Diamonds on the Windshield
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Everything posted by Diamonds on the Windshield
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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.
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My Dad was a ballboy with IM at Broomfield and was proud that in the Airdrie Schools Cup my Dad played in the school team for 2 years but said IM was so good as a boy he played in the team for 3 years even though he was so much smaller. RIP.
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I really like the way we close down players when we don't have the ball and in the Championship we disrupt and stop the other team playing because they rush things. Yesterday Hearts were not rushed by us and their quality players just passed the ball around our onrushing team and carved their way through us. We just have to accept the gulf in quality on an individual player basis. But as a team I think we can take a lot from some of our passages of quick short passing to move the ball forward and out of defence. The confidence we are now showing and belief the players have in each other has removed the hesitancy and mistakes we were making previously and it is good to watch. There is no doubt Todarov has given us goals when the chances have come to him but his touch and link up play outside the box does not suit our flowing style. Gal is way more suited to keeping things flowing but his goals have dried up. Who'd be a manager? McGregor has been very effective in his new role and will only get better as his confidence grows and he starts to score goals again and Lyall slotted in seamlessly and I liked the way he was moving the ball forward. As already said this Ayr game will be massive and I'd like to see the Dunfermline game sorted while they are struggling as that would be a nice 3 points to count on.
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The Murray team in2019 was a very different team. If you want to keep the back 4 just move McCabe forward a bit. It is only semantics and they can be fluid on the pitch. Introducing an unknown player in the hope that he will do ok is risky. Rhys will know from training if the boy is a good fit and ready but I would like to see Watson and Ballantyne both playing. A bit like Scotland with Robertson and Tierney you get your best players that you trust into the game. McCabe is still a bit suspect when the ball gets in behind him, great when he is in the box, but his tracking back has caused us a few issues against the better teams. Hearts will be the best team we have come up against for a long time and will have researched our weaknesses.
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Our best "wingers" are Hancock and Cammy. Hancock's crosses are better than anything McGregor was putting in. McGregor has proven to be more effective and a real threat playing in a freer role in a 2 up front. I've said it earlier replace McStravick with Cammy and play Hancock and Cammy as wingbacks. Leaves McMaster where he plays best and the heart of the defence is untouched with McCabe still in control of pulling the strings when we have the ball at the back. I do think Hearts will be more effective in their high press and that is where we will win or lose the game if we get caught and lose soft goals. Really looking forward to playing them on our own pitch.
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Watson is our highest scoring non forward this season and I'd love to see his stats for assists. If we go with Ballantyne Watson McCabe Fordyce Hancock at the back Hearts will think we are setting up defensively. Then we unleash Cammy and Hancock down the wings and they won't know what has hit them. This also gives us cover behind Hancock when he bombs forward in case as others have said that becomes a target for other teams.
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On the manager trajectory topic I always think of Owen Coyle when he took Burnley up. The fans thought he was God and his face fit and style suited. He was being touted for the Celtic job and even as a replacement for Wenger at Arsenal. When he moved on his contract were ended pretty quick everywhere he went with some really negative press. He had to go to the States to get a job and then India. His short term influence at Queens Park probably cost us promotion in that final but he wasn't there long either. So the cautionary tale for Rhys is that the grass is not always greener. If he is enjoying what he is doing with us and in a few years takes us up again he will get the rewards and have some loyalty from upstairs.
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Raith Rovers v's Airdrie 03/02
Diamonds on the Windshield replied to Zen Archer (Raconteur)'s topic in Domestic Cup Football
I thought it was really interesting that the three players we were desperate to hold on to were the three players that Murray hooked in the second half. While watching a game supporters focus on what their own team are doing and see the rushed passes and poor decisions made and conclude that their team is not playing well. The other side of the game is less noticeable but it is the Airdrie players that are playing a system of closing down the space and making the other team rush and disrupting their nice free flowing football. So credit is due to the way Airdrie have learned to stop the other team playing. We have done it to St Johnstone, Thistle and Raith Rovers a couple of times in recent weeks and it is not luck we have been unbeaten in 7 games losing only 2 goals. It is good coaching by Rhys McCabe and application by the "young and enthusiastic" team. Interesting stat that RR have scored in every game except three.... the three they played Airdrie. Does last night make it 4 ? -
I've been impressed by the way he has the team working to stop the other team playing. When we lose the ball every player is focused on closing down the man on the ball but it is structured as a team. The player on the ball does not have time to look up and pick a good pass as there is an Airdrie player charging towards him and as the game goes on they become more and more rushed and their game falls apart. That is why we see the comments about other teams not playing well. It is because we have stopped them. With all the worries about squad depth how good was it to see Cammy and CalGal coming on as subs. Shout out also for our new signing who looks like he has a bit of dig in him and nearly burst into the box at one stage. He looks like one of these players who the ball bounces off "lucky" same as Frizz.
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Playing to the strengths and weaknesses in the team in the second half of the season: Rae Ballantyne Watson McCabe Fordyce Hancock Telfer Aitken Frizz Gal McGill (McStravick) With Ballantyne and Hancock creating mayhem down the wings bouncing the ball off Telfer and Frizz and Gal tapping them in with McGill in about them is what I would like to see. Also gives cover in behind Hancock when other teams start to target that weakness. That gives us cover on the bench if required with players who can come on and do a job. Todorov, McMaster, GavGal, McStravick and ATS. I'd still play Gal because the ball just sticks to him and I felt Todarov's touch against Partick was pretty poor and he was just getting in the way. The highlights show a couple of good moves breaking down with his lack of control. If we could only find a way for Gal and Todarov to get the best out of each other. Megwa is a loss defensively and maybe he would have slid in and stopped Partick scoring but Watson has scored and provided it on a plate for Todorov's goal in the last two games from fullback. I can't even think of an assist from Megwa (please correct me if I am wrong).
