Jump to content

Motherwell v Aberdeen Scottish Cup Semi Final

welldaft

By welldaft
in Domestic Cup Football

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 620
  • Created
  • Last Reply
naegoodinthedark

naegoodinthedark

Posted
Posted
To be fair I am not too sure we were that much better, but we were up against an average St Johnstone team with little to play for apart from avoiding defeat and injuries. You at least were up against Hearts at Tynecastle who have a decent home record. 
Aberdeen have a bigger and better squad. No doubt about it. Most of your bench would be in our 1st team. Very few if any of our bench would get near your 1st team. 
You will be missing 3 influential players but then so will we. McHugh and Tanner would be in our 1st team as would Hartley probably. So all even there.
I would say 65% to 35% in Dons favour. In our favour we have 2 wins v Aberdeen this season albeit with Moult. So we know we can beat you on our day. That plus we have been a good cup team this year and already been to Hampden twice so should not be at all fazed by it - he says hopefully.....
Does it go to a replay ? If not I fancy ET and maybe even penalties.

No replay mate, bet your mortgage on penalties!
Link to comment
Share on other sites
capt_oats

capt_oats

Posted
Posted

Listening to Lasley on the MFC Podcast there. Apparently they're hopeful they'll have a full squad to pick from (long-term injuries and suspension aside).

I suppose it just depends on how many players make it through this week's training at the Thunderdome.

Assuming everyone's available:

Carson
Kipré Aldred Dunne
Tait Cadden Campbell Bigirimana Frear
Ciftci Main

Absolutely no idea how this one will go. I thought the players were just stopping short of admitting their focus was on this game in all the post-match stuff from last Tuesday and Saturday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DrewDon

DrewDon

Posted
Posted

I hope Rooney doesn't start. If we are pegged back, which you would expect that we will be at times, he is less likely to be capable of offering the out-ball that we will require. May has underperformed this season, and he was certainly poor against Hearts, but he is still the best available choice to start this game as our lone striker. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jute

Jute

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, DrewDon said:

I hope Rooney doesn't start. If we are pegged back, which you would expect that we will be at times, he is less likely to be capable of offering the out-ball that we will require. May has underperformed this season, and he was certainly poor against Hearts, but he is still the best available choice to start this game as our lone striker. 

Got to disagree. May is totally bereft of confidence. In a game where there will be few chances would much rather Rooney on the end of them than May.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
DrewDon

DrewDon

Posted
Posted
23 minutes ago, Jute said:

Got to disagree. May is totally bereft of confidence. In a game where there will be few chances would much rather Rooney on the end of them than May.

I thought May looked pretty confident after he scored against St. Johnstone, and he seemed to receive broadly positive reviews for his contribution against Motherwell. He hasn't been as sharp as I hoped he would be, but he still provides more dynamism than Rooney - and I expect that to be important on Saturday. Also, Rooney's only got seven goals from open play this season compared to May's five, so neither is in prolific goalscoring form. 

Game of opinions, I suppose, but I expect McInnes to go for May. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Desp

Desp

Posted
Posted

I wonder if the league game against Aberdeen last week will have any influence on Robinson going into this.  Playing Bowman didn't really work.  He didn't have the ability or presence to get the better of Arnasson or McKenna.   So, I have a feeling he'll start with Ciftci if he's passed fit - albeit it's a worry he hasn't played in a month and wasn't the fittest before that either.  However, I'd give him an hour from the start in the hope he can create something to get us in front. 

The midfield three will be interesting, and I've got a feeling he'll get Andy Rose in the team somehow.  My thinking on the starting XI;

                                       Carson

                         Kipré  Aldred  Dunne

Cadden  Bigirimana  Campbell  Rose  Tait

                                  Ciftci  Main 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
capt_oats

capt_oats

Posted
Posted
20 minutes ago, Desp said:

I wonder if the league game against Aberdeen last week will have any influence on Robinson going into this.  Playing Bowman didn't really work.  He didn't have the ability or presence to get the better of Arnasson or McKenna.   So, I have a feeling he'll start with Ciftci if he's passed fit - albeit it's a worry he hasn't played in a month and wasn't the fittest before that either.  However, I'd give him an hour from the start in the hope he can create something to get us in front. 

