Queen of the South v Falkirk

[JinkyBairn]

36 minutes ago, NavyBlueArmy1876 said:

First chance for me to see Aird getting a decent number of minutes today. Liked what I saw, pacey and quite comfortable to drift inside a bit (should have scored though). On an unrelated note, did anyone else see the shuttle on the hard shoulder with 4 or 5 boys having a spew on the way up the road?

I seen these scenes lol. Good effort from the lads tbf.

[distresseduke]

Oh aye I forgot mince fucking vennie...aye I know

[Guest]

What two performances were they? I can think of a decent cross at Starks from a sibbald ball apart from that he was hopeless...first half against st Mirren was the worst performance in the navy blue since...Mark tranor/John mcveigh/Stuart Romaines/Brian scrimgeour 

He played well in a 1-0 win at Ayr and did well at Tannadice

[NavyBlueArmy1876]

1 hour ago, MrDust said:

If McHugh had a left foot, he'd have scored

Disagree with that. Thumped in a left footed volley last week when Baird was given offside. It was a wonderful run with the angle disappearing on him a bit at the end. Don't think Austin was expecting the pass/up with play and with hindsight he should have hit it 

[distresseduke]

3 minutes ago, Back Post Misses said:

 

He played well in a 1-0 win at Ayr and did well at Tannadice

 

Fair enuff I wasn't there but I was at Starks & tannadice...he wasn't good for us & looked done...Mark Kerr a similar age looks a far better more accomplished player

[Skyline Drifter]

1 hour ago, Back Post Misses said:

It is not laughable at all. His performance was a mirror image of all bar two performances for us. He is done.

 

Today was very comfortably Rankin's worst showing for us but there hasnt been any evidence in the previous games that he is done. He has done fine. He wasnt unique in that to be fair. Mercer's and Thomson's worst games for us too. Probably Dobbie's too. After a bright start Dom Thomas was quiet and did nothing at all once switched to the left which maybe puts to bed a little some of the shouts to play him that side to accommodate Danny from the last couple of weeks. Our centre backs looked uncomfortable all day with Austin harrassing them. 

To be fair though when that many players play badly you maybe have to give credit to the other side for causing it.

[Monkey Tennis]

48 minutes ago, Skyline Drifter said:

To be fair though when that many players play badly you maybe have to give credit to the other side for causing it.

There's obviously something in that.  Our players were unable to settle into today's game at all and it would be daft to claim that such a thing is unrelated to what the opposition do.  

Even when opportunities did arise to do something though, our better players were sloppy in their passing, or deficient in their decision making.  And of course, we had our now customary calamities at the back.  

Today really was awful.  So bad in fact that I'm hoping we can write it off as one of those things.

[Hawk]

Well the morning after the afternoon before.

That was not what I was expecting, I thought we would have been right up for this game but that performance was as poor as we've been in months. Defensively we were poor with Dowie being the biggest culprit, Higgins has to come back in for Tuesday. In midfield, I'm not sure if Rankin has a clause in contract but he was shocking against his former employers. As for up top I can't remember the last time we put a visiting keeper under less pressure.

Any glimmer of hope of a playoff place is now gone so for me it's just a case of planning for the start of next season now.

[Guest]

Today was very comfortably Rankin's worst showing for us but there hasnt been any evidence in the previous games that he is done. He has done fine. He wasnt unique in that to be fair. Mercer's and Thomson's worst games for us too. Probably Dobbie's too. After a bright start Dom Thomas was quiet and did nothing at all once switched to the left which maybe puts to bed a little some of the shouts to play him that side to accommodate Danny from the last couple of weeks. Our centre backs looked uncomfortable all day with Austin harrassing them. 
To be fair though when that many players play badly you maybe have to give credit to the other side for causing it.

I actually think that is usually what happens when a team has at least half their team off the pace. We have done the same to Dundee Utd and Dunfermline recently too.

I said before yesterday that we have gone 7 unbeaten and if we double that we will finish second.

Of our last 9 we have 5 away all at tough places. Easter Road, Tanadice , Ayr, Dumbaton and East End park (probably the one you can gives us though). That is a difficult task to get through those unbeaten.

[Rjc-1988]

As regards John Rankine my first reaction when we signed him was of disappointment but to be fair to him he has been solid enough. Yesterday Mark Kerr dominated him from start to the moment he went off.

I think he was a sensible signing to end of season but I would be disappointed if he was a first pick next year but with an 18 month deal he will expect to be playing.

Personally I think we would be a better team with a central pairing of Jacobs and Thomson.

Let's hope that the manner of yesterday's defeat doesn't spark another terrible run like our Q2 experience.

[Guest Flash]

9 hours ago, Skyline Drifter said:

 After a bright start Dom Thomas was quiet and did nothing at all once switched to the left which maybe puts to bed a little some of the shouts to play him that side to accommodate Danny from the last couple of weeks. 

I really don't think a game when everybody was terrible is the best time to judge whether or not Thomas would be better on the left.   If this had been his first game, we'd all have thought we had signed a dud, wherever he was playing. So, if we were judging him on that performance, we would be putting to bed shouts for him to play at all.

Also, he never got the ball after moving to the left, so difficult to tell how good or bad he might have been. 

[Monkey Tennis]

1 hour ago, Back Post Misses said:

Of our last 9 we have 5 away all at tough places. Easter Road, Tanadice , Ayr, Dumbaton and East End park (probably the one you can gives us though). That is a difficult task to get through those unbeaten.

 

I take the point that over half your remaining games are away and that every game in the division is accompanied by hazards.  

