Diamonds are Forever
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Everything posted by Diamonds are Forever
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Hartley saw something in a few players which resulted in Hartlepool's relegation to the National League last season. His abysmal recruitment at Falkirk is legendary, and his signings for Cove last season and so far this season look dreadful too. I think at this stage the last thing a player would want is an endorsement from Hartley. Was never really sure about Paterson, he was full of energy and commitment which does fit the profile of what we'd be looking for, but was never sure of his actual ability. Context is important that season because we had Quitongo start the season at left back who was dreadful, and we then had people filling in at left back until Paterson arrived. Any reasonably competent left back was going to look decent given what went before. In a higher league I'd have a few doubts. However he is young and I liked his attitude so he is the type of signing I'd be happy with (not that I think it's realistic). -
GMS is exactly the type of player I'd be avoiding - he hasn't played a game since early October last year, and only played 5 games before that last season. We play a very high energy type of football which relies on the wide players putting a huge shift in, he's never been the most reliable fitness wise or particularly great at the defensive side, and he's 33 in a couple of days so that's hardly going to improve now. He'd be asking for high wages by our standards and it would be a complete lottery what performances (and how many) we got in return. That's the case to some extent with all signings obviously, but the risk far outweighs the reward with a signing like that in my opinion. I think we've more than enough experience in the squad and would rather any money was put towards younger, hungrier players than throwing money at older guys who don't fit the profile of a player who'd fit into our team.
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I'm not sure the need we have for 'experience', the team isn't as young or lacking in experience as some make out. On Saturday our midfield was particularly young, but that is with McCabe and Telfer unavailable. Rae is young but is a far better goalie than many of the more experienced goalies we've had. The average age of our back line (which is the area I'd say experience is most important) is 30 and they've played well over 1200 senior games between the 4 of them. McCabe, Telfer and Frizzell are also hugely experienced, as are Gal and Todorov. I don't really see where it is that we are lacking in that regard. It's really just in wider areas that we are relying on younger guys (which is normal) and then squad players, which again is normal. I just think we need 2 or 3 more players purely for the quality they'd bring if we get injuries. I don't particularly care if they are 18 or 35, provided they bring what the manager wants. As someone mentioned earlier, signing an experienced player means they are probably on the way down, which there will be a reason for. You just have to watch 'experienced centre back' Kirk Broadfoot getting torn inside out by Callum Smith a couple of weeks back against Raith and then give 2 penalties away in 2 games to see that actual footballing/athletic ability trumps having played at a higher level most of the time.
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Great 3 points. Inverness look poor to me and therefore a home game against them is a game we needed to be picking up all 3 points because most others will too. To win when not playing well and having to grind out a win is very encouraging too. On a side note, Frizz really needs to watch himself. I make that 5 bookings in 7 matches he's had, he's already missed 1 Cup game through suspension and will now miss another, and we're still in August. We can't afford to be missing players through stupidity, which picking up a needless 2nd yellow is. I don't know if this is him trying to impose himself as a captain or something but picking up numerous yellow cards and missing games isn't helping anyone. Red cards killed us last year, we can't get dragged down that road again.
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Really well put. The way big clubs operate now isn't really to do with developing players for their first team, it's a business - develop younger players, stick them out on loan to get their value up and sell them on at a profit. If they turn out to be exceptional and make the first team that's a bonus. Just had a quick look and Palace have about 60 players listed on their website just in their Under 18s and Under 21s alone, who will all be full-time. You might get 1 or 2 breaking through but generally they'll all be moved on. As you say, I think the thing that will really help him is having played Senior football and very important games. I don't know what level he will be technically in comparison to the players down there, but that will definitely give him an edge that they don't yet have.
