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vs. Ayr United


Jaggernaut
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Good & accurate summation from jaf. To add to that Williamson's clearly better suited to a wingback position. OK that effectively means more justification for having extra centrebacks but not one of them is what I'd term a ball playing centreback. I'd start Penrice ahead of Robson about every time but the former is best suited to playing in a conventional back four.

Nothing against the signing of Miller and the re-signing of Cardle but clearly (and I know about Austin) that has to be balanced by pace. Instead we've got de Vita and Harkins playing regular and cameo roles respectively.  Also as I said on another thread Cardle is best utilised cutting in from the left but our other wide player, Zanatta, doesn't look comfortable switching to the right flank.

I always think signing one or maybe two wild card players is fine. Coulibaly springs immediately to mind. That didn't work but McDonald most certainly did. However Caldwell went to town gambling on what I'd classify as wild card players to little success. 

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One of the problems with the centrebacks is that we have 4 and 3 are right footed. Penrice could cover as a left sided one in emergencies but in effect McGinty is guranteed a place which is never a good thing.

Playing 3 at the back looks ok on paper but in general it requires 1 comfortable on the ball (O'Ware) and 2 that are commanding in the air. Saunders just about does that but McGinty isn't commanding enough in the air to do that role. Whilst he was good taking the ball out from the back in that system you can't play him in the sweeper role as he's our only left footer.

 

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23 hours ago, dl1971 said:

I've never believed that players dont try or are *shite* at professional level. Some are simply not good enough for our aspirations at the time ( insert league to suit ). Then again I didn't actually see the game on Saturday otherwise I may be a little more animated! 

I have two words for you.  Adam Barton.

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3 hours ago, laukat said:

Playing 3 at the back looks ok on paper but in general it requires 1 comfortable on the ball

 

1 hour ago, Paulo said:

I have two words for you.  Adam Barton.

...and the irony being the last time we could play three at the back convincingly was with Barton during his pre waster season.

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5 hours ago, laukat said:

One of the problems with the centrebacks is that we have 4 and 3 are right footed. Penrice could cover as a left sided one in emergencies but in effect McGinty is guranteed a place which is never a good thing.

Playing 3 at the back looks ok on paper but in general it requires 1 comfortable on the ball (O'Ware) and 2 that are commanding in the air. Saunders just about does that but McGinty isn't commanding enough in the air to do that role. Whilst he was good taking the ball out from the back in that system you can't play him in the sweeper role as he's our only left footer.

 

Unfortunately, we have 11 players in our team and none are that comfortable on the ball!:D

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I agree with the talk of we need to make ourselves more difficult to beat, but with that squad I don’t know how. Our CB’s do not look comfortable, our wing backs get passed by too easily, our keeper doesn’t command his defense . Their is no grit in midfield. So if you can’t shut out the opposition then you need to out score them, which is our next problem. We have one 39 yr old striker who plays where he wants, with next to no back up. Next to no pace in the team to push forward on a counter attack and very limited creativity. 
 

If I wasn’t in Saudi I’d be having a few hauf’s just despairing at the failings of this team in my own post

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4 hours ago, Norgethistle said:

I agree with the talk of we need to make ourselves more difficult to beat, but with that squad I don’t know how. Our CB’s do not look comfortable, our wing backs get passed by too easily, our keeper doesn’t command his defense . Their is no grit in midfield. So if you can’t shut out the opposition then you need to out score them, which is our next problem. We have one 39 yr old striker who plays where he wants, with next to no back up. Next to no pace in the team to push forward on a counter attack and very limited creativity. 
 

If I wasn’t in Saudi I’d be having a few hauf’s just despairing at the failings of this team in my own post

Remember Caldwell's presentations about how the game should be played, and the wee comments about how bad the players he inherited were?

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1 hour ago, Norgethistle said:

Those players whilst bad have gone, we have newer more expensive worse ones now

Exception of mcginty.  You could also add in banzo- though Caldwell gave him a new contract - who by his standards has had a poor year and a half. Possibly also Shea Gordon who is very poor, but has only one attribute in that despite not being a striker is our second top goal scorer I believe and also has a number of assists - and became of few people bar miller and cardle able to score then I’d keep him as an impact sub

but agree pretty much everyone else is a Caldwell Signing and bar a couple are all expensive duds

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15 hours ago, Pinhead said:

what highlights have you been watching?

Same highlights as you boss - but I'm looking at them with keepers head on - since I've been one for 40 years!

The Chelsea keeper let in 4 tonight - does that make him a bombscare too? What about the Southampton keeper letting in 9 against Leicester. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, he was beaten by 2 well placed shots (= crap defending), a 6 yard header (= multiple crap defending) & the 3rd looked like a deflected effort. 

