St. Johnstone v Ross County

[Sonam]

Hope to see County attack Saints with all guns blazing! New manager or not, games like this County should be winning if they intend staying in this league.

Even if the result doesn't go their way, want to see a real positive display. Brophy, Murray and Dhanda starting. Somehow would like to see Turner start as well. 

A crap display here will put serious doubts in my mind if County can stay in this league.

[The Saintee]

This could be messy. I think Jordan White will have Gordon and Considine on toast.

[RandomGuy.]

6 minutes ago, The Saintee said:

This could be messy. I think Jordan White will have Gordon and Considine on toast.

Gordon was pretty good last night tbf, as dominant as hes been for a long while. Im more worried about the movement of Brophy/Murray, as i suspect Couty will look for the big diagonal/flick on that caused us bother in the second half last night.

We've been competitive in the last 2 games so need that to continue, but also need the home form to be strong so probably need to win this. Id probably bring Costelloe back in for Philips for a more natural wide option, but theres not as much difference between the two out there as there really should be. Guess theres questions about whether Kane/Clark can/should play another hour here too.

[Comrie]

If we lose this and in the unlikely chance Livi beat Rangers, we could go bottom.

We can score, but we also do laughably stupid things at the back.

1-1.

[mizfit]

Sexy St Johnstone the reboot is still working out the dents. Hopefully we turn up today. 

[Valentino Bolognese]

3 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

Gordon was pretty good last night tbf, as dominant as hes been for a long while. Im more worried about the movement of Brophy/Murray, as i suspect Couty will look for the big diagonal/flick on that caused us bother in the second half last night.

We've been competitive in the last 2 games so need that to continue, but also need the home form to be strong so probably need to win this. Id probably bring Costelloe back in for Philips for a more natural wide option, but theres not as much difference between the two out there as there really should be. Guess theres questions about whether Kane/Clark can/should play another hour here too.

Won't Dara still be suspended - straight red?

[Matty-RCFC]

1 hour ago, mizfit said:

Sexy St Johnstone the reboot is still working out the dents. Hopefully we turn up today. 

I'd suggest you don't turn up today as you would be three days early and the turnstiles would be shut.

Apologies.

[RandomGuy.]

33 minutes ago, Valentino Bolognese said:

Won't Dara still be suspended - straight red?

Yeah just seen mention its a 2 game ban.

Hopefully Jaiyesimi is back then.

[The Marly]

9 hours ago, Sonam said:

Hope to see County attack Saints with all guns blazing! New manager or not, games like this County should be winning if they intend staying in this league.

Even if the result doesn't go their way, want to see a real positive display. Brophy, Murray and Dhanda starting. Somehow would like to see Turner start as well. 

A crap display here will put serious doubts in my mind if County can stay in this league.

"Games like this"

Go on, give it the full "teams like St Johnstone". You know you want to.

[bunglebonce]

I saw the second half of last night's match. I think that midfield four isn't bad at all and fits the Levein narrow midfield prototype. However, as solid as McGowan at right-back might be, the team is missing something without an overlapping right-back there. If they had that, I think Phillips as the right-sided midfielder isn't a bad option. Costelloe as a starter there is probably too liberal with his positioning, if Carey is on the other side.

St Johnstone fans have been saying that Kane would make a difference when he returned. I do think he looked a huge improvement last night on what I saw in Dingwall earlier in the season. He's like a competent Zak Rudden.

I expect County will continue with the 4-2-2-2 used recently, but they will be hampered by James Brown's suspension. He has been one of County's best players this season and, presuming Connor Randall covers at right-back, it will be clear how much County rely on Brown to make things happen. I have the fear for the lack of width there might be from that, so they would surely have to start Murray and Brophy together to try to make up for that. However, White returned vs Celtic and was promptly sacrificed, so I can see Malky repaying White with a start again.

Randall moving to right-back frees up a midfield slot, possibly with Loturi dropping deeper beside the increasingly impressive Allardice. That would justify having Dhanda and Turner in the team together again. The loss at Pittodrie showed that you can't really trust a midfield three with Dhanda and Turner together, but if they had two holding midifelders behind them then they can both focus more on what they do best.

TL;DR: this game has a narrow shitfest written all over it.