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Smith seems to have risen in value over the last few weeks because there are a few clubs short of players, and that's given people an inflated idea of his ability. He's had various unremarkable loan spells in the lower leagues, and then played 15 games for a Championship side that got relegated - he scored 5 goals, 3 of which were penalties. All goals count the same I know, but we have various penalty takers so those can be discounted if you are looking for what he'd bring to us. 2 goals in half a season is hardly anything to get excited about. Given our lack of options in that position I'm sure he'd be a decent option to have, but would have questions over how he'd fit into our team, how much he actually contributes beyond falling over and winning fouls, and whether he'd be worth what we'd have to pay.
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I think that's to be expected, the likes of Frizz and McGill do not want to be tied on a 2 year deal should we be relegated. There's a lot of demand from fans to get guys signed up in multiple year deals but the reality is a lot of players don't want that - even if Frizz spent half this season injured he'd still easily get a Championship side next season given his last 2 seasons so there is no benefit in him asking for a 2nd year and risking having to play in League 1 next year, same with Rae, Ballantyne, McGill and probably a few others. That's why I'm not really in the 'I'd bite your hand off for 8th' camp. If we had guys on multiple year deals I would, but we don't. That doesn't mean I'm expecting higher or that I think we should finish higher, but realistically this is our best chance of a higher finish we'll have for the foreseeable future. Goes without saying that it's preferable to relegation, but what does an 8th placed finish really mean? It would very likely mean our better players moving on and potentially McCabe too, and then having to start again. I don't really have any expectations because it's such an unpredictable league, I'm just taking it as it comes, but I'm definitely not of the opinion that we should be desperate for 8th as I don't think that's enough to hold on to our better players, or potentially the manager.
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Thought that was a ridiculous red card. And it was never a penalty either. They both seem to fall into that category where everyone knows they are wrong, but they aren't 'wrong enough' to be overturned, which just seems an absurd way to officiate a game. Webb seems to be big on not 're-refereeing the game', which in essence means accepting wrong decisions, for what purpose I'm unsure. I get it for random irrelevant fouls on the halfway line, but for penalties and red cards then surely the whole point of VAR is to get involved and correct wrong decisions.
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I think McTominay will still get games with them having the Champions League this season. Managers will leave players in the cold in August to get them to leave but if he's still there come September he'll still play 20+ games this season. It's an ideal situation from a Scottish point of view, plays enough games to still be fit but means he is fresh for the international games and reduces likelihood of injury. Same is definitely true for Kieran Tierney, from a Scottish point of view I think the worst thing would be for him to move to a team where he would play every week because he'd be injured half the season. Far better for us if he plays the odd game here and there and is then fit to play 3 games in 10 days for us.
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I think Hamilton will win it, they don't look like they'll be spectacular but the quality of their defence far exceeds that of Cove, Falkirk, or QOS. That's the biggest indicator of success in that league, I don't think they'll be as dominant as Dunfermline last year but I think it will be a similar outcome with them grinding out wins while everyone else gets involved in high scoring games taking points off each other.
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Great result. Both games so far show that we will be competitive as long as we manage to keep most of our starting 11 fit and/or add 2 or 3 more quality players. It's to be expected that we'll get more injuries this year as games are higher intensity and more competitive, plenty games last year where we were numerous goals up so could afford to dodge those 50/50s, and could also take players off after 70 minutes. That's not the case this season. Dunfermline's result yesterday shows that last week's performance was pretty decent, and then to beat Partick who were close last year (albeit a bit weaker team at the moment) is really encouraging. McMaster has done well in his appearances so far and already looks to be a good signing by McCabe. During our best run of form last season I was very much in the camp that he should start in the play-offs over McCabe, McCabe then started instead and was our best player in the 4 games, which showed what I know... But there is definitely part of me that thinks we are a better side with McMaster in there. I think he plays much quicker, direct balls through the lines. His pass in to Gal's feet in the build up to the first goal yesterday is a great example, so simple but well timed and executed. McCabe has a wider range of passing but that isn't always needed and often slows the game down. McCabe's injury will probably mean McMaster starts the next few games regardless, but will be interesting to see how that develops as the season goes on as I don't think they can both play.
