bunglebonce Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 What do we expect when we bench the missing link between the midfield and attack?Welsh's return looks like more of a curse than a blessing. Archie clearly favours all three central midfielders, but none of the three are genuinely creative nor do any burst beyond the front line. The 433 just isn't sustainable like that.I thought Thistle would at least hog possession with the extra CM like in fixtures before, but it took half an hour before they hinted they could do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nizzy Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Spot on. We all expected one of the midfield three to make way for Muirhead. Cue much scratching of heads and looks of bewilderment when Stevenson's number went up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagfox Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 The 3 man centre midfield is at the core of our problems, tactically. As BB no attacking player in there so lack of creativity and allows opposition an extra man at times out wide or up front leaving us susceptible to counters from the opposition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nizzy Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 It felt like the three were barely involved in any forward moves. They consisted largely of Seaborne trying to play it over the top to Doolan or the ball being shunted out to the fullbacks. The latter's fine when forwards are creating space for them by dragging the defenders out of position, but there was little of that. I'm struggling to remember Booth or Dumbaya getting into a good position for a cross. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunglebonce Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Doolan won his fair share of aerial duels against Boyd yesterday, which at first I was alarmed with but I soon twigged that they were all at or near the half-way line. Lyle Taylor would have stretched County backwards, which would've benefited Stevenson and maybe Welsh. Thistle badly miss someone to be able to run off the last shoulder. Maybe Pogba will do that? Thistle's full-backs got forward a bit - Booth particularly in the first half - but were tracked very well by County's wingers. Gardyne wasn't well but he made sure he was hard to beat before adding anything going forward. It was probably De Vita's best game defensively too and pulled off some good tackles on Dumbaya at the byline. That's been been one of the most important details to Ross County drawing or winning since February, rather than drawing or losing earlier last season. I well remember the 4-0 at Firhill last August, where the atrocious County full-backs weren't getting help from ahead of them; Fraser was pinging 40 yard passes to expose them and Higginbotham and Lawless had a great time of it. ETA: I couldn't understand why Boyce had such a free header in the box for the goal, but Booth doesn't switch on to the fact he has to pick him up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reid Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 ETA: I couldn't understand why Boyce had such a free header in the box for the goal, but Booth doesn't switch on to the fact he has to pick him up. Looked at the time that Osman just let Boyce run off him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Looked at the time that Osman just let Boyce run off him. Yup. It's Osman's guy. Booth goes with Graham (if Booth's the long haired guy who always seems to make mistakes vs County), and then Partick have two guys marking one guy at the back post. Osman's failed to come over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pie Of The Month Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 It was Seaborne who went with Graham and Osman who was meant to go with Boyce I think. Was quite impressed that Osman tried to claim after the goal that Boyce was Seaborne's man and tried to absolve himself of any blame. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 It was Seaborne who went with Graham and Osman who was meant to go with Boyce I think. Was quite impressed that Osman tried to claim after the goal that Boyce was Seaborne's man and tried to absolve himself of any blame. Yeah, that made me laugh as well. Even if he was, he needed to fill in, because it isn't as if Seaborne was standing marking nobody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunglebonce Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Dumbaya went to the ball. Frans had De Vita. Seaborne had Graham. Osman had Irvine at the edge of the box, before trying to be in two places at once. I don't think Osman was at fault. Booth had Gardyne way off his shoulder, so should have been tucking in to take Boyce; the left winger should have been back to cover. Booth doesn't switch on to the fact he has to pick Boyce up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartTaylor Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Hanging on at the end and was expecting a repeat of last weeks late equaliser heartbreak. Fox save in first half was excellent, Robertson deserved motm in my opinion, and Rafa put in a good shift as well as Woods, he shouldn't have taken and wasted that free kick when he came back on after injury though. Considering Captain Davies, Curran and Rocco out injured, and Gardyne and Franks suffering from illness - along with 2 unnamed others, delighted with the 3 points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Great Stagsby Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Considering Captain Davies, Curran and Rocco out injured, and Gardyne and Franks suffering from illness - along with 2 unnamed others, delighted with the 3 points. Indeed. As to the hanging on - that's 3 weeks in a row we've been hanging on, and having witnessed the 2 home games (yesterday and United) I'm fairly amazed we've picked up 7 points. I've been very unimpressed at our attempts to see out slim leads, to be honest, despite the WDW. We're decent enough at keeping opponents out, but so often when we've got possession back we're just punting / misplacing passes, looking generally rushed and aimless. Savage Henry's point about not scoring a second half goal all season (except probably in the cup?) is telling, and I'm actually fearing it could all suddenly 'unravel' some time soon, especially with some key players now missing. Having said all that, I keep coming back to the fact that we've picked up a lot of points without (in my opinion) playing all that impressively once ahead, and there really is every chance we're only going to get better at that side of things, in which case we could have a very good season ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tintax Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Reminded me of the games against Dundee United and Hamilton. Get in front and then defend and not bother upfront for the rest of the game. With 30 mins of the game still to play we were camped in, inviting attack after attack. We surely can't keep doing that End of the day it's another 3 points though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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