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First round of fixtures
Started by Hotel Scorpio




52 posts in this topic
Neave
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10-28-2021, 10:36 AM -
#21
Lack of normal goals is a problem too - the majority of our goals are pens, free kicks or worldies/goalie fuck ups.
Real Spencer
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10-28-2021, 10:40 AM -
#22
Been far better than I expected. Too many draws obviously, but we've achieved a few of those having been behind in the game. Downside is probably 3 from 9 from games against bottom 3 and dropping 4 points in home games to Hibs and sheep. 

Much improved on last season. Still short in certain areas but hard to make improvements across the entire squad in a single window. Improvement in midfield is the key aspect. That's allowing us to have far more possession than we have previously. Beni and Devlin light years ahead of Irving and co.

McEneff looks the most marginalised player in the first team squad right now. Given we paid a fee it seems a bit odd. Hard to see where he fits into the shape we deploy though. 

Much as there are many aspects of his play and demeanor that infuriate me, I'd say Walker is arguably the best finisher we have and could offer something off the bench, particularly at home. Neilson needs to be clever about how he uses what he has available. 

Progress is being made though. Need to address the contractual situation of a number of the starting 11 as a priority. Too many out of contract in the summer as it stands.
Billy Butcher
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10-28-2021, 10:46 AM -
#23
Been much better than I expected. In the summer I would have bitten your hand off for 3rd place and unbeaten at the end of the first round - especially considering the fact this is a strong league with a lot of well-matched teams.

However: we are the ones to watch if you love watching a team pass in pretty patterns in their own half and move side-to-side TBF.

We just totally lack going forward which shouldn't be the case when we have GMS, Mackay, Woodburn, Gino, Walker, Boyce, Gnando as options.

Lost count of the amount of times we got a two on one or two on two out wide and went back to the centre half, or the amount of times the ball went to a centre half or winger 30 yards out and their only option was to float one to Gnando who was surrounded by 6 St Johnstone players. There was a point in the second half in which Souttar had the ball 25/30 yards out, no one made a run, no one showed for the ball so his only option was to try and beat Clark at the far post  Laugh

It's a team that would be a dream for your Sky Sports, Premier League watching fans who do not understand what Guardiola/Klopp/Tuchel/etc are trying to do. They are sent out their to not lose the ball, not take risks, not take people on, not take the ball in tight spaces, not play quick passes in the opposition half, not make runs off the ball, not play in behind.

Very reliant on the attackers having one piece of magic or getting a penalty. See also Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
This post was last modified: 10-28-2021, 10:48 AM by Billy Butcher.
Shteve
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10-28-2021, 11:22 AM -
#24
Need McKay, Woodburn, GMS, Ginelly to chip in with goals. I like them all as players but need a few goals to go with. They're all capable of getting goals too.
This post was last modified: 10-28-2021, 11:22 AM by Shteve.
Shanklands Fivehead
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10-28-2021, 12:08 PM -
#25
Before the season started I genuinely wouldn’t have been surprised if we were down near relegation so what we have done so far is brilliant. Have to agree though it’s a bit infuriating to see some of the points we’ve dropped when dominating teams and failing to find a killer goal.
Johnny
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10-28-2021, 01:52 PM -
#26
(10-27-2021, 10:40 PM)Shteve Wrote: Aye we need to fleece Ando, manipulate him, blackmail him. Get Budge to fulfill his darkest fantasies, anything for him to hand over his money is fine by me.

Warnock  Warnock  Warnock

Quality post.
This post was last modified: 10-28-2021, 01:52 PM by Johnny.
Johnny
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10-28-2021, 01:53 PM -
#27
I would've bitten your hand off before the season for where we are the now. Much better than expected.

Would love to see the purse strings opened in January
Herzog
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10-28-2021, 01:54 PM -
#28
Very happy and glad to see the football hasnt been eye bleeding.

Hung S.J.
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10-28-2021, 01:58 PM -
#29
Since we done over Dundee United with relative ease, every non OF team since then has put ten men behind the ball. The final step we need to take is how to unlock Ginnelly, Mackay, Boyce and Woodburn to get us goals (also what decisions should our wing backs make in certain situations).

