Ric Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 (edited) I've never made a match thread before, let's see if it's a lucky omen or not. There is certainly a lot to talk about here, not least whether the game will go ahead. I am going to pencil in "yes" as (afaik) we've made no overtures as to us not being able to field a full team (albeit "full" being the operative word). Hamilton haven't had their worries to seek either, with several injuries of their own. On the pitch, and in terms of form, both teams are poor. While, when we've played, we've not been leaking goals, we have (as usual) not been scoring them. Hamilton on the other hand have been racking up goals at both ends of the pitch - unfortunately for them, more so at their end. As for the managers? Both are clearly under pressure. Goodwin; damned by praise at the start of the season, thrown a curve ball by Fitzpatrick in the media regarding top 6 and seemingly overruled by the BoD in regard to Magennis and of course not least hampered by covid, has looked on as shoogly a peg as I've ever seen him and I don't think it's beyond credibility to suggest that if we don't come out of the following "winnable" games at least on an even keel, he could be handed his jotters. That said, Rice has looked almost bewildered by his sides inability to play a consistent game for 90 minutes with his post match comments coming across as someone who's one sole tactic is to try and score more goals than the other side and be damned by the consequences if that doesn't happen. The win against Livi and a draw against United certainly didn't do him any harm, but that loss to Annan in the League Cup is likely to stay in the memory of the fans for some time to come. Predictions? Heh... who knows. Luckily I'm not a betting man. If you look through history, 2-1 is the average score between these two clubs so, on that very flimsy premise, I'll plump for that. A home win, of course, but probably only just. Line up? Again, who knows. The real issue of covid rears it's head and I honestly don't know who is likely to make the starting line up, let alone the bench. If I had to make a tentative guess, and bearing in mind we sort of know (although not official) who is/was isolating.. Alnwick Fraser Shaughnessy McCarthy Tait Foley MacPherson McGrath Dennis Durmus Obika ..again, this is just a guess. I'd hope the back line picks itself. Dennis needs a run in the team, we need to score goals and he is apparently the "missing link" in all that, although it might come too soon for him. Obika is nippy and annoying and I think will do more damage to the Hamilton defence than Erwin. McGrath isn't the best winger by any means but he has a decent delivery although Goodwin could play Morias there instead and push McGrath into the centre, dropping Dennis. Connolly would be the exciting option but it seems Goodwin prefers him as a sub just now, and while I don't think he's earned it, you could see Sheron in place of MacPherson which would only annoy most Saints fans on here. Edited October 21, 2020 by Ric ..because apparently Saturday is the 24th, not the 23rd! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzyBear Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 If Rice is still in charge St Mirren will win comfortably but we will score late on to make it more respectable. Hopefully we will have a manager in who knows how to organise a defence. -1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spam_Valley Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 1 hour ago, Ric said: Alnwick Fraser Shaughnessy McCarthy Tait Foley MacPherson McGrath Dennis Durmus Obika Not sure I'd play Dennis as a #10 tbh. I'd play him upfront with McGrath in behind and drop Obika completely. The big man has been horrendous this season. Goodwin needs 4 points minimum out the next two games before going into the Morton game as far as I'm concerned, . If that is not achieved and the Ton give us a run for our money then he's out on his arse. Our Chief Exec declared us a top 6 (top 4 too at one point!) side in the summer and yet we're sitting near the foot of the table after the first 1/4. Sackable form Score prediction - 1-2. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 2 minutes ago, Spam_Valley said: Not sure I'd play Dennis as a #10 tbh. I'd play him upfront with McGrath in behind and drop Obika completely. The big man has been horrendous this season. I thought the point of Dennis was that he sets up goals, rather than scores them, hence the #10. Not that we've seen enough of him to know. IMO, if he drops Obika, he'll replace him with Erwin. McGrath could move to the #10 leaving Dennis on the bench with either Morias or Connolly on the right wing. Both provide something but Connolly is at least scoring. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZingaliMan Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 I would be astonished if any manager was sacked during C19 this winter. Would also say its between Accies and Saints for 12th and 11th spot for a end of season finish. What to write about Saturday's game have no idea who is isolating and who is not. Accies are leaking goals but they are scoring a lot more goals than Saints. