Diamonds on the Windshield
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Poland's first goal looked familiar. Ball nicked off the feet of a midfielder trying to take a hurried pass while running towards his own goal. Two passes and in the net. This is the best goal scoring tactic while teams are so determined to play out from the back.
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We used to be good at the high press and stopping the other team from playing their game. How many times did we hear that the fancied team had an off day when it was us who had stopped them from playing. Gal, McGill, Telfer and Frizz were good at it and McStravick could nick the ball high up the park. But we don't seem to do it any more. Maybe it is something that the new team need more time on the training ground to develop a system that works all pressing quickly at once without leaving gaps.
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We are losing most of our goals through the ball getting nicked of the predictable feet and movement of someone running back towards our own goal and then having to try and turn. It is not hard during a game to watch what the collecting player does and then by the 60th minute have worked out how to steal the ball in a tackle. If you look at match of the day a surprising number of the goals scored are exactly the same with the attacker stealing the ball of the slow defender in trouble then 2 passes and its in the goal. What we need is a terrier that has the desire to get the ball off the defender and chases them and won't stop until they have worn their opponent out and got the ball off them or forced them in to a hurried pass. In the modern game that type of player is probably more valuable than a winger. That is why we have been losing to Ayr because they have that type of player. A headless chicken for 60 minutes just chasing down and upsetting the slow defenders. So what we need is a defender type to play in front of the midfield and nick the ball to create 2 goals a game.
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Revised team after injury update Johnson Macdonald Graham ATS Hancock Bruce Agyemang Armstrong Frizzell Mochrie B.Wilson
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What team would we like to see on Saturday? I'd like to see us find a bit of solidity at the back and I think Armstrong and Agyemang are developing a strong understanding. I don't think Aiken is worth a place just now and McCabe will probably sit out for McMaster. Mochrie is the one I would put in behind B Wilson in the absence of McGregor. Johnson Watson Graham A.Wilson Hancock McCabe Agyemang Armstrong Frizzell Mochrie B.Wilson
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It sounds like Fordyce was in the stand in a moon boot today. Who knew Frizz was so tough. Also see Telfer didn't even make the bench.
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That's the kind of game we will miss Charlie Telfer breaking up the play in support of the defence in the corners. I saw Hancock having a go at Mochrie for not covering back but Ayr just overpowered us for 90 minutes. The most worrying thing for me is we did not score a goal. Not only were we bossed when they went forward they stopped us playing when we had the ball. That is one up to Brown and will show anyone trying to poach a manager that he is a better bet than Rhys.
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If I am remembering correctly Megwa was originally touted as a central defender. How about playing him as the required centre half. That will give us his strength in the tackle and speed at the back. It also addresses his lack of assists going forward and would help with his development as a player. Macdonald has shown enough to hold down his position and hopefully he is always at that level.
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Wilson could have scored a hat trick today. Hit the post, turn and stab at the end and the snap shot from McGrattan's pass. I'm not counting the one where he put Dycey on his arse. Worry about McGregor again though Mochrie looked good for his few minutes.
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This is really the first team he has put together and there is a lot of potential for his coaching to make the players better. If he works with them for a couple of years and adds players going forward I like to think he can actually take us up. In 2 years time most of the players will still be under 25. He has chosen players for their potential and maybe not just to sell on. Maybe he is creating a team within the constraints he has that can go on to surprise everyone.
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I felt on Saturday that Mochrie showed some good stuff with some great passes and linked well with the short pass and move style. He looks like he could play a number 10 behind Wilson pushing nice little passes through to him. Looks like we are going to have another season of very watchable football and the plan has to be to get the ball to Wilson in the box at every opportunity. There was one case in point where Frizz shot straight at the keeper from the edge of the box but a nice short pass to the on rushing Wilson would have left him with a tap in.
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The Mason chat is interesting because no one rated him at first and his defending was leaving us open. I remember saying we should go to a back 5 to get some cover behind him. There is no doubt he is a star going forward and his tackling has improved but still has areas he needs to improve. Megwa knew when to get his tackle in and was brilliant at nicking the ball. Ballantyne had the instinct to get his block in to stop shots in the box at the last minute. MacDonald showed his natural defender's instinct against Aberdeen when he saw the way play was developing and came in field to stop the counter attack. A. Wilson turned up in the right place a few times against Aberdeen and I think he will get better and has more pace than Dycey. I've not seen that defender's instinct from Mason to just turn up in the right place at the right time. So basically what I'm saying is he has to stay with us until he improves and he is not good enough for anyone to pay money for and take him from us.
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I am hoping McGregor is not the new Ally Roy who had a pre season scoring goals and looked like he was going to be a superstar. Then he got injured and from the online stats he only ever scored 2 goals for us in over 30 games. I do remember his hat trick against us for Queen of the South a few years ago. He is now Dale Carrick's strike partner at Stirling and I was interested to see what kind of career he has had. Looks like he has only ever scored 21 goals in over 200 appearances. So with the 2 for us and the 3 against us he has another 16 goals in his whole career as a striker. That has to be the worst stats ever.... unless someone knows different. Lewis McGregor scored more for us in the one game against EK than he did in a season .
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I think we now know the A team. Great turnaround and looks like it could have been more.
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I have no doubt Todorov will wind up our supporters when he scores against us but we will have the last laugh when Wilson scores a hat trick and we thump them 5-1.