Saints v Rangers, 16/09/2023

[St. Paddy]

4 minutes ago, johndb said:

This is all getting a bit familiar come back Callum all is forgiven!?

Hells bells...

It is clearly a work in progress.

We weren't in a position to bring in many finished products, turn over has been unprecedented, and green shoots are there.

Never really looked like scoring, but 1st hour was set up to keep it to zero, then kick on.

Once we lost the opening goal, it was always going to be up hill.

 

Yes, rangers were garbage, and we were worse, they will spend their way to top two, we need to persevere, hopefully pick up a goal scorer from santa, and somehow consolidate our top flight status.

Davidson doesn't do that.

[Kinnoull Kicker]

1. We gave Rangers far too much respect - they’re fairly pedestrian, don’t offer a huge amount of threat and we were a yard off them until the start of second half.

2. McLelland is far below standard required. Slow and positionally inept. Should be farmed out to gain experience. McGowan or even Brown would be better at centre half.

3. Costello - not once did he get past his man. Booked early and backed off all tackles afterwards. Should have been replaced.

4. Robinson came on to a game in second half - promising.

5. First goal - our execution of corner was appalling. shortly after Carey lets Tevernier get past him and doesn’t even attempt to stop the cross.

6. The number of misplaced passes was embarrassing - led directly to the second goal and a number of clear chances ie Rangers did not have to work hard to create them.

7. We all want 2 up front - particularly home games. Carey is clearly more comfortable out wide ( though defensively crap) A better option than Costello and would have enabled May to start with Kane - a better option.

8. As ever McLean leaves subs too late.

9. Philips does difficult things well and simple things poorly - surely an easy fix on the training field.

10. Time McLean instilled some nastiness in his team. rangers were there to be beaten and a better approach would have been to get in their faces at pace from the get go.

11. Hope the Austrian is better than one or two of the other signings.

12. tough season ahead!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. 

 

[blueheaven]

28 minutes ago, johndb said:

This is all getting a bit familiar come back Callum all is forgiven!?

Given that much of our current predicament is Davidson's fault, it really is not forgiven.

[Two Cups 2021]

1 hour ago, Kinnoull Kicker said:

1. We gave Rangers far too much respect - they’re fairly pedestrian, don’t offer a huge amount of threat and we were a yard off them until the start of second half.

2. McLelland is far below standard required. Slow and positionally inept. Should be farmed out to gain experience. McGowan or even Brown would be better at centre half.

3. Costello - not once did he get past his man. Booked early and backed off all tackles afterwards. Should have been replaced.

4. Robinson came on to a game in second half - promising.

5. First goal - our execution of corner was appalling. shortly after Carey lets Tevernier get past him and doesn’t even attempt to stop the cross.

6. The number of misplaced passes was embarrassing - led directly to the second goal and a number of clear chances ie Rangers did not have to work hard to create them.

7. We all want 2 up front - particularly home games. Carey is clearly more comfortable out wide ( though defensively crap) A better option than Costello and would have enabled May to start with Kane - a better option.

8. As ever McLean leaves subs too late.

9. Philips does difficult things well and simple things poorly - surely an easy fix on the training field.

10. Time McLean instilled some nastiness in his team. rangers were there to be beaten and a better approach would have been to get in their faces at pace from the get go.

11. Hope the Austrian is better than one or two of the other signings.

12. tough season ahead!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. 

 

Point 6.

Couldn't agree more.

The number of times we gained possession and promptly gave it away was very frustrating. 

We didn't seem to keep possession for more than 60 seconds.

Edited September 16, 2023 by Two Cups 2021

[Strawman]

Until second goal we were right in the game, was enjoying second half until it was 2.

No idea what was going on with Stewards, there was a family openly wearing Rangers tops and scarfs in East Stand, head Steward was called and went to speak to them twice , they stayed the whole game though and were down front applauding Rangers at the end. 
 

I don’t really have any objection to a Rangers fan in our end who sits quietly and doesn’t wear colours, this family clapped as the Rangers team were announced , celebrated the first goal, were wearing Rangers tops, were spoken to by head Steward twice but somehow were allowed to stay !

[Dav69]

Just watched Sportscene and how all teams have played with Flair, Passion , Quality and Style . We are gone by January. Simon Murray has 9 goals this season , we won’t get that total by Xmas and we think County will save us getting relegated !!!! 

