Airdrieonians vs Dunfermline

[smpar]

9 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

I questioned a couple of the subs when I saw them on Twitter but McPake showed he knows what he's on about.

McPake must take so much credit for that result. It’s never a good look to be making a double substitution after half an hour but he’s obviously not shy in making these decisions and today he’s called it perfectly. 
 

A recurring theme for us this season appears to be that we don’t necessarily outplay teams, we’re just set up to do enough to win. Looks like that’s what’s happened today. 

Edited February 11, 2023 by smpar

[DAFC.]

17 minutes ago, CapitalDiamond said:

Not sure why your first was chopped off. Not sure how Rae stayed on the pitch after being deemed to handle out of the area (I thought he was inside). 

 

Would like some clarity on it, because there was nothing wrong with it from my angle. Defender looked to have fucked it, judges it all wrong and Wighton takes advantage. Unless he was offside but think it was given as a foul. 

Your keeper was definitely outside the box and he should have walked. As much as Airdrie put us under pressure and deserved their lead, the referee did help you along a bit right up until the sending off, which we took full advantage of. We could have scored more than 4 after it tbh. 

[Glenmavis Diamond]

Dunfermline fans had the pleasure of seeing both the best and worst of Airdrie today. Absolutely played you off the park for 60 minutes, then showed how weak our underbelly is by not being able to shut out a 2 goal lead with 10 men. 

Well, I say Dunfermline fans.... My thoughts go out to the few tadgers that left after we scored our 3rd goal,missing one of Dunfermline's best comebacks in years.

[CallumPar]

Just listened to McCabe’s interview on Twitter. Can’t question his claim that Airdrie should have gone on to win 4 or 5-0. First half, we were probably lucky it was only 2-0. Thought we started the second half strong and McCann had a great shot that the keeper tipped over brilliantly, but Airdrie scored again and it looked like it could be as many as they wanted it to be. He’s right to question/criticise mentality of players as well. Issue he has, is two of the players who showed that poor attitude/mentality in the last half hour were him and his assistant.

Interesting that he bemoans the number of crosses we got to put in and the space given to our wide men. None of the first 3 goals came from crosses/balls into the box. The winner was a cross from Wighton, who had drifted wide. Also critical of his midfielders not doing enough. Does that not include himself?

Next week will be interesting and a big test of mentality for both teams. If Airdrie play like they did for the first hour, they’ll be very very hard to beat. But I’d hope that our defence and midfield are nowhere near as bad as they were first half today.

Edited February 11, 2023 by CallumPar

[smpar]

2 minutes ago, Glenmavis Diamond said:

Dunfermline fans had the pleasure of seeing both the best and worst of Airdrie today. Absolutely played you off the park for 60 minutes, then showed how weak our underbelly is by not being able to shut out a 2 goal lead with 10 men. 

Well, I say Dunfermline fans.... My thoughts go out to the few tadgers that left after we scored our 3rd goal,missing one of Dunfermline's best comebacks in years.

A terrific advert for never leaving a game early. 

[Kenny_m]

4 minutes ago, CallumPar said:

Just listened to McCabe’s interview on Twitter. Can’t question his claim that Airdrie should have gone on to win 4 or 5-0. First half, we were probably lucky it was only 2-0. Thought we started the second half strong and McCann had a great shot that the keeper tipped over brilliantly, but Airdrie scored again and it looked like it could be as many as they wanted it to be. He’s right to question/criticise mentality of players as well. Issue he has, is two of the players who showed that poor attitude/mentality in the last half hour were him and his assistant.

Interesting that he bemoans the number of crosses we got to put in and the space given to our wide men. None of the first 3 goals came from crosses/balls into the box. The winner was a cross from Wighton, who had drifted wide.

Next week will be interesting and a big test of mentality. If Airdrie play like they did for the first hour, they’ll be very very hard to beat. But I’d hope that our defence and midfield are nowhere near as bad as they were first half today.

Airdrie were dominant in central midfield which McPake clearly recognised. Etoo did have a major impact and he will undoubtedly start next week, strong player who looked miles ahead of Hamilton & Chalmers.

[19QOS19]

4 hours ago, DAFC. said:

Jesus Christ Shambles all over the place today 

 

2 hours ago, DAFC. said:

Could go on all day about the rest but f*ck me, it would take ages. Everyone was great, including the subs. 

 

Is there anything more temperamental than fitba fans?

[She who dares gins]

When I said I hoped for an entertaining 90 mins - maybe no that entertaining. Have to laugh at the lemons that left at 3-0 to stand outside a bus for the second half… fair play to the ones that stayed to support their team. Sore one but the league is Dunfermline’s to lose. It remains so. 

Edited February 11, 2023 by She who dares gins

[Diamonds are Forever]

Fair play to Dunfermline. I didn't actually think there was as much in the first half as is being made out. From our first goal until half time we were superb and Dunfermline looked a bit spooked, but up until the goal they looked just as likely to score as us, despite us probably having more of the ball. In the 2nd half despite our shortcomings to come back from 3 nil down with 30 minutes to go is some effort.

After the red card in the infamous Edinburgh game McCabe's excuse was that we had to chase the game as we were losing 2-0 at the time, losing 6 goals was still a farce but there was at least some truth to his point that if you're losing anyway you might as well have a go. When we went down to 10 men away to Dundee in the cup and then collapsed losing 4 goals in extra time it could be excused by a higher division opponent with greater squad depth showing us up. However today, being 3-1 up with 30 minutes to go and losing 4-3 is inexcusable - from an Airdrie point of view it can only be explained by a complete lack of mental strength and/or tactical ineptitude. you expect the other team to be dominant with an extra man but there seemed almost an inevitability about the end result.