However, in the context of possible away fixtures in the League, only two of those can rationally be considered particularly "tough".  'Hard place to go' is just a mindless cliche people trot out.

[bridge of allan bairn]

I take the point that over half your remaining games are away and that every game in the division is accompanied by hazards.  
However, in the context of possible away fixtures in the League, only two of those can rationally be considered particularly "tough".  'Hard place to go' is just a mindless cliche people trot out.

Given we've dropped 10 points out of 15 at these five grounds already this season I'd say bpm was right in his assumption

[Monkey Tennis]

6 minutes ago, bridge of allan bairn said:

 

Given we've dropped 10 points out of 15 at these five grounds already this season I'd say bpm was right in his assumption

 

I'm not saying they're easy.  I am saying though that the idea of them being especially tough doesn't stand up.  He couldn't select five away games unable to be described that way.  It's therefore meaningless

[bridge of allan bairn]

I'm not saying they're easy.  I am saying though that the idea of them being especially tough doesn't stand up.  He couldn't select five away games unable to be described that way.  It's therefore meaningless

I'm sorry but for falkirk he's right. These 5 grounds have brought us a points return of only 33% this season whole the other 4 grounds have brought a points return of 62%. Pretty much double the grounds he mentions above.

[Monkey Tennis]

48 minutes ago, bridge of allan bairn said:

I'm sorry but for falkirk he's right. These 5 grounds have brought us a points return of only 33% this season whole the other 4 grounds have brought a points return of 62%. Pretty much double the grounds he mentions above.

Yes, but take out the two grounds I've conceded as genuinely "tough" and the stats will shift.  A glance at the table implies only one trip could be seen as easier than three of them.

Anyway, I don't suppose it matters much.  The 'tough place to go' default line about all away games just bugs me - that's all.

[Fae_the_'briggs]

Utter mince yesterday. Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and admit you were done over.  Mark Kerr ran the show (sticks in my throat to admit it tho')  and the amount of time and room he was allowed in midfield was a disgrace. Our most threatening players (potentially), Dobbie, Thomson and Thomas need the ball played to their feet but time and time again it was hoofball up in the air, little composure and too much panic. Thomson's best performances for us, I would say, is when he plays through the middle but he seems to be playing in a wider role now. Maybe difficult to shoehorn Rankin, Thomson and Jacobs in the middle but to me Thomson is not as effective out wide.  Mercer had an absolute 'mare as well and begs the question if he is any better than Hamill on that showing. Lyle filled a jersey, which is about the best thing you could say of him yesterday but that could be said for more than him. We maybe could have had a penalty first half, definite foul but on the edge of the box, but nothing given, and the foul leading to Falkirk's first goal was in the "what the fucks he given that for" category but that is taking away from the poor overall performance.  Oh well we just have to suck it up and hopefully move on with a better performance at Dunfermline, we can't afford to many more as bad as this.

PS. Baird is still persists in being a wee wind-up merchant but he is closely followed by our keeper who has the occasional tendency to act like a twat.   

[Guest]

Yes, but take out the two grounds I've conceded as genuinely "tough" and the stats will shift.  A glance at the table implies only one trip could be seen as easier than three of them.
Anyway, I don't suppose it matters much.  The 'tough place to go' default line about all away games just bugs me - that's all.

We have not lost at ER since Hibs got relegated. Our record at Dumbarton is a lot worse

[MrDust]

14 hours ago, NavyBlueArmy1876 said:

Disagree with that. Thumped in a left footed volley last week when Baird was given offside. It was a wonderful run with the angle disappearing on him a bit at the end. Don't think Austin was expecting the pass/up with play and with hindsight he should have hit it 

Sibbald scores screamer at Hearts with right foot, then bypasses right foot on a number of occasions in game thereafter where it would result in goal. I suppose its down to how it sits and Houstie in interview was surprised he passed rather than shot.

Its minor criticism as Bob has been fully on it the last two weeks in providing danger from the bench.

5 hours ago, Rjc-1988 said:

As regards John Rankine my first reaction when we signed him was of disappointment but to be fair to him he has been solid enough. Yesterday Mark Kerr dominated him from start to the moment he went off.

I think he was a sensible signing to end of season but I would be disappointed if he was a first pick next year but with an 18 month deal he will expect to be playing.

Personally I think we would be a better team with a central pairing of Jacobs and Thomson.

Let's hope that the manner of yesterday's defeat doesn't spark another terrible run like our Q2 experience.


 

Why do some folk call Rankin Rankine, I can understand Mark Millar being Miller but Rankin has had a fairly higher profile than Millar.

Rankin was pish yesterday, suffered a bit of the John Baird's by trying too hard and Kerr's use of the ball yesterday was there to see why Rankin was always a sub for us, his passing for us was pretty poor.

2 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Yes, but take out the two grounds I've conceded as genuinely "tough" and the stats will shift.  A glance at the table implies only one trip could be seen as easier than three of them.

Anyway, I don't suppose it matters much.  The 'tough place to go' default line about all away games just bugs me - that's all.

Which two grounds ?

The Pars game will be a derby/rival game, Ayr is difficult and have a fight on to avoid drop and the Dumbarton game may have meaning for hopefully only one team on the last day of the season, tho if its not, that will be difficult with considering they have beat Hibs and Utd there.

We have a decent record at Hibs, not been beat there for 7 year and Utd do have the best home record in the league, perhaps as a stat ticks the difficult tag never mind what's at stake.

There are no easy games in this league but a Dunfermline and QoS may experiment and down tools to some extent in weeks to come when its down £s they are playing for

[Monkey Tennis]

"Difficult place to go" should be left to dozy managers.

We on P&B should avoid such cliches like the plague.