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The keeper was certainly worried it might have been, you can see when he notices his teammate's hands are on the ball he pulls it away from him very quickly. He also mouths something which seems like 'handball', although I've maybe made that up...
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Definitely agree they shouldn't be written off, they are young guys and you have to accept when you get young loanees in particular that they will take time to develop. However by the same token this isn't development football so we need options there to allow them time out the team when needed or make an impact off the bench. I do think we have the answer to a question that was discussed over the summer though, which is what level are the Hibs boys at. There was chat how 'Hibs mates I work with' etc think they should be playing in Hibs 1st team, and that they are 'here to play' - as in ready to come straight into the team and strengthen it. It's pretty clear they aren't at that level yet where they can strengthen us (over Callum Smith for example). That's not a criticism at all, I think Aiken looks a really talented player and O'Connor will definitely offer us something over the season, but they'll need time and we can't be relying on them every week. I'm not bothered about centre midfield because I think we have plenty options there, but in the attacking wide areas I think we'll need more. Even if McGill is fit we have a weaker front 3 this season, and with McGill being injured it's far weaker.
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Was keen to see this back as my initial reaction to your post was that you were talking nonsense, and seeing it back just confirms what utter rubbish you were talking. Firstly there is no 'fake head knock', Clarke gets a full-on thigh/knee to the head. The instant this happens McCabe turns to the bench to signal medical help, Clarke gets on to his knees but looks a bit weary and McCabe rightly tells him to take his time and wait to be seen by medics. Not once does McCabe even look at the referee or appeal for a foul, not once. Airdrie had the ball so there was no advantage to us to stopping, the game was a draw at the time and the ref hadn't even given a foul (rightly, it was just a clash) the idea that he was faking a head knock and then McCabe trying to get him booked (or time waste?) is nonsense. Many times players can be concussed but think they are okay, stopping the game and checking he was fine after that knock was absolutely the right thing to do. You've tried to present yourself as being concerned with the welfare of players yet when a player gets a knock to the head you don't think he should be properly assessed because you were clearly too caught up in the game. I didn't see the other incident you spoke about but given your ridiculous analysis of the Clarke one it's safe to assume that's nonsense too.
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Our first goal yesterday came from passing it out from the back and working it up the pitch, but then their first goal also came from us passing it out and losing it. So I guess the net result is even and therefore I think it's too simplistic to just say that we cost ourselves the game through overplaying because we wouldn't have scored our goal if we hadn't been playing out from the back. In fact the passage of play that led to our goal looks much riskier than the one that we conceded from. If you remove one then you have to remove the other. Some of the goals we scored last season from doing it were incredible, but we also scored some great goals by playing long diagonals over the top (McGill's in the 4-3 game for example). With the players we have I think generally speaking it's the best way to play for us, but we have to mix it up at times and go longer now and then to put that doubt in the opposition's head and use the space in behind if teams press us high. McCabe isn't stupid, he talks very well in the 'modern manager' mould about playing the 'right way' etc, but he showed last season that he was willing and able to adapt to a less idealistic style, I'm confident he'll do the same again.
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I like the passing but there has to be some variety in order for it to work. Even if you don't like going long you have to go long occasionally to show the opposition that you are willing to do it. That makes their back line sit a bit deeper to avoid balls over the top, that makes it harder for them to press as a unit, and that's when we can start to play. If they know we're never going to go long then the other team just park their back line on the halfway line and press the life out of us. But if they know we have O'Connor and McGregor's pace in behind with a long ball that instantly makes them drop 10 yards and makes it easier for us to pass it out. We started last season like this and gradually shifted to a more realistic approach by mixing it up a bit as the season went on. I'd assume we'll do the same this season but I hoped we'd learned from last year and would avoid the first few weeks of trying to be Barcelona circa 2008.