The midfield three will be interesting, and I've got a feeling he'll get Andy Rose in the team somehow.  My thinking on the starting XI;

                                       Carson

                         Kipré  Aldred  Dunne

Cadden  Bigirimana  Campbell  Rose  Tait

                                  Ciftci  Main 

Having thought about it a bit more that'd be my team. I wasn't sure whether we'd chuck Rose back in but seeing as we gave him 20 mins at the weekend you'd have to think that was with a view to getting him in the starting XI.

For all he seems to take a fair amount of "aye, but what does he do?" style stick Rose is the sort of player that you tend to notice what he offers when he's not playing.

As far as Ciftci goes it really depends what the nature of the injury has been and how long it's actually kept him out for. I know it's been an ankle knock but he was in the media from training the club put up online over the international break and prior to the Rangers game. So while he's clearly not played in a month it seems like the injury may only have affected his training over the last week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
betting competition

betting competition

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Jute said:

Got to disagree. May is totally bereft of confidence. In a game where there will be few chances would much rather Rooney on the end of them than May.

I would have May in the team before Rooney as he gives the team a more outside the box. Thought May come on to a game from the Killie replay and has played well until Saturday terrible performance. Hope he doesn't play both of them as that doesn't work

The biggest problem for the Strikers is the lack of service to them from wide players which this season they are getting scraps compared to previous seasons under McInnes. 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
tarapoa

tarapoa

Posted
Posted

Any updated on Chidi's fitness?

I am pinning my hopes on this lad being fit due to....

a. Him looking decent and (along with May) turning the tide back in our favour in the Kilmarnock replay when they came on.

b. Being the only non-suspended squad member that resembles a box to box midfielder that can stick a tackle in and maybe win us a decent amount of possession - otherwise all the options there are players that do not specialise in playing centre-midfield

 

Hoping his recent absence is precautionary and merely wrapping him in cotton wool for this one.........

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Desp

Desp

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, Dullard Bluteau said:

Aberdeen should take a stance against being forced to travel to Glasgow for semi finals, particularly at ridiculous kick off times.

Yes, they should withdraw from the competition in protest, effective immediately. 

I'm all for that stance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Swello

Swello

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, Frank Grimes said:

I’m shiteing it for Saturday and will likely make this known a few times between now and then 

Apologies in advance 

Oddly enough - I've got no big match nerves at all and in a way that will leave me open to a severe GIF-ing when it doesn't happen, I kind of think we'll win. Not normally one for the bold prediction but there you go. Added to that is the fact that almost uniquely amongst the 'Well teams I can remember, this one seems to lack the ability to soil themselves at the mere thought of a big game - so I kind of expect us to turn up and give Aberdeen a hard time of it at least.

If it does go to form and we get beat on Saturday, it's still genuinely been as good a season in the cups since we last lifted one and as much as I'd [keegan] love it [/keegan] if we got to another final - I can live with us not getting there (even if only to avoid hearing Brendan (or that guy that puts the cones out at training for Rangers) talk about Ryan Bowman again).

Unless we suffer yet another big game refereeing honest mistake (and as the opposition are not from Glasgow, the chances of that are lessened considerably) - there's no real sickener in getting beaten by a better team, which the league shows Aberdeen clearly are.

Looking forward to it.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Desp

Desp

Posted
Posted

I'm the same as Swello in that I have no big match nerves at all, however I think we'll just fall short on Saturday.  If Aberdeen are anywhere near their best (a bit more difficult for them as they are missing McLean and Shinnie in the middle of the park, granted), they'll win. 

Aberdeen to win, both teams to score is my prediction.

I would be delighted to be proved wrong.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...