If you're looking at goals against its 99% of the time due to the sh*te in front of the keeper but they're always an easy target for the embittered outfield players. 

 

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5 hours ago, gianlucatoni said:

Same highlights as you boss - but I'm looking at them with keepers head on - since I've been one for 40 years!

The Chelsea keeper let in 4 tonight - does that make him a bombscare too? What about the Southampton keeper letting in 9 against Leicester. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, he was beaten by 2 well placed shots (= crap defending), a 6 yard header (= multiple crap defending) & the 3rd looked like a deflected effort. 

If you're looking at goals against its 99% of the time due to the sh*te in front of the keeper but they're always an easy target for the embittered outfield players. 

 

Aargh! The old goalkeepers club. Blame everyone else bar me! Fox has dropped a few clangers this season. I do agree that our defence is crap, but trust works both ways. 

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7 hours ago, gianlucatoni said:

Same highlights as you boss - but I'm looking at them with keepers head on - since I've been one for 40 years!

The Chelsea keeper let in 4 tonight - does that make him a bombscare too? What about the Southampton keeper letting in 9 against Leicester. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, he was beaten by 2 well placed shots (= crap defending), a 6 yard header (= multiple crap defending) & the 3rd looked like a deflected effort. 

If you're looking at goals against its 99% of the time due to the sh*te in front of the keeper but they're always an easy target for the embittered outfield players. 

 

My issue with Fox is his commanding of his defense and box. He doesn’t seem vocal enough to direct defenders to where he needs (as he has best view point), he can be a great shot stopper. 
I would give Sneddon a run to see if he can coral the defense 

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2 hours ago, Norgethistle said:

My issue with Fox is his commanding of his defense and box. He doesn’t seem vocal enough to direct defenders to where he needs (as he has best view point), he can be a great shot stopper. 
I would give Sneddon a run to see if he can coral the defense

I would agree this is Fox's main problem. He doesn't like to come of his line and isn't commanding on cross balls.

However from what I've seen of Sneddon its also his weakness. Whilst Hazard had other problems you could see we were more vulnerable at corners in particular when Sneddon was in goals. Sneddon in general did ok when he played last year but he did have a proper defender and organiser in Steven Anderson in front of him.

Sneddon's till young enough to develop some aspects but he still looked like he could so with a season loan at a lower level to get comfortable with the physical element.

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The least of our problems is who's in goals!

The Ayr players looked like they had an invisible force field around them that stopped the Thistle players getting closer than two or three yards to them. The amount of space they were given in midfield and by our defence was criminal.

And it wasn't the first time we've been guilty of that kind of play. The first 20 minutes against Dundee was exactly the same. Fortunately, Dundee weren't playing anywhere near the same level as Ayr. (And let's acknowledge that Ayr United were very good on Saturday. Not only is it true, but it's reassuring to think that a team put together by Ian McCall can play as well as that.)

If we stand off the opposition, we'll get slaughtered. If we get in their faces and deny them room, we can compete. These players have shown they're capable of playing like that already this season. 

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3 hours ago, Firhillista said:

The least of our problems is who's in goals!

The Ayr players looked like they had an invisible force field around them that stopped the Thistle players getting closer than two or three yards to them. The amount of space they were given in midfield and by our defence was criminal.

And it wasn't the first time we've been guilty of that kind of play. The first 20 minutes against Dundee was exactly the same. Fortunately, Dundee weren't playing anywhere near the same level as Ayr. (And let's acknowledge that Ayr United were very good on Saturday. Not only is it true, but it's reassuring to think that a team put together by Ian McCall can play as well as that.)

If we stand off the opposition, we'll get slaughtered. If we get in their faces and deny them room, we can compete. These players have shown they're capable of playing like that already this season. 

Agree with this and particularly the bit in bold. Fox may have his faults but he has been proven to be a very good championship keeper and a reasonable SPL keeper. I can only really think of the goal at Morton as a real gaffe. He has at times pulled off some wonder saves.

Whats in front of Fox is the bigger problem. We do need the team to be more aggresive and physical. The saying used to be 'you earn the right to play' and in championship football thats by winning the physical battle.

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On 11/5/2019 at 11:08 PM, gianlucatoni said:

Same highlights as you boss - but I'm looking at them with keepers head on - since I've been one for 40 years!

The Chelsea keeper let in 4 tonight - does that make him a bombscare too? What about the Southampton keeper letting in 9 against Leicester. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, he was beaten by 2 well placed shots (= crap defending), a 6 yard header (= multiple crap defending) & the 3rd looked like a deflected effort. 

If you're looking at goals against its 99% of the time due to the sh*te in front of the keeper but they're always an easy target for the embittered outfield players. 

 

snap

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