mike_gain

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Everything posted by mike_gain

  1. Same issues again today. Two goals from 2 crosses. Killie did very little to create their chances other than being able to pass the ball. We offer nothing wide, players seem confused and really hesitant to drive into space. To many horizontal passes. Levein clearly frustrated so who knows what the message is. Slightly better after half time but a major issue with our whole squad is a lack of composure. Almost every 2nd touch is a tackle, too many passed are an uncontrolled stretch...and nobody wants yo shoot. Attempts at a simple pass end up in us losing possession too often. We lost possession too often from throwing....combination of smart pressing by Killie and just awful control and body shape. Overall the desire and effort didn't seem to be there either. I'd like Levin to explain why our wing backs were scared to cross the half way line. Formation simply didn't work. I realky would switch to 4-4-2 and stick May on right midfield. I've said it before our formation and play just invites balls into the box which is the main source of goals for the opposition. Touch and go if we make playoff, worry too many players don't see themselves here next season and are starting to wind down.
  2. The consistent inconsistency of these hand ball decisions is frustrating. We can all chuckle at yesterday as it's Celtic but it's getting silly (Unless you're Hearts who seem to be on the right side of the decisions) What concerns me more is what seems to be refs being more reluctant to make on field decisions and almost treating VAR as a backup. Yesterday ref gave a yellow for a high boot. Despite either him or his assistant having a clear view, VAR stepped in. I'd like to know just what the ref saw that forced him to change his mind and more importantly what VAR thought the obvious error was. A yellow is not what I'd think was an obvious error....not exactly a clear red. But more worrying was not stopping the game for a headknock. Did that come from an unconscious feeling that someone else will stop the game...despite it being the ref's responsibility. Var was to cut out things like Henry's hand ball or basically any hibs striker diving in the box but it's going too far I feel. Not fun.
  3. We limited Rangers to very few chances, they scored with pretty much first effort on target. No idea what you issue is with Considine's challenge yesterday. Every coach is asking for him to make that. He gets there he's a hero, we're talking inches...if that. As for Shankland, come on. He's incredibly difficult to play against, doing what our Strikers don't. He'll do the same to defenders at the Euros. But the point I'm making is if we don't reduce the pressure on our defence through play further up the field something gets through eventually. We will never have Defenders who make no mistakes. I think as a team we do stifle the opposition but they take more chances when they realise we're toothless. Could be argued our wingbacks are nowhere near the standard we've had before but I think there's been a coaching issue for a while. Davidson got lucky with Kerr and Rooney, who forced opposition to play different. Don't think he coached them to be the players they were...just took advantage of their qualities until opposition coaches figured us out.
  4. Touches in the box stat is useless without context. Fact is Motherwell got one important touch.....from an avoidable cross. We are agreeing though, you can't camp for a whole game, while we are capable of defending and restricting teams without any threat we just invite pressure....quite often the opposition full back or wing back chucking a ball in. Not saying we produce a defensive master class every match but we are more than capable of preventing goals, it's our lack of threat up top that is killing us (and to be honest has done for the last 3 seasons). I think the management team's plan seems to be get pace up front to force opposition back a bit. Just hasn't quite clicked.....but it will have to soon.
  5. So? Doesn't mean we can't defend. For a team that struggles to score and indeed press the opposition we don't concede that many goals. Our main issue defensively is not preventing balls into the box as our weakness is defending high balls. That is in part due to our ineffective forward play, not how we defend.
  6. Not convinced the first pen qualifies as clear and obvious. VAR need to cut this nonsense out. If 3 refs can't make a decision after 30 seconds then go with on field devision. I'm not 100% sure Considine didn't get a touch. As for handball....I give up trying to work out what will be given. Going by recent decisions Robinson did commit a foul, but there will be incidents in the next few weeks where a penalty won't be given Today was a free hit, we missed. More important games coming up, need to find a way to attack, we seem to be able to defend ok.
  7. Missed the winning goal scorer.....
  8. Aye, English non-league while a few steps down from leagues up here is still a far cry from a couple of coaches throwing cones down and welding their own goals. Coaching in the UK at all levels, grassroots and up, has improved a lot. What encourages me about Sibideh is he's made an impact after only 8 months. He's clearly better than the level he's been playing at. I'd me more hesitant if he'd been at that level for 2-3 years. Be interesting to here his backstory, getting into and staying in an academy is as much luck as talent. Maybe he's used past dissapointment to drive him on. Whether top flight in Scotland is a few steps too far I guess we'll find out. But if a few English league 1 and 2 clubs were interested there may be a player there. We're definitely getting him at the right time. I'd be happy to bet he's ahead of the likes of Zach Rudden.
  9. Hmmmm, not sure we did enough to win that today. We're certainly more difficult to beat but nothing up top. Kimpioka is rapid but looks like he's either never been coached on striker play or hasn't listened. Too often caught behind his defender...fair enough gamble sometimes but not every time. Body position and anticipation looked way off too. DJ up top was a bit of an improvement but just not quite there. Strangely, given who was on the pitch, our midfield seemed weak today. Frequently loosing the ball, not winning 2nd balls and almost seemed confused who and when to press. Defence gets pass marks, apart from the goal most things were delt with. Keltjens in particular looks like a really good acquisition. Another point gained in Livi but feels like we"re going to draw ourselves to the playoff.
  10. Brown will find a club. Has always been decent without standing out. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, his performances have dropped a fair bit. Hopefully just a confidence thing and he picks up at another club, seems like a nice guy who needs a chance of scene. As for Jephcott I think he does have some talent....just not leading a line. He's a player that sits in the box and takes chances.....our issue for a long time is not making many chances. What some might seem as lazy could just be intelligent play (high press doesn't need to be the striker charging around wasting energy). Hope he finds a club, have no I'll will towards him at all just doesn't seem like a fit for how we're trying to play.
  11. mike_gain

    Gowser.

