Scottish Cup Round Four: St Johnstone vs Clyde, Saturday 17 April, 2021

[RandomGuy.]

Charlie Gilmour exists!

[PauloPerth]

If the Clyde team just stood still and watched us play up until full time, I'm still not convinced we'd manage to score a third.

[David W]

At first glance (and it was very much a glance), I'm not sure the Clyde player actually touched that?

[Replays]

Not that it’d make any difference, but that should have stood no?

[The Real Saints]

Interesting to see that the 5-2-3 is almost as toothless against League One teams as it is against Premiership teams.

[RandomGuy.]

Professional job and all that, I guess, bit disappointing how we've played the 2nd half.

May is having an absolute stinker, to the point he'll probably get the MOH treatment of barely getting any minutes over the next few games.

[David W]

"There's no room for sentiment in football". I can only imagine that's why Bryson is sat on the bench.

[RandomGuy.]

1 minute ago, The Real Saints said:

Interesting to see that the 5-2-3 is almost as toothless against League One teams as it is against Premiership teams.

Can't wait for us to play it in back to back OF games and garner a grand total of 1 shot over both matches.

[RandomGuy.]

Just now, David W said:

"There's no room for sentiment in football". I can only imagine that's why Bryson is sat on the bench.

He starts every game for us against the OF and we've got two of those in the next week (bar a late collapse here).

No point giving him any minutes here I suppose.

[PauloPerth]

1 minute ago, RandomGuy. said:

Professional job and all that, I guess, bit disappointing how we've played the 2nd half.

May is having an absolute stinker, to the point he'll probably get the MOH treatment of barely getting any minutes over the next few games.

He'd surely have little grounds for complaint. 

Up against a makeshift part-time team who've played 3-4 times in a week and he's been snuffed out easily every time he's had the ball. 

[LiviClyde]

5 minutes ago, PauloPerth said:

He'd surely have little grounds for complaint. 

Up against a makeshift part-time team who've played 3-4 times in a week and he's been snuffed out easily every time he's had the ball. 

Just to be clear - we've had 12 games in 28 days. Which must be a record of some sort.

[RandomGuy.]

7 minutes ago, PauloPerth said:

He'd surely have little grounds for complaint. 

Up against a makeshift part-time team who've played 3-4 times in a week and he's been snuffed out easily every time he's had the ball. 

Pretty much. I've defended him a lot this season but it's been abysmal today.

Clearly lost all confidence as a goalscorer, and has reacted by "hiding" by doing literally all he can to get involved outside the box to avoid having to actually get chances.

[David W]

Surely Howie will be playing centre half with Lang on Tuesday? Him and Vajs both played really well, Otoo also.

I reckon it would be good to get Ritchie-Hosler back on loan in a couple of years time, he's just not up to first team level yet but has a bit of skill and pace.

Fair play for the effort today. Completely outclassed but having a 2-0 defeat at a top division team on our record isn't something to look back on with any embarrassment. Could easily have nicked an undeserved goal as well.

[Replays]

Quite shocked at how rubbish Stevie May looked there. I remember him being a young whippersnapper at Alloa and looking amazing.

[sydney]

1 minute ago, LiviClyde said:

Just to be clear - we've had 12 games in 28 days. Which must be a record of some sort.

I’m just waiting for the SFA to sanction Clyde for putting out a weak team, devaluing the competition and all that. It’s the kind of crap that our football authorities come up with. Our response to that should be for them to go and f**k themselves. Utterly disgraceful situation. 

[tree house tam]

What can we take from that game?

Stevie May is finished, MOH can run but can't play football and Parish would somehow be a worse option than clownshoes.

[PauloPerth]

Good effort from the Clyde players. Finished quite strongly and could/should have grabbed a goal.

Through to the next round, and minutes into a few fringe players' legs I guess.

[Radford]

First half was everything you'd expect but the second half, especially after the subs, was very sloppy and it's not inconceivable that we are playing extra-time. 

How the manager approaches the next week will be very interesting. 

Edited April 17, 2021 by Radford

[BrigtonClyde]

From the sounds of it we got off lightly with 2-0, but also going by reports the young lads put out there today worked their socks off, so maybe earned that little bit of luck with the scoreline.

Good luck to Saints in the next round, hope you give whichever version of that vermin you get a good tanking.  There's a lot wrong with our club so doubt we'll be darkening your door again anytime soon.

[Clydeside]

At least we kept it respectable in scoreline terms. Hindsight's a wonderful thing but two goals in the first twenty minutes is a sigh whoever the opposition are. You simply have to keep a clean sheet for the first twenty, twenty-five in a game. That's all the more true if you're playing a better team.

I'd cut us some slack of course because of the schedule. It probably wouldn't have mattered how we played. But I think it would've much been wiser from a tactical point of view if we had played a flat back five, with four in front and a lone forward. St. Johnstone made the park very big, the way they played. And if you look at the space between McNiff and Howie, for example, at the beginning of the move leading to St. Johnstone's opener you can begin to see why an extra man in that line would've helped frustrate St. Johnstone who, as their fans have been telling us, aren't the most clinical side. Like I say, it probably wouldn't have changed the result, but I fancy we'd have lasted longer without conceding and maybe, just maybe, made a surprise more likely with a counter-attack in the second-half. That is, with a narrow 5-4-1 and a mandate to frustrate.

I wouldn't single out any of our players for their performances, Otoo aside. He put in a strong shift. Hosler looked keen when he came on too I suppose. I see Vajs and Howie singled out for plaudits but while he made a few good stops, Vajs, I would describe his goalkeeping at the two goals as resigned; he didn't show the sort of bravery, eyes-always-on-the-ball focus and speed to get down that Mitchell would've. I'd rather have the young lad in if Mitchell's unfit. Remembering Vajs slighty nervous performance against Falkirk and his horror show against Dunfermline, I'd rather not risk him. I wouldn't be harsh about Howie today, all things considered. He certainly done some of the basics well, particularly in the second half after we'd weathered the storm a little. But I think choosing between him, Rumsby or McNiff is a coin toss to be honest. All of them have a sluggishness about them, a tendency to overplay and, at times, struggle to catch up with their own touch. It's probably Rumsby that gets the shirt for Forfar, purely for fitness reasons I'd think.

Congratulations to Saints. Hope you cause a shock in the next round. Nice, tidy performance today. Rarely out of second gear.

Edited April 17, 2021 by Clydeside
Typos