Edited November 8, 2023 by bunglebonce

[forkboy]

6 hours ago, The Marly said:

"Games like this"

Go on, give it the full "teams like St Johnstone". You know you want to.

Bit sensitive there, I think the OP means "the teams around us in the league". Y'know, like the team keeping us off the bottom. It is entirely to fair that if County want to stay up they have to beat the teams below them. Or in this case the one team.

[RandomGuy.]

8 hours ago, bunglebonce said:

I saw the second half of last night's match. I think that midfield four isn't bad at all and fits the Levein narrow midfield prototype. However, as solid as McGowan at right-back might be, the team is missing something without an overlapping right-back there. If they had that, I think Phillips as the right-sided midfielder isn't a bad option. Costelloe as a starter there is probably too liberal with his positioning, if Carey is on the other side.

We dont play a back four.

Phillips was at RWB and Robinson at LWB.

Carey seems to get a relatively free role in midfield with Sprangler staying central and Smith staying right sided. Led to problems as Carey started getting dragged inside and Wells 3 striker set up pinned our entire back 5 back.

[bunglebonce]

@RandomGuy. the danger of watching with bleary eyes. Carey loves to drift inside anyway so I thought nothing of that.

[RandomGuy.]

1 minute ago, bunglebonce said:

@RandomGuy. the danger of watching with bleary eyes. Carey loves to drift inside anyway so I thought nothing of that.

Tbf a lot of our fans are saying we're playing a back four too, as in attack it virtually has been. Key to seeing is Gordons position really, he rarely moves out the middle while we also have Considine/McGowan taking throw ins.

We ended the game in a 5-2-2-1 kind of shape, with MacPherson and Kucheriavyi playing narrow behind May and Smith/Sprangler sitting behind them. No idea how Brechin set up under Kirk but i did wonder if that was to counter Motherwell going to a similar shape, or a hint of where Levein/Kirk want us to end up.

[SJFCtheTeamForMe]

1 hour ago, RandomGuy. said:

Tbf a lot of our fans are saying we're playing a back four too, as in attack it virtually has been. Key to seeing is Gordons position really, he rarely moves out the middle while we also have Considine/McGowan taking throw ins.

We ended the game in a 5-2-2-1 kind of shape, with MacPherson and Kucheriavyi playing narrow behind May and Smith/Sprangler sitting behind them. No idea how Brechin set up under Kirk but i did wonder if that was to counter Motherwell going to a similar shape, or a hint of where Levein/Kirk want us to end up.

I thought he just brought on another body for midfield because we weren't retaining any possession whatsoever and getting overrun as he removed a central striker for Max. 

[RandomGuy.]

19 minutes ago, SJFCtheTeamForMe said:

I thought he just brought on another body for midfield because we weren't retaining any possession whatsoever and getting overrun as he removed a central striker for Max. 

Aye it felt like trying to stop their wider CBs getting so much time, as our wing backs being pinned back by strikers sitting between them and our CBs was allowing their WBs to be free.

Shame it came too late as it likely wouldve worked (while killing our own attack i guess, but thats fine when youre winning?).

I think Brechin played all different variations of shape with a back 5 though. 

[TheScarf]

Brechin certainly played a back three and wing backs the few times I saw them last season.

[The Marly]

13 hours ago, forkboy said:

Bit sensitive there, I think the OP means "the teams around us in the league". Y'know, like the team keeping us off the bottom. It is entirely to fair that if County want to stay up they have to beat the teams below them. Or in this case the one team.

Which would be fair if he hadn't said "should be winning".  I don't think County (or any other team) have a divine right to win games. 

[Brechin City FC]

5 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

Tbf a lot of our fans are saying we're playing a back four too, as in attack it virtually has been. Key to seeing is Gordons position really, he rarely moves out the middle while we also have Considine/McGowan taking throw ins.

We ended the game in a 5-2-2-1 kind of shape, with MacPherson and Kucheriavyi playing narrow behind May and Smith/Sprangler sitting behind them. No idea how Brechin set up under Kirk but i did wonder if that was to counter Motherwell going to a similar shape, or a hint of where Levein/Kirk want us to end up.

We pretty much always played with a back 3, sometimes 2 up top, sometimes 1.

[Costanza]

Trying to copy whatever Brechin do is a change from it being Millwall I suppose.