Rjc-1988 Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 I had high hopes that we had unearthed a Manager whose footballing philosophy was based around a high pressing attacking style of play. That may still prove to be the case but it is difficult to understand why we set up with Dobbie up front on his own supported by Mark Millar from a no 10 position. Ayr were terrible in the first half , they hardly got into our half and if ever a team in this League were there for the taking then it was today. Despite the injuries we were able to field a decent enough starting 11 but surely Dykes had to play up top beside Dobbie? It looked to me as if we went there not to lose the game and as so often happens in these circumstances we end up inviting trouble and lose the first goal with the inevitable outcome following on. McCall made good changes at HT while we persisted with a system that was simply not working. Manager introduced Anderson for probably one of our best players Dean Brotherston and then plays him wide left where he has no left foot and has to constantly cut inside. Rigg was pushed wide right which made little sense. There will be games where you do everything right, play well, get the tactics right and still lose - unfortunately this was not one of them. If we dont sort out this malaise quickly we will soon be heading for the bottom 4. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUFC 1910 Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 This was a McCall masterclass from start to finish.1st half - do not lose a goal. Two lines of 4 were hard to beat and managed to slow the game right down. Not great to watch, but 'parking the bus' tactics to stay in the game against superior opposition.2nd half - go get the win. You could see from the kick off in the second half that we were on our toes, using the fitness regime McCall has been slowly but surely drumming into this squad.Forrest did his part and gave his all, then the inspired substitutions and we were the better team, growing in the second half.Dire to watch first half, but extremely effective.Mr McCall, I salute you sir! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyline Drifter Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 Complete opposite of last week other than losing without scoring obviously. It was one of our better performances and I still cant believe we didnt score. We were excellent first half and could easily have been 2 or 3 up. Dobbie was twice in on goal and slashed across the face, Millar got in and forced a save and Dobbie could have thrown himself at a header but didnt. Ayr didnt offer much first half. Second half started similarly with Dowie failing to worry Fleming from a free header six yards out then Millar delaying too long to release Dobbie and then Ayr scored from more or less their first effort of note. Great strike into the corner from 20 yards or so. Thereafter it was more level. Ayr had the best chance to add to their lead when Harkins was clean through but lifted it well over. Dobbie had another chance whilst Marshall failed to pick out anyone other than Fleming with a great chance for a cutback tap in. Even Robinson had a half chance at the end. Well done Ayr. Balatoni was good. Harkins was decent. Cairney struck a great goal and they rode their luck a wee bit. We played well and had more than enough chances to win but we are carrying no luck and no confidence in front of goal. That needs to change quickly or we will be bottom half in a couple of weeks! Shame after such a good start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itzdrk Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 Cairney absolutely smashed his goal, got a great view of it at the time. Was raging he stayed on and Crawford went off. After we scored it was an enjoyable to watch game. Hunners of passion out there to achieve something from the game which you don't always see. I'd love to see Balatoni turning up on the edge of the box on the counter attack again. He fucked it in the end but that's great from a centre back to see the opportunity. Our left and central left side of the team were actually fairly poor IMO. I'd have Boyle back in tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QosLoyal Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 That was dire today. Sqaud needs bolstered as well to cover for injuries imo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19QOS19 Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 3rd now, actually. I don't know why fans are moaning at Skelton when we were in 1st after 8 games. Maybe because it's irrelevant. Just because we've had a blinding start doesn't give Skelton immunity from criticism when he gets it so horribly wrong, like today. Ps Would rather the so called qos supporters got behind the team rather than shouting rubbish especially about the manager and our best player who is supposedly lazy! He never stopped moving today he got very little support if atall any. I was standing at the side of the pitch today and thought I heard someone giving Dobbie dogs abuse from behind the stand. I thought it couldn't be what I thought but I'm assuming that's exactly what happened. Ridiculous. Dobbie IS a lazy player but that's nothing we don't know. It's what he does with the ball at his feet that makes him special. Sitting at LM or up front alone isn't utilising our biggest asset. For folk to be giving him dogs abuse is pretty embarassing tbh. RJC has got it spot on in his post IMO. It's hard to criticise our players today. They weren't the issue, the set up was. One up front away to Ayr ffs!* Must say I thought Millar put in a good shift today. More of the same please. * That sounds extremely disrespectful to Ayr but it's not a dig at them. Just that we showed earlier in the season that we were more than capable of beating them so to approach it in a more negative manner today beggars belief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Thompson Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 2 minutes ago, 19QOS19 said: Maybe because it's irrelevant. Just because we've had a blinding start doesn't give Skelton immunity from criticism when he gets it so horribly wrong, like today. I was standing at the side of the pitch today and thought I heard someone giving Dobbie dogs abuse from behind the stand. I thought it couldn't be what I thought but I'm assuming that's exactly what happened. Ridiculous. Dobbie IS a lazy player but that's nothing we don't know. It's what he does with the ball at his feet that makes him special. Sitting at LM or up front alone isn't utilising our biggest asset. For folk to be giving him dogs abuse is pretty embarassing tbh. RJC has got it spot on in his post IMO. It's hard to criticise our players today. They weren't the issue, the set up was. One up front away to Ayr ffs!