Livingston v St Johnstone 27/12/23

[tree house tam]

57 minutes ago, PSJ.84 said:

Not sure I’ve ever seen a player as raw as Olufunwa. 

'raw' that's a different word for it.

[johnoswald2712]

1 hour ago, RandomGuy. said:

Do we get that while also having a keeper as good as Mitov?

His dominance at high balls last night was huge for us, plus the amount of points hes saved us this season already.

Id be happier with a great keeper who cant kick than a average keeper who can pass well.

Thought Olufunwa done well tbf, but its hard to gamble on going past Brown when you know hes either losing the ball or passing backwards.

Same happens on the left with Gallacher.

I absolutely agree. Brendan Rodgers made that mistake when he replaced Craig Gordon with Scott Bain all because Bain was more comfortable with the ball at his feet.

I wouldn’t want to resort to the Livvy tactic of smashing everything long though.

One last point, if last night was anything to go by we dodged a bullet with Martindale. His tactics or lack of them and style of play are absolutely brutal 

[RandomGuy.]

1 hour ago, Widge said:

The above comment also applies to Max, once again he was too passive and needs to look forward at every opportunity. 
 

There was a great opening, for the briefest of seconds, for him to play a through ball for May who'd timed his run perfectly.

He had space and, for a top flight attacking midfielder whos main strength is technical ability, enough time to play it or at least try it.

Instead he passed it backwards to Gallacher and just stopped, Gallacher then has to try and play it up the line and we lose it.

Its so frustrating and hes not getting better at being braver at all on the ball. His pass completion % will be much higher than Smith or Carey, but those two are far more useful in our team. We dont need someone in midfield just recycling possession.

[LIVIFOREVER]

3 hours ago, PauloPerth said:

Playing out from the back is fine but there needs to be sense applied. In the first half yesterday that wasn’t the case.

We put ourselves under a lot of unnecessary pressure and if Livi had better quality we could have been punished.

We played a game at Motherwell about 3 years ago when they were under Alexander I think where we won maybe 3-0? They tried to play it out from goal kicks the way we were last night and it got embarrassing they were so bad at it, the players just weren’t good enough.  I was watching thinking why on earth are they persisting with this? It was as if ‘this is the way the manager wants to play and we’re not changing for anything’ was the mentality.

Last night in the first half was similar for a spell. 

I get that we don’t want to go long all the time against Livingston as you often lose the high ball, but you lose the ball at the halfway line not around your own box. You also have the opportunity to contest the second ball. Do it a few times so Livi stop pressing so high then you can go back to playing it out short if there’s space.

 

Yep, Guthrie and Anderson were hunting down the ball, and forcing a lot of mistakes.

Played Killie and it was the complete opposite, their defenders booted it long all the time and gave us no chance turning over possession in the final 3rd, pretty much how we played the first few seasons we played in the Premiership. Only instead of playing to win 2nd balls, they played it up the right channel to get down the wing. I'd much rather play against St Johnstone, but as you said, we hadn't the quality to take advantage of you playing it out from the back.

[LIVIFOREVER]

14 hours ago, Freedom Farter said:

Sean Kelly coming out the team has stopped us conceding. Martindale will need to take Guthrie out the team now if he wants to start scoring. Guthrie's goal and headed assist for the Anderson chance in the Aberdeen game was the worst thing that could've happened. In Martindale's eyes, it'll have validated the build up strategy of long aerial balls to Guthrie's head. It's an abysmal strategy that yields next to no chances and also hands possession back to the opposition constantly. Guthrie is a static lump who blocks off central space we'd want left open if we had the correct attackers on the pitch playing with fluidity and movement.

Nouble at right wing back is a terrible choice. For those who cheered his substitution, they should ask how they think Guthrie would do at right wing back. Or how they think Devlin would do at right wing back. The answer is shite. Playing players hopelessly out of position doesn't work and its Martindale's fault not Nouble's, who does his best as a round peg forced into a square hole. Brandon or Bradley have to be the right wing back. Nouble must play left forward alongside Anderson as the right forward. That's the position Nouble played at Arbroath where he enjoyed the best form of his career, he was left forward with McKenna right forward. Nouble is not an attacking mid, he's not a wing back, he's a second striker alongside a no. 9. Yet he hasn't played that role once this season so no wonder he's looked shite.

I'm glad Pittman got that chance and fluffed it, not because he's due any misfortune but because Martindale has to learn Pittman is no longer an attacking midfielder. Hopefully that finally showed him. Put Pittman next to Holt at centre mid. We keep finishing games with those two there and it always looks better. Start the match with them there.

We got a wee glimpse of some decent football when Bradley and Stephen Kelly were on towards the end. Both of them combined with Pittman and Anderson down the right. For a moment it was like last season again. 

The problem with us dropping Guthrie for Nouble up front, is then it's left to Anderson doing all the leg work pressing opposition players out of defence, Guthrie at least does his share of pressing, which allows Anderson to play a full game. Also not convinced Nouble would be much better up front, he's lost his desire to hit the byeline and take it into the box, instead he opts for diagonal floated balls, even last night he chipped it in, when he had the chance to just hit it low and hard across the box. I'd much rather see St Kelly and Bradley getting a chance playing up front with Anderson.

Edited December 28, 2023 by LIVIFOREVER

[Freedom Farter]

8 hours ago, LIVIFOREVER said:

The problem with us dropping Guthrie for Nouble up front, is then it's left to Anderson doing all the leg work pressing opposition players out of defence, Guthrie at least does his share of pressing, which allows Anderson to play a full game. Also not convinced Nouble would be much better up front, he's lost his desire to hit the byeline and take it into the box, instead he opts for diagonal floated balls, even last night he chipped it in, when he had the chance to just hit it low and hard across the box. I'd much rather see St Kelly and Bradley getting a chance playing up front with Anderson.

Oh, sure, I'm not demanding that Nouble play but rather I'm meaning that if he does play then it should only be as a forward. I'd be very happy with Bradley, Stephen Kelly or even Sangare starting in place of Nouble (and Guthrie) as support for Anderson.