Diamonds on the Windshield
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Everything posted by Diamonds on the Windshield
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With all the loan players leaving at the end of the season only Megwa is a regular starter and with Ballantyne back to right back we will not be weakened if we can hold on to the players. Add a quality centre half and a prolific striker by paying a good wage and we go again. I'd like to see McGill back next season playing beside a quality finisher. Any of the Dundee United team that would do the job as they rebuild for the higher league?
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Is the "Support" T-shirt stint the only thing or is there more?
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What are the thoughts on trying to get Paton if Queens Park get relegated?
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Maybe the glue is Frizz and we missed his influence on the park more than we think. Second half was men against boys but is it all part of Rhys masterplan to suck Thistle into a sense of false security before the important games? Graham gave us a masterclass in finishing and composure in the box.
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Would Anton Dowds return to Thistle after Ayr's season comes to an end and be allowed to play in the playoffs? If so we may have a problem.
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Watching the highlights just confirms what I have been saying about McGill and Todorov. Todorov is just not sharp enough in the box. When he came in originally he made a big difference when we were not getting into the box and against TNS he was outstanding. Now that we are getting into the box again we are creating a lot of openings and we have a poacher/ 6 yard specialist on the bench. Hopefully Ballantyne is back playing for the rest of the season because the last few games we have gone up a notch. We will have to win the playoffs and go up as it is the only way we will get back into Europe and that is our rightful place now. Watching Sparta Prague recently brought it all back.
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Airdrie v Dunfermline
Diamonds on the Windshield replied to Wacky's topic in Scottish Championship General Chatter
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I may get shot down for this but I think with Ballantyne coming back in to the team and the way McGill is creating havoc up front McCabe has found his best line up. The best is still to come from this team.
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Really looking forward to the next few games. With Dunfermline and Thistle to play we can finish third. It would be nice to beat Dundee United once they have been crowned champions. But best of all would be beating Queens Park on the final day to drop them into 9th place and subsequent relegation. Ballantyne coming in to the back three has given us much better balance and getting your best players onto the park and not sitting on the bench is a positive gain. Janny is great at bursting forward and now can do that without leaving a hole behind him and Ballantyne and Hancock will only get better wreaking havoc together on the left. McGill has been creating havoc and I think he is the difference that has resulted in goals over the last few games. I just feel that Todorov is not in the game as much and would like to see Gal given a run as his link up play suits the way we are playing now. Nice to hear that Lewis was working on his weaker side and had the confidence to take the shot on the run with his weak foot. McCabe just knows what to do and make his young players better.
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That's 14 goals we have scored in the last 5 league games and not a winger in sight. Going to the back 5 has let Frizz get further forward and Telfer is just everywhere. The freedom and energy those two have is the genius of McCabe's system. The other side of the coin is the way everyone knows what to do when we don't have the ball and the team rush at and just stop the opposition from getting their game going. When Turner came on he had the class to hold onto the ball and make things happen and McMaster struggled against him. That made a big difference but "Bullet" McGregor was fired from McCabe's tactical gun and what a finish. McGill has also played a big part in the last few games. He can direct and control the ball as it comes to him in a way that sets things up. Hopefully the fact he is still fresh from being out for such a big part of the season keeps him playing well in the next games too.
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McMaster is comfortable on the ball and is good at mopping things up in the middle of the park. With coaching and experience he can get better at the other sides of his game. McStravick had his most effective game for us yesterday because he wasn't muscled off the ball like in the last few games. There is no doubt he has raw talent but with coaching he can learn to anticipate the "force him off the ball" tackles and skip round them the way Frizz does. We saw a bit of that yesterday and he got his goal and had a few other chances. Lyall is good at seeing what is going on in front of him and has an eye for the forward pass. The timing of his run into the box made his goal look easy and he could see it all infront of him and pick his spot. Charlie Telfer is the player we need to get signed up because he is the glue in this team.
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McStravick was muscled off the ball today and it took till the second half for the ref to give him a bit of protection. He was just bouncing off the defender when he put the ball past him. Some strange tackles and blocks were being let go like the one where Megwa was trying to get down the line. Frizz was being out muscled as well but in the second half he was managing to hold on to the ball in the tackle a bit better. Again Lyall did well when he came on and fits the system. QP also had the offside trap down pat and got the marginal decisions but those missed sitters for Paton were a real let off for us.
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What a league this is and we can't write Arbroath off. 6-0 loss to QP then beat RR 3-2. That 3 points away at Dundee United is looking very precious right now. A win today would be massive.
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From the most prolific scoring streaks ever in the Guardian 4) Owen Coyle (Airdrie, Sept 15-Sept29 1990, 12 goals in four games) Not a name you'd expect to see on this list, it's fair to say, but Coyle had a remarkable fortnight early in the 1990-91 season. "He went supernova scoring 17 goals in Airdieonians' first seven games," writes Steve Guy, "and only scored three more in the league for the rest of the season." His best uninterrupted run came after a hat-trick against Forfar. His streak: 3, 2, 3, 4
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I think Coyle scored 3 2 3 4 and I was at the game he scored 2 in and I am sure I remember he hit the bar in that game. Not sure anyone has scored 4 hat tricks in a row but he was close.