* Must say I thought Millar put in a good shift today. More of the same please. * That sounds extremely disrespectful to Ayr but it's not a dig at them. Just that we showed earlier in the season that we were more than capable of beating them so to approach it in a more negative manner today beggars belief. Did he get it horribly wrong? Obviously, we lost the game but we created enough chances to win, arguably better chances first half with the Dobbie/Millar combination. I genuinely thought we'd moved past the idea that one up front was automatically wrong I didnt hear anyone say Dobbie was lazy. However, mid way through the second half, someone in the stand did shout "Get Dobbie off, hes shite" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyline Drifter Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 3 minutes ago, 19QOS19 said: RJC has got it spot on in his post IMO. It's hard to criticise our players today. They weren't the issue, the set up was. One up front away to Ayr ffs! See I couldnt disagree with you and rjc more here. We played well and made more good chances than we have in the last four games added together (ignoring the Linfield one). There was nothing wrong with the performance. If Dobbie had found a finish from three good chances we would probably have won. Millar was excellent in that role. Skelton cant help the fact he is without Lyle at the moment. Given that he is todays set up was not remotely the issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19QOS19 Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 Did he get it horribly wrong? Obviously, we lost the game but we created enough chances to win, arguably better chances first half with the Dobbie/Millar combination. I genuinely thought we'd moved past the idea that one up front was automatically wrong I didnt hear anyone say Dobbie was lazy. However, mid way through the second half, someone in the stand did shout "Get Dobbie off, hes shite" One up front isn't a major issue if you have a player who runs constantly or a 6ft guy who can hold the ball up. Dobbie is neither of those for all he's excellent. Square pegs in round holes. One up front isn't automatically wrong but we should have had someone alongside Dobbie today. I didn't hear anything specific, just that Dobbie's name was shouted in an aggressive manner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shibuya Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 Marshall has been consistently good since signing last season. Where did you sign him from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Thompson Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 Just now, 19QOS19 said: One up front isn't a major issue if you have a player who runs constantly or a 6ft guy who can hold the ball up. Dobbie is neither of those for all he's excellent. Square pegs in round holes. One up front isn't automatically wrong but we should have had someone alongside Dobbie today. I didn't hear anything specific, just that Dobbie's name was shouted in an aggressive manner Why though? As I said, we created 3 really good chances in the first half. We were well on top in the game but lacked quality in the final third. The formation had nothing to do with that. We put Dykes up front second half but still didnt score. Arguably, we created less in that period, other than Marshalls cross and a few chances from set pieces Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19QOS19 Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 See I couldnt disagree with you and rjc more here. We played well and made more good chances than we have in the last four games added together (ignoring the Linfield one). There was nothing wrong with the performance. If Dobbie had found a finish from three good chances we would probably have won. Millar was excellent in that role. Skelton cant help the fact he is without Lyle at the moment. Given that he is todays set up was not remotely the issue. In the first half maybe. Did we have a shot on target in the second half? If Skelton thought he had approached the game in an attacking manner why did he go with 2 up front after we conceded? The first half we could have been 2-0 up but I don't think the second half performance can be classed as good. Even after Ayr scored they looked the most likely to score again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Thompson Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 2 minutes ago, Shibuya said: Where did you sign him from? Carlisle, although I dont think he ever made an appearance for them He won several of the fans player of the year awards last season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rjc-1988 Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 We are starting to look like a team that doesnt believe it is good enough to stay in contention at the top of the table. The Manager was all at sea today - it was amusing to see that dossier come out when a substitution was being contemplated - it resembles one of these booklets that contains a number of carpet samples. Honestly can it really be that complicated and after all that deliberation we put Anderson on the left and Rigg on the right and lose the promising hreat of Brotherston. I hate one man up top at this level of football but if you are going to deploy the tactic then Stephen Dobbie is most certainly not the man for that role. He is going through a very rough patch at the moment - he continues to smother his shots which is very unlike him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itzdrk Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 22 minutes ago, Mr X said: Did he get it horribly wrong? Obviously, we lost the game but we created enough chances to win, arguably better chances first half with the Dobbie/Millar combination. I genuinely thought we'd moved past the idea that one up front was automatically wrong I didnt hear anyone say Dobbie was lazy. However, mid way through the second half, someone in the stand did shout "Get Dobbie off, hes shite" Tbf he was today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Thompson Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 3 minutes ago, Rjc-1988 said: We are starting to look like a team that doesnt believe it is good enough to stay in contention at the top of the table. The Manager was all at sea today - it was amusing to see that dossier come out when a substitution was being contemplated - it resembles one of these booklets that contains a number of carpet samples. Honestly can it really be that complicated and after all that deliberation we put Anderson on the left and Rigg on the right and lose the promising hreat of Brotherston. Listen to Off The Ball much? The book of "carpet samples" happens at every sub for every side nowadays. Its set piece instructions, nothing to do with the formation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19QOS19 Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 Tbf he was today. He always is though. That's why he needs assistance alongside him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snakebite Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 mccall is doing some job. for as colourful as his past was, there's few managers if any who know the lower leagues better than him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Jaffo Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 mccall is doing some job. for as colourful as his past was, there's few managers if any who know the lower leagues better than him. He has been a revelation with us. Made us tricky to beat but also got us playing decent football for a team that should be relegation candidates. The way we're going we could be promotion playoff candidates, but it's only October so let's not get ahead of ourselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rb123! Posted October 22, 2016 Share Posted October 22, 2016 We need to win the games at the moment when we've got a full fit squad. Cause a couple of months down the line we'll probably get the inevitable injuries meaning we'll somewhat stutter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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