We should probably look at Liverpool. I always see Robbo and AA pass it back inside to their centre halves, then they switch the play to the other wing back who does a 1-2 with a forward and then swings it in low. I actually have seen evidence of Souttar and Beni/Devlin doing big switches, but I think it needs to be done faster so the opposition can't shift along so quickly.
Socko
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10-28-2021, 03:33 PM -
#30
Ideally I'd want to try and find a way of getting 3 of Ginnelly/McKay/Woodburn/GMS on the pitch with Boyce rather than just 2 of them but that would require a shake up and isn't worth it (yet?). Ginnelly is worth a run now I think, he looks like he's disappointed to lose his place and is up for working to get it back.
Sarko
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10-28-2021, 03:39 PM -
#31
I’d like to see Gino get a go at wing back when we’re playing the muck teams at home tbh. Probably on the left so Smit and Kingsley can slot it back into a back 4 if it’s a disaster, but our final ball is clearly suffering from having defensively oriented wing backs on both flanks.

Need to find a Victor Moses-style powerhouse wing back in January. Dare I say this formation could be tailor made for the return of Dr Funk? Jez
Hung S.J.
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10-28-2021, 03:41 PM -
#32
Tell you what, if it wasn't for us being thickos at set pieces we'd have two 1-0 wins here.

I'm sound if the opposition score a decent goal, but we've just randomly switched off and given soft goals after defending well in the main.
Fraggle
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10-28-2021, 03:43 PM -
#33
It is a strange feeling being unbeaten this far into the season and still feeling underwhelmed, so many games we should’ve had dead and buried. The RC game away and the Dundee one at home are the 2 that stick out most. Never seen last night but overwhelming consensus is that was one too.
Hekens
Hung S.J.
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10-28-2021, 03:44 PM -
#34
A draw away at McDairmid Park isn't a horrible result. Not dispatching Dundee at Tynecastle is a different story.
Winston Churchill
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10-28-2021, 04:44 PM -
#35
I must admit. I had us pencilled in for a bottom six finish.

Savage Joe is da man.

Far too many draws for my liking, and still powder puff in front of the onion bag. Also, this crab fitbaw is doing my nut in. The possession stat looks great on paper, but it's backwards and sideways 90% of the time.

A better manager would have hoovered up another 6/8 points Fat Cunt
This post was last modified: 10-28-2021, 04:45 PM by Winston Churchill.
Hung S.J.
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10-28-2021, 05:02 PM -
#36
(10-28-2021, 04:44 PM)Winston Churchill Wrote: A better manager would have hoovered up another 6/8 points Fat Cunt

Think you have to give Neilson a bit of credit though, against the other top 3 sides we have secured two wins and a draw. (1 home game and two away).

We should've won against Aberdeen, won against Dundee and won against St Johnstone and been on maximum points, but Rangers and Celtic will both be saying "we should've won against Hearts, we should've won against Livi etc etc..."

Everyone would have maximum points if they won every game they felt they should've won.
Neave
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10-28-2021, 05:09 PM -
#37
Neilson will never go higher than Hearts in his career. In fact, who was the last manager we had that went on to bigger and better things? Eek
Hung S.J.
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10-28-2021, 05:11 PM -
#38
(10-28-2021, 05:09 PM)Neave Wrote: Neilson will never go higher than Hearts in his career. In fact, who was the last manager we had that went on to bigger and better things? Eek

Burley and Levein both got the scottish national team jobs post hearts (levein got Leicester too). Neilson technically earnt a move down south by performing well at Hearts (even if it was with a much smaller club).

Romanov wasn't a huge fan of ambitious managers, lets be honest.  Warnock
This post was last modified: 10-28-2021, 05:12 PM by Hung S.J..
Mikey
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10-28-2021, 05:14 PM -
#39
(10-28-2021, 05:09 PM)Neave Wrote: Neilson will never go higher than Hearts in his career. In fact, who was the last manager we had that went on to bigger and better things? Eek

Cathro's been on the up and up since he left Stendel creep
The Great Naisy
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10-28-2021, 05:16 PM -
#40
Austin Macphee



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