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spam_Valley Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 4 minutes ago, Ric said: I thought the point of Dennis was that he sets up goals, rather than scores them, hence the #10. Not that we've seen enough of him to know. IMO, if he drops Obika, he'll replace him with Erwin. McGrath could move to the #10 leaving Dennis on the bench with either Morias or Connolly on the right wing. Both provide something but Connolly is at least scoring. Dennis is a centre forward and has been brought in to score goals. The idea of Dennis and McGrath linking up is something that excites me. I think this can be our attacking option that produces goals this season. Obika and Erwin simply not good enough - I guess we don't know if Dennis is either but he's worth a sustained shot upfront once he's fit and he's impressed when i've seen him. He looks lively enough and can hold the ball up - Something the other two cannot. Connolly should be starting every week for me. He's our best attacking winger (i've even thought he'd be a decent option upfront on his own as long as we play the ball on the deck) having him and McGrath float between both positions is something i hope we do. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tree house tam Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 Accies by 3 clear goals. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 12 minutes ago, tree house tam said: Accies by 3 clear goals. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthBank Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 Dennis is a goalscorer who over the last 5 years has scored more goals than Obika and Erwin combined. If he starts he starts as our no 9. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 2 minutes ago, NorthBank said: Dennis is a goalscorer who over the last 5 years has scored more goals than Obika and Erwin combined. If he starts he starts as our no 9. Can't disagree with the stats, I'm going on two things - what Goodwin said about him when he signed and that he also went out and signed Erwin too. As I say, we've just not seen enough of him whether that is down to injury or covid. I think the important thing is to get him playing. I said in another thread, I feel he may be a bit of a slow starter (just a hunch, nothing more) but that he'll repay the money spent on him in the second half of the season. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthBank Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 Erwin is not a goalscorer but he does hold the ball up well in the final third - just like Jakubiak did for Obika last season. When we didn't get Jakubiak back then we had no-one who could keep possession up top. Can see Erwin partnering Dennis if we play two strikers else can see McGrath playing just behind Dennis. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 2 minutes ago, NorthBank said: Erwin is not a goalscorer but he does hold the ball up well in the final third - just like Jakubiak did for Obika last season. When we didn't get Jakubiak back then we had no-one who could keep possession up top. Can see Erwin partnering Dennis if we play two strikers else can see McGrath playing just behind Dennis. So long as someone starts scoring goals, hell even if it was Sheron! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthBank Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 I do not care either who scores - reckon Tait is the most likely at the moment. However I hope that Dennis is the man we can rely on to put away some of the easy chances that the others miss. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZingaliMan Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 1 hour ago, NorthBank said: I do not care either who scores - reckon Tait is the most likely at the moment. However I hope that Dennis is the man we can rely on to put away some of the easy chances that the others miss. Is Dennis fit ? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 7 minutes ago, ZingaliMan said: Is Dennis fit ? Apparently he was on the team sheet for the Motherwell game, it might even have been @NorthBank that told me that. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZingaliMan Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 41 minutes ago, Ric said: Apparently he was on the team sheet for the Motherwell game, it might even have been @NorthBank that told me that. Good to hear Ric gives me some hope. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthBank Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 32 minutes ago, ZingaliMan said: Good to hear Ric gives me some hope. He was in the squad for the Well game. Flynn was scheduled for the squad as well but had a hamstring problem in a bounce game so delayed for another week or two. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buttocks Brown Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 Has there been confirmation that those self-isolating will be able to take to the field on Saturday? Also, do we know who the positive cases are? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ric Posted October 21, 2020 Author Share Posted October 21, 2020 9 minutes ago, Buttocks Brown said: Has there been confirmation that those self-isolating will be able to take to the field on Saturday? Also, do we know who the positive cases are? No official confirmation, but without wishing to put it out in the open the team I selected doesn't contain any of those rumoured to be isolating. Make of that information as you wish. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buttocks Brown Posted October 21, 2020 Share Posted October 21, 2020 7 minutes ago, Ric said: No official confirmation, but without wishing to put it out in the open the team I selected doesn't contain any of those rumoured to be isolating. Make of that information as you wish. I thought the Motherwell game was postponed because we only had 12 players (including GK x4) who weren't self-isolating? If that's right then surely at least 2 of the 10 outfield players you've picked must have been self-isolating? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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