    Shingles is different condition caused by the same virus lingering around the body and reactivating (my dad had it in his 40s...pretty grim affair). Neither fun as an adult though. Hopefully he recovers soon.
  12. Failing that have you considered hospitality: https://www.perthstjohnstonefc.co.uk/hospitality Seems ideal for a group of 8.
  13. Willing to bet he was on nobody's list of potential signings. On paper it looks good business. Wonder if the short contract reflects a bit of uncertainty from both parties.
  14. Rained all night in Dundee last night. Blue skies now though. Can't see why this can't be played tonight.
  15. Is Tannadice playable? In all seriousness though Scottish football is going to have to get creative if the threshold for what determines a playable pitch is so high. We're going to get more rain in the years to come and Dens won't be the only permanently unplayable pitch.
  16. This wasn't the game to make or break our season. Olufanwa unfortunately caught out a by a pretty decent ball into the box. I'll cut him some slack. Mitov would have had the blood pumping thinking he was invincible with his performance....it happens. Red card unlucky, came from Jayisimi'a initial poor control which seemed to be a common theme listening to the radio. No where near tue "shocker" that I've heard some Rangers fans go on about. Hope tue individual who made that filthy post finds out quickly he's not welcome in society behaving like that. We never got embarrassed and players can take positives and learn lessons. Mitov really is one of our best signings in recent years. I can't see him being here for long. I wonder if the same person who spotted him was also responsible for Phillips, Smith and Sven. They also look to be above average signings. Next 2 games will have a real bearing on our season, last night was a shot to nothing. Livi never closed the gap...onto the next one.
  17. Good performance but 2 mistakes and 2 Celtic goals. Brown should not be heading back into danger And loosing the ball so pathetically from our throw in has been an issue for a while. Kane no where near as effective up front either.
  18. First half was a bit scrappy, but still feel we played the better football. 2nd half was better, we responded well to County moving up a gear early in the 2nd half and then dominated. Defensive 3 were excellent, McGowan was excellent....we wouldn't be un this situation if he'd been playing the last few months. Robinson was again really effective, seems to have found some confidence. Brown was OK but probably least suited to that formation. Phillips was fantastic, seemed to be everywhere. He's a real asset. Smith was also fantastic, lots of energy and linked up well with the Forward 2. Kane and Clarke make a huge difference...hope the latter's injury isn't as bad as it looked. Carey was excellent. I've been super critical of him this but to put in a performance like that with everything going on is excellent. His energy was up and his passing was largely on point and his tracking back was top notch. Biggest change I noticed was in the management team. Constant instructions from the side given in a calm manner and Kirk and Levein were frequently in discussions about tactics. There was also a lot of encouragement for the players and very little criticism. Not getting too excited but that 2nd half we played some excellent football. Genuinely entertaining stuff. We're far from being out of tue mire but there's some fight back in the team.
  19. I'll be honest, not too keen on Martindale. Nothing to do with his past, if anything it's a good story and an inspiration to many in Scotland who are not lucky enough to avoid that sort of thing with where and how they are brought up. I just have a feeling he's one of these managers who fits one club and has success but will bomb at another. I have a sneaky suspicion he perhaps thinks this too.
  20. The reasons you've given are why I, tongue in cheek, think we'll go for Dodds. The club hasn't really had the best couple of years in terms of being run behind the scenes. I really would prefer someone with no connection to the club, we're not Rangers, I'd welcome some totally left field, mental appointment. Better to go down with some real craziness than a known entity playing 5 at the back with guff hoofball, drawing our way to relegation.
  21. Surely if it's just wages then we still play McGowan given how bad things are. Crawford no longer at this level so can understand but McGowan not playing is bizarre....and he's not the only one in recent years.
  22. I'd say Scott Brown and John Robertson are in the hat.....but it'll end up being Billy Dodds.
  23. I think we may be entering into a phase of short term managers i.e. 12 months or less at a time. The next manager is unlikely to excite us as fans but we're in a mire and need someone decent who is out of a job. Long term unemployed are probably that for a reason so looking at someone recently sacked....shortens the list a bit. Personally not bothered about charisma with the media so long as next appointment can galvanise the squad and bring some smiles back to the pitch.
  24. This has been a thing for a few seasons. Players inexplicably frozen out. I agree McGowan would improve the midfield or the defence.
  25. Judging by his comments his coaching skills are not up to it. Does make me wonder who was really behind the crazy number of players we've had make a small number of appearances only to be frozen out and binned for no real reason.