[slf]

1 hour ago, Strawman said:

Until second goal we were right in the game, was enjoying second half until it was 2.

No idea what was going on with Stewards, there was a family openly wearing Rangers tops and scarfs in East Stand, head Steward was called and went to speak to them twice , they stayed the whole game though and were down front applauding Rangers at the end. 
 

I don’t really have any objection to a Rangers fan in our end who sits quietly and doesn’t wear colours, this family clapped as the Rangers team were announced , celebrated the first goal, were wearing Rangers tops, were spoken to by head Steward twice but somehow were allowed to stay !

Another reason why folk say Phuck  I am not going

them and the other nastys ye want to kick the shoite of

ignorant tw ats

[Cagey]

4 hours ago, garydavidson said:

He said all three could play their way back in to the team at training.

Never noticed any of the three in training clips. Doesn't mean they are not there though.

[Cagey]

4 hours ago, Kinnoull Kicker said:

1. We gave Rangers far too much respect - they’re fairly pedestrian, don’t offer a huge amount of threat and we were a yard off them until the start of second half.

2. McLelland is far below standard required. Slow and positionally inept. Should be farmed out to gain experience. McGowan or even Brown would be better at centre half.

3. Costello - not once did he get past his man. Booked early and backed off all tackles afterwards. Should have been replaced.

4. Robinson came on to a game in second half - promising.

5. First goal - our execution of corner was appalling. shortly after Carey lets Tevernier get past him and doesn’t even attempt to stop the cross.

6. The number of misplaced passes was embarrassing - led directly to the second goal and a number of clear chances ie Rangers did not have to work hard to create them.

7. We all want 2 up front - particularly home games. Carey is clearly more comfortable out wide ( though defensively crap) A better option than Costello and would have enabled May to start with Kane - a better option.

8. As ever McLean leaves subs too late.

9. Philips does difficult things well and simple things poorly - surely an easy fix on the training field.

10. Time McLean instilled some nastiness in his team. rangers were there to be beaten and a better approach would have been to get in their faces at pace from the get go.

11. Hope the Austrian is better than one or two of the other signings.

12. tough season ahead!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. 

 

12 points and I can't disagree with any of them. Can I add.

Olufunwa is too slow for a full back and is always moving inside to his favoured position.

Smith hasn't shown anything to make me think he can be a player for us.

Hopefully we can pick up some points until the January window and we can sign a big striker and a speedy winger.

There is nobody in this team that can see a pass, has any pace or control a ball.

[Havana Saint]

Second half was a lot better.

A missed opportunity in many respects.  That was a very poor Sevco team.

I'm not too worried about the season ahead, I think the basis of a decent team is there. Big up to all Saints fans who turned up today, a pleasure to be amongst it.  

It is too year 2023 and still today we hear songs about "No Pope of Rome...no chapels to sadden my eyes" along with songs about hating the tartan army in addition to the love of unelected head of state.  This is still accepted and not questioned. Appalling.

It is beyond doubt that Sevco and their fans are very different to every other football club in Europe.  They have a massive poison unlike no other.

Bigotry and Fascism.

Onwards to Hibs comrades....

[saintee in exile]

45 minutes ago, Havana Saint said:

Second half was a lot better.

A missed opportunity in many respects.  That was a very poor Sevco team.

I'm not too worried about the season ahead, I think the basis of a decent team is there. Big up to all Saints fans who turned up today, a pleasure to be amongst it.  

It is too year 2023 and still today we hear songs about "No Pope of Rome...no chapels to sadden my eyes" along with songs about hating the tartan army in addition to the love of unelected head of state.  This is still accepted and not questioned. Appalling.

It is beyond doubt that Sevco and their fans are very different to every other football club in Europe.  They have a massive poison unlike no other.

Bigotry and Fascism.

Onwards to Hibs comrades....

Listened to game on the radio and it sounded like there was more than the usual smattering of Rule Britannias and GSTQ.No doubt a backlash to the Scottish fans booing their national anthem on Tuesday.

[George Grieve]

6 hours ago, saintee in exile said:

Listened to game on the radio and it sounded like there was more than the usual smattering of Rule Britannias and GSTQ.No doubt a backlash to the Scottish fans booing their national anthem on Tuesday.

