Motherwell v Saints 16 Sept 2023

[Al B]

As an aside, Scottish football in general takes an absolute battering for being zero quality shite from people both inside and outside Scotland, but I thought Saturday's game was a superb example of really enjoyable, watchable, quality football outside of the gruesome twosome.

Football overall is far too expensive, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who wouldn't be happy to be served up that game in return for their hard earned. There was some fantastic high-level football on show and was a great advert for our game.

Edited September 18, 2023 by Al B

[pozbaird]

8 minutes ago, Al B said:

As an aside, Scottish football in general takes an absolute battering for being zero quality shite from people both inside and outside Scotland, but I thought Saturday's game was a superb example of really enjoyable, watchable, quality football outside of the gruesome twosome.

Football overall is far too expensive, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who wouldn't be happy to be served up that game in return for their hard earned. There was some fantastic high-level football on show and was a great advert for our game.

Livingston v St Mirren was pish though.

All our other games so far have offered up something interesting, and at times, exciting and/or controversial.

[Insaintee]

On 17/09/2023 at 15:21, Doctor Manhattan said:

If Biereth had been playing he might have got a hat trick too. Shame about that, eh?

Well, I for one am delighted

[Busta Nut]

There was at least one other occasion where we failed to pick up at the back post on O'Donnell's side. In an isolated incident that would be fine however it;s a recurring theme for our defence as it has happened in other games too.

Edited September 19, 2023 by Busta Nut

[capt_oats]

38 minutes ago, Busta Nut said:

There was at least one other occasion where we failed to pick up at the back post on O'Donnell's side. In an isolated incident that would be fine however it;s a recurring theme for our defence as it has happened in other games too.

Aye. Dundee's equaliser comes from a similar area and situation (Watkins header for Killie anaw).

I mean, this will clearly change after the next two games but broadly we seem reasonably solid defensively. We've only conceded more than a single goal in one game so far this season - the Lamie start against QoTS - but regardless of whether it's stopping the cross or defending the back post conceding from that area feels like it's a potential weakness.

Edited September 19, 2023 by capt_oats

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

I said on the match thread yesterday that looking at the goal - our positioning when the cross came in was out of sorts. 

Blaney and Casey were both spare and Mugabi had found himself dragged out right by whoever he was marking. Seems to me that better organisation would see every man effectively marked. 

Look again here at the still from that Dundee goal - Casey is spare again, O'Donnell finds himself dragged inside and McGinn is running out from right centre back to two players at the back post. 

I think we'll be better organised once Butcher is back. That said, it's hardly like it's a massive problem.

 

[Coventry Saint]

28 minutes ago, crazylegsjoe_mfc said:

 

I think we'll be better organised once Butcher is back. That said, it's hardly like it's a massive problem.

That would be my interpretation. It probably feels raw because the goal was the difference last weekend, but as mentioned above, that goal was something of a 'stars aligning' moment. Glorious, but an absolute collectors' item at the same time.

I can't really imagine many teams (beyond the obvious) being able to exploit that weakness on a regular basis. And changing your tactics to allow for rare moments of magic from players who would usually be planting that effort in a spectator's face seems OTT.

[Al B]

36 minutes ago, Coventry Saint said:

rare moments of magic from players who would usually be planting that effort in a spectator's face

[Archie McSquackle]

20 hours ago, Al B said:

As an aside, Scottish football in general takes an absolute battering for being zero quality shite from people both inside and outside Scotland, but I thought Saturday's game was a superb example of really enjoyable, watchable, quality football outside of the gruesome twosome.

Football overall is far too expensive, but I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who wouldn't be happy to be served up that game in return for their hard earned. There was some fantastic high-level football on show and was a great advert for our game.

Yes, despite losing, I thoroughly enjoyed the game as a keenly-fought contest and wasn't too downbeat as we'll play worse than that and win. It has to be said, we probably only deserved a draw against Killie (possibly Hearts too but I only saw the highlights) and came away with a win so there was maybe a bit of balancing out.

Somebody put up the BBC article on xG and how both teams had outperformed so it wasn't a great surprise that one of the teams was able to score from the fairly low number of real opportunities. St. Mirren scored a cracking goal and we were nowhere near clinical enough in front of goal. Hardly a great surprise when we're onto our fourth choice centre forward.

Perhaps the disappointing thing, was that Shaw has been brought in as an option but absolutely fluffed his lines when given a clear opportunity - hopefully he's just a bit rusty but I've seen anything in his career so far to convince me. Prove me wrong Oli!

[capt_oats]

2 hours ago, crazylegsjoe_mfc said:

I said on the match thread yesterday that looking at the goal - our positioning when the cross came in was out of sorts. 

Blaney and Casey were both spare and Mugabi had found himself dragged out right by whoever he was marking. Seems to me that better organisation would see every man effectively marked. 

Look again here at the still from that Dundee goal - Casey is spare again, O'Donnell finds himself dragged inside and McGinn is running out from right centre back to two players at the back post. 

I think we'll be better organised once Butcher is back. That said, it's hardly like it's a massive problem.

Aye. There's something not quite right there and it was interesting that Kettlewell spoke about the issue being about our we were set up in terms of stopping the cross coming in or whatever.

SOD and Bevis switch men at the back post but Tanser is always free. No one engages the laddie crossing the ball whether that should be Paton or Spencer IDK but either way Blaney and Spencer are doubled up on one man. It just feels a bit messy and lookw like an organisation thing as much as anything. It doesn't seem controversial to say it's where we're missing Butcher - I could be wrong but is that not the first time we've had a 3 of Casey, Mugabi and Blaney starting together?

Edited September 19, 2023 by capt_oats

[ropy]

1 hour ago, capt_oats said:

Aye. There's something not quite right there and it was interesting that Kettlewell spoke about the issue being about our we were set up in terms of stopping the cross coming in or whatever.

SOD and Bevis switch men at the back post but Tanser is always free. No one engages the laddie crossing the ball whether that should be Paton or Spencer IDK but either way Blaney and Spencer are doubled up on one man. It just feels a bit messy and lookw like an organisation thing as much as anything. It doesn't seem controversial to say it's where we're missing Butcher - I could be wrong but is that not the first time we've had a 3 of Casey, Mugabi and Blaney starting together?

Was that not the back 3 at St Mirren when McGinn went out to left back?

Edited September 19, 2023 by ropy

[ropy]

1 hour ago, capt_oats said:

Aye. There's something not quite right there and it was interesting that Kettlewell spoke about the issue being about our we were set up in terms of stopping the cross coming in or whatever.

SOD and Bevis switch men at the back post but Tanser is always free. No one engages the laddie crossing the ball whether that should be Paton or Spencer IDK but either way Blaney and Spencer are doubled up on one man. It just feels a bit messy and lookw like an organisation thing as much as anything. It doesn't seem controversial to say it's where we're missing Butcher - I could be wrong but is that not the first time we've had a 3 of Casey, Mugabi and Blaney starting together?

Spencer to put pressure on the crosser, everyone from Casey to move along one man then the xG is reduced.

(I am trying out the new terminology, it might not work).

[capt_oats]

3 minutes ago, ropy said:

Was that not the back 3 at St Mirren when McGinn went out to left back?

Right enough, so it was.

[ropy]

1 minute ago, capt_oats said:

Right enough, so it was.

So let’s not try it again.

[Lola montez]

Slatttery will be a great replacement for Baccus if and when he goes.