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Gallagher was player of the year last year, and Todorov has experience of this level and looks a threat, both are central strikers. Absolutely no chance that O'Connor could play as a central striker on his own and he's done nothing to earn that chance over the alternatives. Last week was in a front 2 which seemed to be a one-off, probably due to the small pitch. Until the last 25 minutes last week I though he was relatively poor and gave the ball away a lot, he came into the game purely because lots of balls were getting played in behind and they were tiring. If he's going to get into the team it's going to be as a wide forward, probably off the left. He doesn't have the attributes to be that central striker that we play with.
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The stupid editing makes it hard to see in real time, but that doesn’t look like a penalty to me. He is sliding in to make a block and his arm looks roughly where it should be for such a block. I think it's stupid that you cannot score with an accidental handball but it's fine to stop a certain goal with an accidental one, it should either be neither or both, but that is the law so can't blame the referee. Even if it should have been, Gal's miss was a worse mistake than any by the referee so we can't complain. I've no time for blaming referees, it serves no purpose and is a loser's mindset. Credit to Watson who shot down questions about the referee and blamed the team.
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McCabe saying in his interview that we don't just put the ball in the box against 10 men because the likes of Benedictus love defending against that. I'd disagree, I think what they like even more is shuffling across side to side watching the opposition pass the ball sideways 25 yards out and not having to defend anything. I'm not advocating lumping it into the box from our own half, or even from 30 yards out, but there's times where we work a good angle and then go back again. We couldn't manage it against 9 men last season so doing the same and expecting better against 10 doesn't make much sense. Obviously they are going to win most of the balls, but you only need to win 1 to score, or pick up scraps and knockdowns. It's a far more percentage play then trying to pass through 10 men within 20 yards of their goal. McGill's equaliser against Hamilton in the play-offs is a great example, Gal chipped a ball in towards their centre backs (who, like Benedictus, had won everything that day), we get a scrappy knockdown and score. If we'd tried to work an opening that day we'd still be in League 1.
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May well have been, can't remember! I certainly wouldn't suggest it if everyone is fit, but if the alternative is what we had today then I'd prefer it. He was a wide player before he came to us (not very successfully, admittedly) so it's not like it's some alien position to him. We wouldn't be asking him to be an out and out winger either, just starting there and cutting inside to link up and get shots away. Like I say it's not something we should have to do, but McGregor and O'Connor can't both be starting every time McGill is out.
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Yeah I said pre-match that I don't think they offer enough creatively, not sure Frizzell playing wider would have helped like I suggested, but may be on option if McGill is out longer term. Both are workers but from what I've seen of them don't really have much technical ability. One of them playing is fine to give us pace in behind, but not both. Probably went the way I expected, competitive game but with McGill and Todorov out, and still a couple of players short anyway, we were going to struggle to change the game in the last 20 minutes if needed.
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Assuming McGill is out, I wouldn't be against playing Frizzell out wider off the right today. Centre midfield is where we have more options and any midfield 3 from McCabe, McMaster, Aiken, Devenney or Telfer would be decent enough. I prefer Frizzell in the middle obviously but for today I think it's an option. The alternative is probably O'Connor and McGregor in the wider areas but I'm not convinced that gives us enough quality and would probably mean more of a counter attacking style.
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Literally no idea what the team I support, or the games they've played, has to do with my opinion on 5 minutes of Television. I'm sure you'll have sound reasoning though.
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That half-time piece was like a spoof of every Dick Campbell interview I've ever seen, what an embarassment. The 'bunnet', him going on about the importance of 'natural enthusiasm' (the line that he ripped off Bill Shankly), him playing the two bob philosopher with his views on life. This nonsense peaked 2 years ago when they almost won the league, the fact the BBC lack the imagination to come up with anything different than this garbage again is probably not surprising, but disappointing. The fact it was sandwiched in the middle of a 4-0 hammering was pretty funny though.
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Think he said he was back running a couple of days ago, which means no chance. Given his injury record I wouldn't be risking him if there's any doubt, it's an important game but so are the other 35, can't afford to be missing him for chunks of the season.