It is quite clear that Rhys does not know what to do when we are in that situation, which given we've already had it happen twice to us this season and taken batterings off the back of it is a real problem. From the snippet of his interview I heard him talking about full-backs not stopping crosses, which may be true but it was a far bigger structural problem than that, Dunfermline had wave after wave of attack. They had to do nothing to get the ball wide and into the box and nothing to get the ball 20 yards out in the middle of the goal to get shots away.

We saw both the good and the bad of us today, there is no doubt that McCabe has produced a side who can play great football, the 20 minutes before half time was everything a fan wants to see from their team - front foot, high pressing, quick football and in the opponent's face. But no side can do that all game (let alone all season) and especially when you are down to 10 men there has to be more of an idea of how to see a game out, stay compact and make the opponent work to get up the park and in your box. It seemed like our back 4 and McCabe just sit, while the other 4 keep bursting forward leaving huge gaps in the middle of the park for teams to go through.

The league was gone anyway but the next few weeks are really important in terms of getting into the play-offs. And even if we do get into the play-offs there is no chance that we will win them unless we can find a way of not collapsing under pressure. Overall I think McCabe has done a decent job so I'm hesitant to be too critical, but be has to take responsibility for these collapses with 10 men. Both tactics and mindset are his responsibility and today's both were lacking.

 

[CallumPar]

3 minutes ago, Kenny_m said:

Airdrie were dominant in central midfield which McPake clearly recognised. Etoo did have a major impact and he will undoubtedly start next week, strong player who looked miles ahead of Hamilton & Chalmers.

Would agree. Hamilton and Chalmers lost the ball cheaply and were being outfought. The way we gave up the ball for the second goal was embarrassing. Interesting that McPake said the subs were planned before that though. Very uncharacteristic performance from Hamilton - his early yellow probably played a part in it being a double sub. Chalmers didn’t get the space/time he’s used to and really struggled.

Thought Otoo did alright in midfield in terms of breaking up play in the remainder of the first half and grew into the game. Second half, he was winning every challenge and his ability on the ball was excellent. Moved to CB for most of it, as Airdrie were sitting so deep and we obviously wanted him to drive the team forward from CB.

[CapitalDiamond]

22 minutes ago, DAFC. said:

Would like some clarity on it, because there was nothing wrong with it from my angle. Defender looked to have fucked it, judges it all wrong and Wighton takes advantage. Unless he was offside but think it was given as a foul. 

Your keeper was definitely outside the box and he should have walked. As much as Airdrie put us under pressure and deserved their lead, the referee did help you along a bit right up until the sending off, which we took full advantage of. We could have scored more than 4 after it tbh. 

Both teams could have scored a fair few more!! Game wasn’t short on chances.

[She who dares gins]

28 minutes ago, DAFC. said:

Would like some clarity on it, because there was nothing wrong with it from my angle. Defender looked to have fucked it, judges it all wrong and Wighton takes advantage. Unless he was offside but think it was given as a foul. 

Your keeper was definitely outside the box and he should have walked. As much as Airdrie put us under pressure and deserved their lead, the referee did help you along a bit right up until the sending off, which we took full advantage of. We could have scored more than 4 after it tbh. 

We had a good view and it looked like a clear shove, I didn’t see the red card incident as my view was blocked and would like to see that again but no one seemed to be complaining which probably says it all. 

[DA Baracus]

42 minutes ago, smpar said:

A terrific advert for never leaving a game early. 

I've only ever left 2 games early, and one of those was because I ripped the gusset of my shorts leaping some seats.

I suspect that this will be similar to the Stenny game where many folk who left early will claim they stayed.

 

29 minutes ago, 19QOS19 said:

 

 

Is there anything more temperamental than fitba fans?

To be fair, it sounds like we were pretty abysmal once we went behind up until the penalty and red card. McPake made two subs on 32 minutes and one more at half time.

Edited February 11, 2023 by DA Baracus

[DAFC.]

Since the change up, we were brilliant. Before it, we were utter shite. Football for you. Who knew it could take a turn? Not being fickle one bit. Saying it like it is. 

[tazz1903]

3 hours ago, papa57 said:

So you are a closet Dunfermline fan?

Not a Dunfermline fan at all , but have mates who are, Always found Dunfermline, a decent club with a good history. And good fans 

[tazz1903]

3 hours ago, Stoo61 said:

All Fifers are. 

NO 

[Rhys McCabe Hype Train]

As soon as the red was out I did have a check on the odds on Skybet. Dunfermline were 16/1 and I chuckled thinking “that’ll never happen”.

Then I remembered the other occasions when we’ve went down to ten men and shipped over 10 goals. By that point Benedictus had scored the pen and it was down to 7/1 so I quit out the app.

Said it elsewhere but it’s incredible we can be in February having had multiple collapses and still know that it’s coming, and know that the management duo and their touchline support don’t have a clue how to deal with it.

Fair play to Dunfermline they still had to beat what was in front of them. But it was made awfully easy.

[Rob1885]

where did the new boy play when he came on?

 

 

[Weegie Par]

2 minutes ago, Rob1885 said:

where did the new boy play when he came on?

 

 

Everywhere 

Started at centre midfield then moved to centre half when Breen came off. 
 

Was really impressed with him, won the ball in good positions and had a few really good touches pulling the ball out of the air.

[Otis Blue]

Credit where its due Pars, that's some result, and could be a season defining result.  The sort of result (turning round a 3 goal deficit) that just cries out "champions".  So envious, haven't had that sort of post match feeling for a few seasons now ... 

By the same token the Airdrie lads must be so pissed off at the collapse ... I've been there, done that, got a drawer full of those particular bloody T-shirts, etc etc