Probably not the thread for this….but why is nothing done about it?

It’s clearly audible on the radio and tv coverage. The SFA should be all over it. 
 

Quite annoying that away fans wearing strips and clearly celebrating weren’t turfed out…

[pezza70]

56 minutes ago, George Grieve said:

Probably not the thread for this….but why is nothing done about it?

It’s clearly audible on the radio and tv coverage. The SFA should be all over it. 
 

Quite annoying that away fans wearing strips and clearly celebrating weren’t turfed out…

I was watching it down here via a stream and you could hear their crap all game, it’s a shame that the SFA don’t have a set  of balls and stand up to them, but they have selective hearing.

Both ugly sisters are as bad as each other.

 

[blueheaven]

Looking at our upcoming fixtures, we now have six games until we face Rangers again at Ibrox. Three at home, three away, and all six of them should present realistic opportunities for picking up points if we're to have any hope of staying up this season.

That would take us up to 4th November and for me that's enough time for Macca to have got this team playing the way he wants them to play, and (more importantly) winning a few games. By that point we'll have played everyone in the league at least once, we'll have had a good amount of time for most of the squad to fully recover from their early season injuries, we'll have had a couple of free weekends to play bounce games etc, and the new signings will have had a realistic amount of time to gel as a team and understand what's needed from them in this league.

If we get to that point and we've won a few games and we're not bottom of the league, then I'll be reasonably content with that. But if the worst has come to the worst and we haven't won at least a couple of games and we're getting cut adrift at the bottom of the league, then I think the club is going to need to have a Plan B for what it does next.

Right now I'd say I'm about 50-50 on how confident I am that things are going to improve over the coming weeks.

[Gas Monkey]

I still say that despite the so called improving picture, show me team just now that’s worse than us

[saintcraigieboy]

3 hours ago, Gas Monkey said:

I still say that despite the so called improving picture, show me team just now that’s worse than us

This. 

and with players like Sam McClellan as first pick or even back up we are in trouble defensively. 
 

 

[crieffsaintandy]

These players come up from English lower leagues or academies, where some are jersey fillers, they think they are better than our league with all the hype down south saying our league is same as league one/ two etc, but if big McLelland played all those games for Barrow, shows the standard, as him costello and olufunwa and some others are looking out of their depth here, maybe will improve or maybe this as good as they will be, if the latter we are heading down.

Can't string two passes together, the defending is awful at times, and again we are persisting with one up top. Surely against a poor hibsxwe will go for it, but I doubt it, problem with McLean worked too long with Davidson and same backroom staff, it needed freshened up.

Poorest Rangers team for a good while, maybe should have had two pens but overall didn't do nearly enough to trouble them.

All this money still in the bank for a rainy day is great but if we want to stay up where the money is, they are maybe going to open the purse strings as all the cash will mean nothing in the seaside leagues.

Again all goes back to the lack of forward thinking at the Lask game when throwing half a million at two or three decent players would have been the better option than letting Davidson loose with  the cheque book over the last two years, sorry state caused by the Board, Flax and Davidson and his backroom staff getting suckered by their good pal Agent Biscuits punting sub standard players to us, he won the lottery with Davidson.

[south inch]

18 hours ago, saintee in exile said:

Listened to game on the radio and it sounded like there was more than the usual smattering of Rule Britannias and GSTQ.No doubt a backlash to the Scottish fans booing their national anthem on Tuesday.

Mind you if they are singing GSTQ they are a bit out of date.  But of course they are by about 400 years.

[Lifelong Saintee]

2 hours ago, crieffsaintandy said:

These players come up from English lower leagues or academies, where some are jersey fillers, they think they are better than our league with all the hype down south saying our league is same as league one/ two etc, but if big McLelland played all those games for Barrow, shows the standard, as him costello and olufunwa and some others are looking out of their depth here, maybe will improve or maybe this as good as they will be, if the latter we are heading down.

Can't string two passes together, the defending is awful at times, and again we are persisting with one up top. Surely against a poor hibsxwe will go for it, but I doubt it, problem with McLean worked too long with Davidson and same backroom staff, it needed freshened up.

Poorest Rangers team for a good while, maybe should have had two pens but overall didn't do nearly enough to trouble them.

