MelvinBragg
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Is that the same man that brought in Carson, Gillespie, Dunne, Kipré, Aldred, Tanner, Gorrin and Johnson? I'm not Robinson's biggest fan but people have selective memories when criticising his transfer record. Most of the signings that didn't work (Fisher, Plummer, Petravicius, Taylor-Sinclair), he moved on pretty quickly....
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At no point did I say that Frear was better than Ariyibi. I was only making a point that Ariyibi has (rightly) received a fair bit of praise since his arrival. In that time, Frear has been instrumental in us winning two games (Dundee and last night) in ways that are obvious. Yet he doesn't get the credit. Also calling bullshit on the suggestion that Frear doesn't work hard enough for the team. This is a guy who sacrificed himself by playing out of position for the last season and a half if he was selected. Not saying Frear would be first name on the teamsheet but I think you're downplaying his contribution massively...
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I was thinking this after last night. Frear has his critics but in the five games since Ariyibi arrived, Frear has contributed 2 assists (3 if you include winning a penalty against Dundee) and Ariyibi has none. Not slating Ariyibi here as I think he has offered something but at a time when statistics are used to criticise certain players, feel as if some tend to ignore the contribution of Frear as it perhaps suits an agenda...
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I thought he'd come on as a sub in at least one game...
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2018/19 game 25: St Mirren (A) Wednesday 6th February
MelvinBragg replied to texanwellfan's topic in Club Chat
Generally we don't often win 5 league games in a row even with fixtures as kind as our recent run so a win on Wednesday would be some achievement. Just feel we might fall short and draw 1-1. No real basis for my thinking, just a hunch... -
Aye, 9 goals in 23 starts was all hype. If we're going to continue down the road of playing passing football, the Craig Tanner of last season would be an asset. Whether we get the Craig Tanner of last season back is different question. But unlike you, if the coaching and medical staff feel it's a possibility, I'd be willing to give him a chance...
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2018/19 Game 24: Livingston (H) Saturday 2nd February
MelvinBragg replied to Yabba's Turd's topic in Club Chat
If you're in the second section in of the East Stand, then aye it's probably me. I wholeheartedly agree on Hastie by the way... -
2018/19 Game 24: Livingston (H) Saturday 2nd February
MelvinBragg replied to Yabba's Turd's topic in Club Chat
To be fair, we do have a habit of not getting out quick enough after our initial clearances. Tait in particular today played a couple of Livingston players onside. At least, that's my excuse... -
Goalkeepers Gillespie Ferguson Defenders Dunne Aldred Tait Hartley Livingstone Mbulu Donnelly Midfielders Campbell Gorrin Turnbull McHugh Grimshaw Aribiyi Frear Hastie Forwards Main McCormack Johnson Sammon Scott That certainly seems a big enough squad to see us through to the end of the season. With McHugh and Grimshaw both able to play as defenders and McCormack able to play as a winger if/when he gets fit, it gives us a bit of flexibility. Any money spent would have been unnecessary. Obviously have missed out Tanner, Cadden and Carson. I know Tanner and Carson are out for the season, is there any word on when Cadden will return?
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Gillespie Grimshaw Aldred Dunne Tait Campbell Gorrin Turnbull Hastie Main Ariyibi Subs McHugh Hartley Livingstone Frear McCormack Johnson Mbulu Scott Cadden Not sure we need to bring anyone in even if both leave...
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Other than the two we've signed already obviously...
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As I said earlier, it strikes me that any short term signing now would simply a waste of money. If a player were to become available that we could get that would be a good long term signing then it's a different story. Wouldn't be upset to see Hartley go. Good first six months, has been all mouth and trousers since. Unlikely though. Taylor-Sinclair has started 5 games this season. Tends to suggest that he doesn't leave a massive gap in the squad. For me, we've trimmed some wages from the squad without seriously weakening the first team. Job done. Switch off the lights at Fir Park and go home...
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We have young promising players of our own...
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Players who haven't started the last two games Hartley Mbulu Taylor-Sinclair Livingstone McHugh Bigirimana Frear McCormack Sammon Johnson Scott Unless someone becomes available that we would like for next season, at 14 points clear of relegation, surely it would be irresponsible to spend money on wages just now and would possibly block the path of any young players getting game time in the games remaining...
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Frankly I'm glad McCulloch didn't get the job simply on the basis he signed Dom Thomas for Kilmarnock. If that doesn't make you question his ability to spot talent, nothing will...
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2018'19 Game 23:Dundee (A) Saturday 26th January 2019
MelvinBragg replied to Yabba's Turd's topic in Club Chat
Are you on crack or have you not seen those two players recently..? -
2018/19 Game 22: Hibernian (H) Wednesday 23rd January
MelvinBragg replied to MelvinBragg's topic in Club Chat
Sounds to me like he's been given tonight off as he kept mentioning the next game on Saturday... -
Sadly I fear you might be right about him returning and not being anywhere near the same player...
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To be fair, we'd kill this season for a player with 9 goals from 23 starts. I knew a few of them were penalties but he also created a few goals...
