Sons' sorrow

[Boghead ranter]

19 minutes ago, BallochSonsFan said:

. I was also willing to write off last weekend at Bonnyrigg as a horrible park thats difficult to play football on. 

[The Moonster]

A decent attacking team gives us a doing, IMO. What's hilarious is Farrell was saying last week how we're due to give someone a doing with all the chances we're creating, aside from a penalty today we had one other shot on target of note. Its just not good enough in an attacking sense, but we also leave ourselves so wide open in transitions. Every time we lose the ball there's a break on. So many players hiding and passing blame today as well.

He's had 3 summers to keep a core of a squad together and get them playing in a recognised fashion but we've gone from one shite plan that doesn't work to another. The club is a rabble. 

[O'Kelly Isley III]

No need to press the panic button - yet.

Today was a case of deja vu, with the midfield repeatedly second-best to the opposition, and the fact that we managed a point is largely down to an outstanding performance by Mark Durnan, and to a lesser extent Sean Crighton.

In saying that, both of these guys were guilty of trying the back-to-front Hollywood passes but with bugger all movement ahead of them who could blame them ?  Spartans were lively, tidy in possession and in Jamie Dishington they had the best player on the park.  Losing Ruth early on was obviously a blow but even this early it's obvious he needs support and by that I don't mean wide players.  Haste ye back Ryan Wallace, or play Jinky Hilton off him.

So what's to be done in midfield ?  Well I'd start Aron Lynas and switch Carlo into midfield and bench Div Wilson.  Div is too easily out-muscled and the flicks and give-and-goes concede possession far too often.

To Carlo's energy I'd add Finlay Gray's at the cost of Ryan Blair.  Never mind that we were again utterly pedestrian today, we seemed to want to play safety-first balls, often backwards, and this in a fixture we should have been looking to win.  We need to up the collective pace and start competing across the park, and soon.

Start next week with a middle four of Kalvin Orsi, Carlo, Fin Gray and Matty Shiels would IMO improve matters.  That and Ruth/Wallace up top with Hilton playing off.

[microdave]

Finlay Gray would be the first on the team sheet for me. I'd agree with Oki about bringing Lynas in and moving Carlo into midfield. I'm not sure who else would be there but I'd be dropping MacLean. 

And while a few are talking about Farrell, his programme notes are fantastic. When I read them, the first thing that took me aback was his view that we could have another successful season in paragraph one. With the word another doing an enormous amount if lifting. And the column didn't get much better with Airdrie sweeping everyone away last season on their way to a 3rd place finish.

[OKsons2020]

Disappointed today with another gsme we should be taking maximum points. 

Matty shiels is a good addition and happy with that piece of business . 

 

Didn't agree with aron lynas and Finlay being on the bench . Both players are key to the success of the team and featured last season  with awards. 

 

Carlo didn't offer much today and don't see him as a starter ahead of lynas IMO . 

 

Maybe there were reasons for the changes and were yet to find out . 

 

Just think we should be sitting with 6 points by now,esp when  going into the next couple fixtures where I'd expect to drop points.

 Early days of course

[George Parr]

12 hours ago, microdave said:

Finlay Gray would be the first on the team sheet for me. I'd agree with Oki about bringing Lynas in and moving Carlo into midfield. I'm not sure who else would be there but I'd be dropping MacLean. 

And while a few are talking about Farrell, his programme notes are fantastic. When I read them, the first thing that took me aback was his view that we could have another successful season in paragraph one. With the word another doing an enormous amount if lifting. And the column didn't get much better with Airdrie sweeping everyone away last season on their way to a 3rd place finish.

There’s a bit of positive spin in the article for sure (classic Farrell you’d have to say) but I think the overall gist of his comments are fair. We performed fairly well in the league cup section against decent opposition. And if it had went to 2-0 last week we’re highly likely to have left with 3 points.

The next couple of matches will be very interesting and a real test for Farrell and his squad. Failure to win at least one of them would be a massive disappointment. 

[O'Kelly Isley III]

14 minutes ago, George Parr said:

There’s a bit of positive spin in the article for sure (classic Farrell you’d have to say) but I think the overall gist of his comments are fair. We performed fairly well in the league cup section against decent opposition. And if it had went to 2-0 last week we’re highly likely to have left with 3 points.

The next couple of matches will be very interesting and a real test for Farrell and his squad. Failure to win at least one of them would be a massive disappointment. 

Positive spin is permissible but hard evidence is more reliable.  The Spartans keeper, like his Bonnyrigg equivalent the week before, was required to make only one important save yesterday.

Even before Ruth unfortunately had to go off he was looking very isolated and I think after a season and more of one man up front it's time to reconsider.  I've already commented on the ponderous midfield build-up, and the overall feeling is again one of caution as opposed to ambition - this needs to change 

A word though about The Spartans.  They looked fit and well organised and on yesterday's showing they will adapt well to life in League Two.

[Silverton End]

13 hours ago, microdave said:

Finlay Gray would be the first on the team sheet for me. I'd agree with Oki about bringing Lynas in and moving Carlo into midfield. I'm not sure who else would be there but I'd be dropping MacLean. 

