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Post by theflashingblade on Jan 10, 2016 22:34:09 GMT 1
Looks like we're in agreement that the less said the better.
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Post by Auldnick on Jan 10, 2016 22:50:29 GMT 1
Lol..... There were some positives.... Better style of play, created chances and new guys doing okay.
Negatives were losing to a poorly defended corner thanks largely to a keeper who is a shrinking violet in his own 18 yard area, poorly timed substitutions and strange choice of subs when we needed a goal, not quick enough in the final 3rd
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Post by jonsnow on Jan 11, 2016 1:23:12 GMT 1
Yeah we managed to play the ball about in midfield and Fotheringham looked like he'll be the play maker, got some passes through and some went astray, but signs looked good for him doing a good job as the games get him up to speed, and he forms an understanding with the players around him.
Pittman and Longridge had a good game, rest were a bit meh but looked better than last week.
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drwho
Youth Player
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Post by drwho on Jan 11, 2016 7:43:13 GMT 1
I saw you bumping your gums on another thread about Hippo. i'd rather we were giving young lads, who have something to prove a chance than bringing on a so called player, who thinks he's a big time Charlie. Hippo is over rated by some on here and giving youth a chance is the way forward. I for one am delighted that they got a chance on Sat. i agree we created more on Sat and the new signings could help us once they are match fit. |
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Post by Auldnick on Jan 11, 2016 8:40:59 GMT 1
I take it you are on another planet just now Doc cause you're not on this one if you think getting 5 mins and 3 mins at the end of a game that we still could have gotten a draw in is giving youngsters "a chance". I'm not saying Hippo and Gibbons would have turned it round either with that amount of time left, after all they aren't much older than the 2 lads who did come on...but those substitutions smacked of a manager who had already decided the game was lost, in which case why didn't he make changes earlier (Mullen had been running into players and falling over, tripping over the ball, leaving it behind & shooting way off target all game whilst admittedly winning the odd free kick, he could have been replaced with 15 or 20 to go giving someone else a fair crack at salvaging something).
Yeah I usually bump my gums in support of Hippo because some on here slate him for breathing; he proved what he can do when he got a decent run in the side last season and while he hasn't replicated that so far this season, we know he has it in him. He has been making poor choices of when to pass or take guys on but his team mates are often too slow to give him options, so to my mind much of the criticism is unfair, sometimes it is justified (such as the red card at Dumbarton) but sometimes he has been played out of position but done his best when asked to do so, that isn't the mark of a BTC, that's the mark of a team player.
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Post by durnford on Jan 11, 2016 12:15:42 GMT 1
As I posted on the other site I thought the addition of Fotheringham and to a lesser extent Stanton was a real eye opener.
Fotheringham was supposed to have been unfit and yet hardly stopped running for the whole 90 minutes; was worried about him getting booked after the first 20 minutes but feel t hat was more due to his flailing arm rather than the actual tackle. Otherwise he had the makings of a powerhouse in the defensive midfield; he also seemed eager to stamp his authority on the others and was particularly "direct" with Knox (I think) about his "show-boating" when we were already a goal down.
OOne thing he did seem to get really frustrated about is the almost total lack of running off the ball being done by many of our other long standing players; he would get the ball and look for options but most just stood still waiting for the pass rather than continually running into space and catching their defence out. Those that did move were generally too predictable and easily closed down by the opposition. Stanton was a bit of an exception here; particularly in the first half
Defence wise I was particularly worried about Gallagher and Gordon; both seemed to want to take at least 3 or 4 touches on the ball before looking for options; after the first fifteen minutes Morton had cottoned on to this and pressed on them immediately they got the ball - in most cases leaving no option but to pass back to DJ to hoof up the park. If we're going to try passing the ball around the defence it needs to be one touch stuff leaving the opposition no time to react and close us down. Whilst on the subject of the defence neither Neill or Longridge seemed to go for the attacking option most of the time; instead preferring to put the ball back to one of the central defenders to eventually pass back to DJ.
I thought bringing White on for Sherrin was the wrong decision as the White/Buchannan has hardly ever worked.
Likewise bringing on Knox and Currie when we're already one goal down can only mean we weren't bothered about continuing in the cup. Don't think there can be any debate on this point actually; no matter how promising they've looked in the past no reasonable person could expect them to turn the game around; with Hippolyte and Gibbons on the bench we had more experiences and physical options.
All in all, and as frustrating as losing to Morton is, I will be very interested to see how the new guys inject change into the team and hopefully we can sort a bit out (just wish the next game wasn't Rangers away).
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Post by jonsnow on Jan 11, 2016 14:57:38 GMT 1
Yep the decision to leave Gibbons & Hippo sitting on the bench and play Currie & Knox was strange, smacked of giving up. I'm all for giving young players a chance but as Bollan did when he was here, you give them game time and gradually bring them along, and you do that when you've got the game won (4-1 St Mirren), not when you're a goal down and still in with a chance of getting a replay. Like Hippo or hate him, you can't deny he can change a game, as he did scoring against The Rangers. It was at least worth a shot sticking him on for the last 15-20 mins on Saturday.
I would've had White on sooner too, does Hopkin have his schedule of substitutions written down and he has to stick to it.
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Pedro
Administrator
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Post by Pedro on Jan 12, 2016 10:31:04 GMT 1
Hippo looks like he has the ability to be a fantastic player at a much higher level but he doesn't seem to always apply himself enough for me.
All the skill, ability and fancy tricks in the world won't get you very far unless you are able to knuckle down and graft when required as well.
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Post by Auldnick on Jan 12, 2016 20:54:41 GMT 1
I'm reading "The Secret Footballer - Acccess All Areas" - one of the chapters addresses this generically, the author makes it clear that while some might construe it as racist it is actually simply making the most of your resources. It is a similar concept to white men can't jump. "Black" players are almost always given the athletic, fast paced, free spirited roles (think Man U .... Wingers Young and Valencia, think Arsenal.... Wingers Walcott and Oxlade-C, think Man C.... Yaya wanders around looking disinterested then bursts into life) while "White" players are given the midfield tempo dictating role (think Man U.... Mata, think Arsenal... Ozil and Cazorla, think Man C... Silva) - this may be what you are seeing with Hippo.
I agree he doesn't always apply himself but when he does (like April/May) he can be outstanding but to get that I believe he needs games
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