | IRL | Noel Hunt | 31 | 10 | 28 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 11 | MF | SCO | Barry Robson | 33 | 12 | 29 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 12 | DF | SCO | Stuart Duff | 30 | 1 | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | MF | SCO | Steven Robb | 17 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | SCO | Craig Conway | 34 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | FW | SCO | Craig Brewster | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | DF | IRL | Sean Dillon | 16 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | SCO | Greg Cameron | 27 | 2 | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | SCO | Garry Kenneth | 13 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 20 | FW |  TRI | Collin Samuel | 41 | 5 | 37 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 21 | GK | SCO | Euan McLean | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | MF | SCO | William Easton | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | MF | SCO | David Robertson | 30 | 5 | 26 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 26 | FW | SCO | David Goodwillie | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | MF | SCO | Gregg Burnett | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | DF | SCO | David Proctor | 14 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 29 | MF |  FRA | Morgaro Gomis | 12 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | MF | SCO | Grant Smith | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 36 | DF | SCO | Keith Watson | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 49 | FW | SCO | Johnny Russell | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Goalscorers[edit]Twelve players scored for the United first team with the team scoring 44 goals in total. The top goalscorer wasBarry Robson, who finished the season with 12 goals.[14]
| Discipline[edit]During the 2006–07 season, five United players were sent off, and twenty players received at least one yellow card. In total, the team received seven dismissals and 70 cautions.[14]
|
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Falkirk | 38 | 15 | 5 | 18 | 49 | 47 | +2 | 50 | |
| 8 | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 38 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 42 | 48 | −6 | 46 | |
| 9 | Dundee United | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 40 | 59 | −19 | 42 | |
| 10 | Motherwell | 38 | 10 | 8 | 20 | 41 | 61 | −20 | 38 | |
| 11 | St Mirren | 38 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 31 | 51 | −20 | 36 |
In[edit]Nine players were signed during the 2006–07 season, with a total (public) transfer cost of just under £100,000, although three transfers were undisclosed or nominal fees. The players that joined Dundee United during the 2006–07 season, along with their previous club, are listed below.
Sean Dillon's fee was €20,000, which amounted to approximately £13,500 at the time of transfer | Out[edit]No players were loaned out during the 2006–07 season, with twelve leaving the club permanently. The club received no transfer fees as all players were released. Listed below are the players that were released during the season, along with the club that they joined. Players did not necessarily join their next club immediately.
|
         Home colours |    Away colours |
The strips were produced for the first time byHummel and the jerseys were sponsored for the first time byAnglian Home Improvements (who also sponsoredMotherwell in the same season). For the first time, the shorts were sponsored (byOle International).