And while a few are talking about Farrell, his programme notes are fantastic. When I read them, the first thing that took me aback was his view that we could have another successful season in paragraph one. With the word another doing an enormous amount if lifting. And the column didn't get much better with Airdrie sweeping everyone away last season on their way to a 3rd place finish.

Stevie Farrell = David Brent 

[Guest]

Where to start. I’ve gave Farrell the benefit of the doubt over preseason purely based on his promise of a new style of football and that the calibre of signing he’s managed to attract ( as he always seems to do) is well above the sort of players you’d expect us to be in for. 
 

however…

 

nothing has changed. The style of football hasn’t changed in the slightest. The ponderous slow build up play from the back results in the same long ball to an isolated forward. Our midfield is completely passed by. As has been mentioned, Finlay gray simply has to start every game he’s fit for especially over the likes of Div Wilson. Ross McLean is absolutely useless and totally uninterested. Any combination of Carlo/Hilton/orsi is better than him wasting a jersey. 
 

we are sold a promise of attacking football and stretching teams, we sign two players who arguably are at their best getting round the outside of the fullback (shiels/Carlo) yet we continue with the absolute hindrance that is a narrow pitch and touch line which promotes nothing other than a lack of space to create going forward. 
 

we are so one dimensional and boring. If it wasn’t for a fortunate handball giving us a penalty then we wouldn’t have scored. As for the equaliser it had been coming for a long time and as usual is a tale we have come to expect. 
 

as has been mentioned, any attacking team worth their salt would bury us. We seem to have this narrative of the players haven’t had their best game/ the guys aren’t creating enough chances/ the squad is capable of more etc. Any other gaffer worth his salt could have us flying. Yet we stand by Farrell. He’s had 3 different squads now and I’m happy to stick my neck out and say this year won’t be any different. We will under achieve. And he’ll somehow manage to gaslight everyone in to believing this should be what we come to expect. 
 

I bought a season ticket to support the club. So long as Farrell is around I can’t bring myself to watch that for the rest of the season and support him. The sooner he’s gone the better. 

[The Moonster]

The alarming thing is Farrell doesn't see anything wrong. He's still talking like we created a barrel load yesterday when we had 3 attempts at goal (and I think one of them being counted is Kalvin Orsi mishitting a cross into the keepers hands). Ruth out for 2 or 3 weeks as well. Better hope Ryan Wallace hasn't been baw deep in all inclusive pakora the last 2 weeks. 

[George Parr]

The point about the narrow pitch is a good one. It’s infuriating that we’ve not reverted back to the wider dimension. Lends credence to the argument that we continue to be more interested in preventing goals rather than scoring them. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, George Parr said:

The point about the narrow pitch is a good one. It’s infuriating that we’ve not reverted back to the wider dimension. Lends credence to the argument that we continue to be more interested in preventing goals rather than scoring them. 

Narrowing the pitch if I remember right was to make us more compact and less susceptible to being stretched. 
 

This didn’t make sense to me in the first place. The theory is flawed. It has the exact same effect on us as it does the opposition. It makes us have to play narrow and allows the opposition to be more compact and harder to breakdown. 
 

it’s just another example of how poor Fazs tactics are when this the height of his ideas. 

[Boghead ranter]

13 minutes ago, DobbiesAgent said:

Narrowing the pitch if I remember right was to make us more compact and less susceptible to being stretched. 
 

 

Don't forget it was to also facilitate the attacking threat of Lynas' long throws.

[Guest]

26 minutes ago, Boghead ranter said:

Don't forget it was to also facilitate the attacking threat of Lynas' long throws.

Aw yeah. Long throws towards Ryan Wallace. Smashing 

 

id like to know how many goals we scored from they long throws 

Edited August 13, 2023 by DobbiesAgent

[Clarko_son]

24 minutes ago, DobbiesAgent said:

Aw yeah. Long throws towards Ryan Wallace. Smashing 

 

id like to know how many goals we scored from they long throws 

The only one I can remember was McNiffs against Stenny. At Ochilview...

[Frank Quitely]

3 hours ago, The Moonster said:

The alarming thing is Farrell doesn't see anything wrong. He's still talking like we created a barrel load yesterday when we had 3 attempts at goal (and I think one of them being counted is Kalvin Orsi mishitting a cross into the keepers hands). Ruth out for 2 or 3 weeks as well. Better hope Ryan Wallace hasn't been baw deep in all inclusive pakora the last 2 weeks. 

The alarming thing is that Stevie Farrell is probably under no pressure.

[Greenmachine]

Not be long until you’re a stable championship team

[Silverton End]

1 hour ago, Greenmachine said:

Not be long until you’re a stable championship team

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Greenmachine said:

Not be long until you’re a stable championship team

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

I’m disappointed we’re not sending out the weans tonight along with the guys who need minutes. I’ve got the absolute fear that Durnan or Crichton get injured playing in this daft, pointless match.

I’m absolutely astounded and disappointed we managed to fill a bus for this. Unless you are there for work purposes this should have been massively swerved.