All this money still in the bank for a rainy day is great but if we want to stay up where the money is, they are maybe going to open the purse strings as all the cash will mean nothing in the seaside leagues.

Again all goes back to the lack of forward thinking at the Lask game when throwing half a million at two or three decent players would have been the better option than letting Davidson loose with  the cheque book over the last two years, sorry state caused by the Board, Flax and Davidson and his backroom staff getting suckered by their good pal Agent Biscuits punting sub standard players to us, he won the lottery with Davidson.

Agree. Squad is filled with load of dross.  Non-relatable players that fans have no connection with.  They don’t generate any enthusiasm. 
 

Oh for the days of Balavage, Thomson, McVicar, Barron, McKillop, etc. 

I don’t think that team was any worse! 

[SlickDT]

Better performance than what was seen against Dundee. We have to accept that we have alot of young players in our squad, with alot of potential mistakes in them.

The move to 4-4-2 opened us up to the second goal and unfortunately we didn't end up creating much, but I think he timed it as well as he could.

The left-back was much improved. Smith and Phillips look like they can give us a little structure in the middle and I actually think there could be a player in the right-back if he is polished and given more first team football.

If Macca is a half decent manager, he will be able to get the lads playing more fluently. The full-backs and wide-men still have very little chemistry.

Do I think this team will avoid relegation? I doubt it, but I do see room for improvement and if the two new additions are upgrades, as well as Clark returning to the fold, there is a chance.

[Cleveland-Saint]

19 hours ago, blueheaven said:

Looking at our upcoming fixtures, we now have six games until we face Rangers again at Ibrox. Three at home, three away, and all six of them should present realistic opportunities for picking up points if we're to have any hope of staying up this season.

 

We need these games to build some confidence within this group and get points. Whats worrying me is that we seem to have players drifting out of form already, who maybe started with more energy. Something feels amiss, but can't put a finger on it. As you say, this run of games will see if there is real leadership from macca and players here with the competitive spirit/skills needed at this level. We also know Liam has this fire....light them up ginger prince!

[pezza70]

Could it be the poor start in the cup dented a few of the new players then the stop start of a few games then a break then the two consecutive draws and another break, where they needed football to continue to build into Macca preferred playing system?

[blueheaven]

19 hours ago, crieffsaintandy said:

Can't string two passes together, the defending is awful at times, and again we are persisting with one up top. Surely against a poor hibsxwe will go for it, but I doubt it, problem with McLean worked too long with Davidson and same backroom staff, it needed freshened up.

I thought we started with two up front against Rangers: Kane and Carey. If you look at their average positions from the match (posted on the Saints Analysis Twitter account), Carey was actually playing further forward than Kane.

What I don't understand is the decision to move Carey into that role when we know that (a) his best position is out wide, (b) even in his best position he hasn't been great and (c) Stevie May could surely have played in that role and given us 10 times more chasing and workrate (which we surely need against Rangers).

For me, if we're going with two up front next week, we need to start May and Kane together. Let Kane be the centre-forward, and let May do what he does by buzzing around everywhere else. It hasn't worked for May in that area on his own but I really think we'd be much better if he had Kane next to him.

As each week goes on it's becoming increasingly easy to forget that we still have Jephcott, too.

 

[pezza70]

Hopefully Clark is back soon too, I thought he and May were building a nice combo together last season 

[crieffsaintandy]

2 hours ago, blueheaven said:

I thought we started with two up front against Rangers: Kane and Carey. If you look at their average positions from the match (posted on the Saints Analysis Twitter account), Carey was actually playing further forward than Kane.

What I don't understand is the decision to move Carey into that role when we know that (a) his best position is out wide, (b) even in his best position he hasn't been great and (c) Stevie May could surely have played in that role and given us 10 times more chasing and workrate (which we surely need against Rangers).

For me, if we're going with two up front next week, we need to start May and Kane together. Let Kane be the centre-forward, and let May do what he does by buzzing around everywhere else. It hasn't worked for May in that area on his own but I really think we'd be much better if he had Kane next to him.

As each week goes on it's becoming increasingly easy to forget that we still have Jephcott, too.

 

Carey kinda floats just off the striker but looked more wide on Saturday, but your right with Jephcott he could find him 4th choice when Clark is fit, although I thought he did well with Kane when they both came on against Dundee, held the ball up and was looking for it.