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The sainties web page has the following quote “It was Craig Levein who gave me my debut for Hearts when I was only 16 so he knows all about me and what I can do” says Connor. “I worked with Andy Kirk at Tynecastle as well so having them here has certainly influenced my decision to join Saints.”
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Looks like Janny has a fan
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The coaching team deserve a lot of credit for making us such a tight unit defensively. We just stop the other team from playing. There is always someone closing down the man with the ball and the sheer determination to play their part is evidence of the team spirit and how they are playing for each other. The way we play out of the corner at throw ins and Telfer's run down the wing yesterday show real football instinct but that has been coached into making a team that plays for each other. Frizz was on his game yesterday and McStravick was at his tricky best but as others have said Telfer is the catalyst that pulls the whole thing together. The number of positive comments from supporters of teams we have beaten on merit is great but our better players will be on the radar of other managers and our manager will be on short lists for other jobs. We ARE building something special here and need to hold on to all the cogs that make us tick.
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Rae Watson Fordyce ATS Hancock McCabe Frizzell Telfer Lyall McGill Todarov
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Thinking about how well a lot of the young players who have come in to the team are doing now. These are the "kids" who people were moaning about during previous transfer windows. Think back to the pelters Hancock was getting and McMaster and even Aitken when he was signed on loan. What do we think of them now after just half a season in this division? If we can stay in this league for next year and hold on to them just imagine how much better they will be with a year of playing in the Championship behind them. These "kids" are on the way up and not old jobbers seeing out their last few years and cashing in on former reputations. Look at Devenney and his trajectory. McCabe has the superpower of bringing out the best in these youngsters and making them better players. The idea that we won't be good enough next season with this group of players is nonsense as at least half of the squad will better as they get into their 20's. In McCabe's superpower we trust. Having said that it would be great to see a real quality signing come in and take us up a notch going forward.
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Telfer had another really good game and he is effective from the wide areas getting good crosses in from tight spaces and retaining the ball with the short close passes. He is also all over the place cutting out the space, closing down and some great tackles. With Frizz starting to get back to his tricky best all he has to do is stop being too tricky for his boots and we will hurt teams in the final third again. I said a couple of months ago that playing ineffective wingers was stopping us playing to our strengths and I am really pleased to see that Rhys has found a way to get the best from the players we have and not stuck to the "we need wingers" philosophy. I also think McGregor is starting to look like he may score some goals through the middle in the second half of the season and he can do a job covering back also. The 3 points yesterday were well deserved and so important but there is no feeling like it. Megwa will be sad to leave this team and you could see at the end how much it meant to him when he turned to the crowd. He is coming on so well that Hibs should take a long term view and send him back to us for the rest of the season after Dubai. When he gets singled out for so much praise from the losing teams supporters that tells you a lot. He has it all and just needs more confidence that comes with games and winning. His jaunt over to the right wing shows that he is starting to relax into his game and just go for it. Now if we can only get someone on the back post for the crosses.....
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With McCabe moving forward in front of the defence there is no need for McMaster and that meant GavGal could come in as the third midfield worker which gave us a better balance and everyone played their part with not a single passenger. I thought GavGal slotted in well and was similar to what Aitken brings to the team. Be interesting to see what team is put out against Raith. Hopefully Megwa is still there to keep Easton in check.
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Having the two front men moving across the line instead of Gal as a pivot point centrally made so much more space for everyone else. But if Gal had been in the box would he have managed to get on the end of the crosses? The attempted passes through the lines nearly came off a couple of times and I feel we are getting better at that part of the game and with a bit more confidence going forward the goals will come. There is no doubt Megwa has been outstanding in defence and has played a big part in the solid back line but Ballantyne is more effective going forward. Megwa has the talent and ability to develop that side of his game and it is good to see that Rhys wanted to keep him but Hibs have a future star and he will only get better.
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It's nice to see Frizz back on his game and a few of his runs were worth a goal.
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I would say that full back is the one place we have cover that can come in and not affect us too much. More important is to get the midfield working properly. On Saturday I felt Frizz stepped up his game in the second half and was making runs and just faster in his game with a more forward direction. That was the difference in the second half and we dominated. If we can get the best out of the players we have we will be much more effective going forward. McStravick has good touches but needs to get more involved and Frizz needs to be the one in charge and playing with confidence. Telfer is the one carrying us on the park and McMaster is doing his job well defensively stuck in the centre circle but can be effective going forward too and needs to be given a bit more freedom.
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I don't think Gabby can't do it at this level and Saturday showed he is the one player who can link up with Gal. His knock downs and passes went to Gal in most cases and not just in his general direction. He also has a calmness and more sense when in the box than the youngsters who still have that to learn. McCabe's chipped forward passes were mostly spot on landing on a head or chest compared to Fordyce's speculative punts in the direction of where there might be someone. That may be a bit harsh but there is no doubt that McCabe needs to be on the pitch.
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Looking back at the highlights from the Rangers B game Gabby is playing through the middle. His first touch and finish for the goals is exactly what we have been missing. No hitting it straight at the keeper or into a defender and for Gal's goal it was a pass because there was a defender blocking his shot at goal. Again Gal's first touch and finish were bang on. Both Gabby's goal were top class finishing. It's also worth mentioning that Todarov is shown with a few bad misses. I have wondered if McCabe has a problem with Gabby as bringing O'Connor on when we need a goal with Gabby on the bench just doesn't make sense. For Gabby's second goal McCabe comes forward and pats O'Conner for the pass and doesn't even appear to glance over at Gabby let alone celebrate with him. Anyone heard anything?
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Called it. Glad to see McCabe can take advice