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2018/19 Game 22: Hibernian (H) Wednesday 23rd January
MelvinBragg replied to MelvinBragg's topic in Club Chat
I'm only too aware that it won't happen. Could probably stick money on your line-up being 100% correct for Wednesday although two changes after that car crash on Saturday would seem like dismissing how bad it actually was.. -
Normally after a bad result, I take the approach of 'another game as soon as we can to make amends' but given quite how badly we played on Saturday, not sure this applies here. Hibs will be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of facing us. Saturday at Dens is the big one but given the fixtures the three teams below us in the table have on Wednesday night, even a point would be a fantastic result. Line-up wise, Tait and McCormack being nowhere near fit, I'd be going with Gillespie Grimshaw Aldred Dunne Livingstone Campbell McHugh Turnbull Hastie Scott Frear I realise there's more chance of me playing centre half for Motherwell on Wednesday night than that being our line-up but that would be my choice. Bodies in midfield and two wingers with a striker who might have half a chance of winning a cross. Some pace in the centre of defence and a left back at left back. Like I say, chance would be a fine thing. Half fit players and two or three playing in roles that don't suit them is what I expect...
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Taking it position by position GOALKEEPERS As others have said, Robinson's record is decent here. Carson and Gillespie are good goalkeepers. Xenodochov was clearly a short term fix, would seem harsh to judge him on that. Griffiths (for he signed him permanently too) was far from the worst back-up keeper we've had but wouldn't have wanted him as first choice. DEFENDERS. Maybe this should be in two sections. Centre halfs, generally he's done ok. Kipré and Dunne were both excellent last season. Hartley was great til January 2018, Aldred great after that (still unsure whether they should play as a pair). Giving Hartley a permanent deal while carrying an injury was a bad decision as he hasn't looked the same player since. Plummer was a waste of a wage due to injury and sadly Liam Donnelly looks to be heading the same way. On Donnelly, I don't think he's looked as bad as some have made out and certainly hasn't been helped by coming in at a time when we lost Dunne and Kipré and Hartley was returning looking half the player he was when he first arrived. Full backs, or to be more precise left backs is another story. Hendrie and Taylor-Sinclair are strange in that he signed them and you got the impression, having signed them, he didn't like the look of them. Neither of them have convinced in the role but without extended runs who can tell. A preference for playing Frear there or Tait, allowing Cadden to play right wing back certainly suggests they aren't doing anything in training. MIDFIELDERS Sigh. Where to start here. He has signed a fair few centre midfielders but they all look pretty similar. Rose and Grimshaw do a lot of unfashionable dirty work. In his few cameos, Gorrin looks to do the same job despite the suggestion he would be more creative (take better care of the ball was, I think, the phrase used). Bigirimana, has shown in flashes what he can do but as soon as Robinson stumbled across his McHugh-Campbell-Rose midfield and it fitted his plans, he's been marginalised. Doesn't track runners but certainly can pass. Would his defensive frailties have been as noticeable had he had last season's back three playing behind him earlier this season? Maybe not, but like the left backs, seems like a signing Robinson decided very quickly wasn't for him. Tanner is the real shame. A creative player that seemed to fit into our team. I suspect had he been fit, we'd be a good few points better off given one goal would have made a difference in so many results. FORWARDS Fisher and Sammon are guys that from word one, just haven't seemed to have fit in, it hasn't for whatever reason worked. Petravicius. Not sure of the point of his signing. Signed a winger at a time when Robinson would rather have cut off his own leg than play a winger. Ciftci just seemed like a bad fit, short term panic signing (I fear we may end up saying the same about McCormack). Main looked like a world beater for four months but for whatever reason, now looks like he hasn't seen a football before. Did he start to believe his own hype or were the first four months an anomaly? Starting to suspect the latter. Newell, like Plummer, a waste of a wage on injury record alone. Johnson is simply a goalscorer who doesn't add much else. Fine if you have another striker to do the hard yards (Still can't fathom why we didn't see more of Johnson and Bowman as a pair other than the manager's perseverance with Main). Looking at it (and obviously it's not just Robinson but the scouts that this applies to), he seems to do alright signing goalkeepers, centre halfs or hard working midfielders. Struggles to see a creative player, or spot one that he can fit into his tactics. Tanner being the notable exception. Guess that explains why as we get further into his tenure, we're scoring fewer and fewer goals...
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That's a fair point but any new manager might be unaware of how those not in the team perform in training. If a candidate was basing his assessment on what he's seen on the park this season, he'd bin 90% of the squad. But maybe seeing the lesser spotted Gorrin, Livingstone or Scott in training, he might feel there are options that aren't immediately obvious if you're just looking at match performance statistics...
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Three year deal when he signed...
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There's a reason that no one plays 442 anymore. Invariably, you get outmanned in there. The only side to do it successfully recently were Leicester and they had Kante who could do the work of three men and were set up as a counter attacking team. Call it a 4231 all you like, in a 4231 your number 10 contributes to your midfield. Whether due to lack of fitness or whether it was the gameplan, he contributed nothing to the midfield. McHugh and Turnbull were hung out to dry by Robinson. If I were Turnbull, I'd be on the first available taxi out of FirPark. McHugh being subbed for another centre midfielder seemed to be saying Carl McHugh was the problem, not the shape. Tactically out of his depth, manager seems to have brought in a winger with no end product. And brings on a striker that he says let the club and his teammates down less than a month ago. And takes off the one striker that has looked like scoring goals all season. Playing a left centre back at left back. Signing an injured player for the second January in a row. Today felt as shambolic as the 5-1 defeat to Dundee a couple of years ago and we all know what happened after that...