Jump to content

The Partick Thistle thread


Recommended Posts

Impressive display from the young lads despite the defeat. Thought they passed Hibs off the park from back to front for long periods of the game. Hibs tended to constantly look for their two big lads up front. Couple of big central defenders short of a very solid side.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There does seem to be elements of the Thistle support either utterly incapable of listening to reasonable criticism or vice versa where they are unconditionally negative - and obviously in times like these, both factions are more prominent.

When speaking to folk following our opening fixtures, I said whilst I wasn't troubled by our performances so far, I was worried that despite them, we had picked up so few points and that it didn't augur well for when our levels dropped.

For my money, we are suffering from two main problems. Firstly, Archie has absolutely bugger all idea what his best attacking quartet is. We've been hampered by circumstance at times what with Storey and Sammon's ineligiblity forcing change but the lack of any sort of continuity is patently damaging. It's harking back to the tendency of latter seasons to shoehorn anyone but Dools into the team. We know that the understanding between Dools, Erskine and Lawless is sound yet they've rarely started together - by my count, twice, one of which was our most impressive showing in recent times in the hounding of St Mirren. Admittedly injury has prevented it at times but I believe going back to what we know works should be high on the manager's list over the next few weeks.

What he knows for damn sure, and should have an absolute abundance of evidence to prove, is that we are desperately short in midfield which brings me to the second issue. Like many others I'm sure, I looked at our squad in pre-season and could see that we needed a central mifielder.  We had lost Welsh (and David Wilson who counted as a squad player, I suppose, although could say he's been replaced by McCarthy) and had a player returning after a lengthy injury who was always likely to have a niggle at some point. Allied to this, we have guy who everyone and their granny can see is infinitely better in defence meandering about the middle of the park with all the urgency and tenacity of a dead sheep alongside a guy who has both of those assets but not an ounce of tactical or positional discipline, neither of whom appear to contribute very much defensively or offensively.

Saturday was the first time I've heard Archie admit we have a shortage in midfield despite it existing for months. His neglect to adequately recruit in this area is a major failing - and it could prove a very costly one at that. 

We have been undoubtedly impacted by an awful injury accumulation but again, poor squad management has deprived us of proper left back cover in Booth's absence. I wouldn't hang the decision to send Penrice out on loan around Archie's neck too much but if Christie was going to be our starting right back this season, he should have been just that. Shunting a right footer to left back hinders our system significantly in my opinion. I think the recruitment in the full back areas has been questionable and that extends to the retention of Dumbuya in the summer who should have been cut loose.

I noted down a very conservative points estimate for various points of the season, the achievement of which would still have left us needing a couple of wins post split. We're 6 points off that estimate.

What concerns me most is that the team were by all accounts outfought and outbattled on Saturday and previously against Motherwell. 

Archie still has my full support but he's not beyond criticism. There's some serious questions that he's going to have to find the answers to over the next few weeks starting on Saturday. Only a win will do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Armand 2 said:

There does seem to be elements of the Thistle support either utterly incapable of listening to reasonable criticism or vice versa where they are unconditionally negative - and obviously in times like these, both factions are more prominent.

When speaking to folk following our opening fixtures, I said whilst I wasn't troubled by our performances so far, I was worried that despite them, we had picked up so few points and that it didn't augur well for when our levels dropped.

For my money, we are suffering from two main problems. Firstly, Archie has absolutely bugger all idea what his best attacking quartet is. We've been hampered by circumstance at times what with Storey and Sammon's ineligiblity forcing change but the lack of any sort of continuity is patently damaging. It's harking back to the tendency of latter seasons to shoehorn anyone but Dools into the team. We know that the understanding between Dools, Erskine and Lawless is sound yet they've rarely started together - by my count, twice, one of which was our most impressive showing in recent times in the hounding of St Mirren. Admittedly injury has prevented it at times but I believe going back to what we know works should be high on the manager's list over the next few weeks.

What he knows for damn sure, and should have an absolute abundance of evidence to prove, is that we are desperately short in midfield which brings me to the second issue. Like many others I'm sure, I looked at our squad in pre-season and could see that we needed a central mifielder.  We had lost Welsh (and David Wilson who counted as a squad player, I suppose, although could say he's been replaced by McCarthy) and had a player returning after a lengthy injury who was always likely to have a niggle at some point. Allied to this, we have guy who everyone and their granny can see is infinitely better in defence meandering about the middle of the park with all the urgency and tenacity of a dead sheep alongside a guy who has both of those assets but not an ounce of tactical or positional discipline, neither of whom appear to contribute very much defensively or offensively.

Saturday was the first time I've heard Archie admit we have a shortage in midfield despite it existing for months. His neglect to adequately recruit in this area is a major failing - and it could prove a very costly one at that. 

We have been undoubtedly impacted by an awful injury accumulation but again, poor squad management has deprived us of proper left back cover in Booth's absence. I wouldn't hang the decision to send Penrice out on loan around Archie's neck too much but if Christie was going to be our starting right back this season, he should have been just that. Shunting a right footer to left back hinders our system significantly in my opinion. I think the recruitment in the full back areas has been questionable and that extends to the retention of Dumbuya in the summer who should have been cut loose.

I noted down a very conservative points estimate for various points of the season, the achievement of which would still have left us needing a couple of wins post split. We're 6 points off that estimate.

What concerns me most is that the team were by all accounts outfought and outbattled on Saturday and previously against Motherwell. 

Archie still has my full support but he's not beyond criticism. There's some serious questions that he's going to have to find the answers to over the next few weeks starting on Saturday. Only a win will do.

Everything you have said I would agree with but I must say ur grammar is awful man .,. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good summary from Armand Two.

We've had no consistency in the team selection this season. Last season's team, especially the defence was  almost the same each week.

We're all over the place now and shitebags like Barton, Nitransky, Sammon and Storey aren't interesting in stuck in to dig us out.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If Fraser doesn't fully recover ever again and we end up 0 for 3 on 'doing the right thing' with Bannigan, Welsh and Fraser in giving them new deals when they are injured (or needing to prove they are over their injuries) then hopefully that's the end of the club being a charity case for crocked midfielders.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, RedAndYellow said:

Well I finally managed to get back on my account, after quite a while. Dundee tomorrow, beat them all 3 times last year and kept a clean sheet every time, so we know we can beat them however our last 2 performances have been very worrying. Mon the jags!

 

giphy.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, RedAndYellow said:

Ah yes the warm welcome I expected… can you please explain to me what I've done to irritate you ? 

 

25 minutes ago, RedAndYellow said:

Well I finally managed to get back on my account, after quite a while. 

Spoiler

tumblr_ltzobwOmjB1qlvie8o1_500.gif

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...