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The chances of signing a goal machine are very slim on our budget but that is the next piece of the jigsaw. This is where you need the youth development side of things to produce a wonderkid. The problem is the kids that score loads of goals get taken in at a young age by the big teams and we never get them on our books. The loan route gets them out to the likes of us but that is short term. We need a Coyle type signed up on a 3 or 4 year contract but easier said than done.
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Gal is still our top scorer and hopefully if he gets game time the goals will flow again. Coyle scored 17 goals in 7 games for us then got injured and when he came back he only scored 3 goals for the rest of the season. No one would have written him off for not scoring.
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Gal and Gabby were the starters in the team that beat Dundee United 2-0 with Gabby scoring. So to say they can't cut it in this league is strange. It is not all about scoring the goal and they move around each other and try and find each other while keeping the move going. Gal's little flicks and clever passes do not always come off but he has had very little time on the pitch and is still getting back from injury as is Gabby. They keep things flowing and are worth a run in the team with Toddy as impact sub.
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With the standard of referees I was hoping we could get away with the extra man. But you are right we would need Rae and I forgot I'd put 5 in the back line. You got me, I'm a plonker.
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Without Gal in the box the defenders are picking up the loose balls and scoring because Toddy is not a nimble quick thinking box player. Earlier in the season when Gal was playing we were struggling in the final third and that is why he was not scoring as all his touches were too far from goal. We were also persevering with wingers and Hancock was not creating for him on the left. I had a look back at the CalGal Wonder goal and he has that in his locker and needs to be on the pitch. Everyone goes on about sticking to the system but we have to get the most points on the board by getting the best out of the players we have. All credit to McCabe for trying something new against Morton and even though we lost he needs to find a new way to win games because teams have shown how to beat us now. I think we need Frizz on the park and we need to give Gal a run so I would have a go with: Ballantyne Watson Fordyce Megwa Hancock Donnell Telfer McCabe Lyall Gallagher Frizzell Donnell and Lyall will add a bit of dig in the midfield with the experience of McCabe and Telfer running the show. This leaves Frizzell further upfield where he can beat his man in the box and the final third.
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Our big problem is scoring goals and if you look at our last 11 league goals it is interesting Todarov 3 Watson 3 Fordyce 2 Ballantyne 1 Hancock 1 CalGal 1 Our style of play is getting the defenders into the box to score but it is also leaving spaces for the opposition to get in behind us with a quick turnover and that is how we are losing the majority of our goals.
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My reasoning was that with Hancock in the free space on the wing McGregor would get in the way and Todarov just gets in the way outside the box most of the time. I'd give Gal a run and try to get his link up play back into the team and I still think Gabby will be important for us in the run in. Bring Lyall on at some stage to mix it up and McMaster can interchange with McCabe. Then swap the front pair for Todarov and McGregor with his speed as their defence tires. It all makes sense on paper.
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Hancock has really been outstanding going forward so to talk about him staying at the back is a waste of his talents. Watson has 2 assists and 2 goals since Megwa went back to Hibs and Ballantyne scored and always looks like he can get a goal. Megwa is less potent going forward but his superpower is last ditch goal saving tackles. If he had been back for the Ayr game he may have prevented one of the goals with his ability to cover back. His timing in the tackle and in the air suggest he would be better staying back in defence and letting Ballantyne get forward. So much depends on Fordyce being fit. So many of our goals have been conceded by us pushing up and getting caught in behind McCabe and Hancock and other managers can see this and the Hearts and Ayr goals show how easy it can be. Rae Watson Fordyce Megwa Ballantyne McCabe Hancock Telfer Frizz McGill CalGal
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McGill again showed his composure and experience in the box but McGregor has become our cutting edge up front. Toddy is still a question mark for me. Lyall needs to start and looks like he may chip in with some goals. Cammy gave the ball away for their first gift then scored to make up for it. Janny caught and robbed for their second gift then scored to make up for it. Unfortunately Rae was in no position to score but the Ref was talking to him and booking him on the edge of the box and should have given him time to get back in his goals before letting them take the free kick. If there were Ayr officials on the park as claimed they should forfeit the game and give us the three points. It's only fair.
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The problem we have is that our talented tricky midfielders are not scoring goals. Hopefully now that Frizz has scored he will settle down in front of goal and just pass a few into the net. Telfer has it in his locker to score but again it is just not happening and we need to be less reliant on the strikers getting all the goals. McCabe needs to move back into midfield and get Janny and Ballantyne back as a unit. Hearts 4th goal was due to McCabe not holding the line then standing with his arm up. Players in their natural positions at the back have been drilled against this their whole playing career and McCabe has done well at the back as the results show but his strength is in front of the defence controlling the game and using his superb passing game. We also need to start some squad rotation to avoid a pile up of injuries and we have players who can come into the team and still play in the system and do a good job. Not sure what the latest on Fordyce is but he would be a big miss if out for an extended period.