East_Stand_Al Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 To be honest McInnes had our number today, his team's shape took us out the game completely. It's going to happen, we're not the biggest team. My concern is that this is now going to be a regular occurence, we are so one dimensional so it's easy to set up a team to counter us out and then hit us on the break. Steve Diggle & Kmcalpin have hit the nail on the head we have no plan B it was evident to all of us that by 30 mins in plan A was fucked. Clancy is as much a centre back as Hateley is a midfielder, perhaps we should be going 3 at the back and using our 2 "Pacy wingers" and pushing Murphy in behind Higgy to pick up the 2nd ball. The one thing I'm sure we all agree is that something has to change as a couple of bad results will see us tumbling down the league table and struggling for a top 6 finish, and out of one of the cups at first asking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welldaft Mk1 Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 Some good points being made. The team all played poorly on the pitch but I think it was the off field failings that proved critical. The first goal was always going to be crucial and off the field tactical mistakes cost us dearly. We have made a fundamental mistake in going with such a small squad that contains 3 wingers and only one striker and is very short in central defence. The squad is so limited that we have no Plan B. A lack of substitutions tells its own tale. By default the manager would appear to think that we have only 15 players (including two lads on the injured list) capable of playing in the first team. Although an extra body is always welcome the last thing we needed was an extra winger (when we have Murphy, Humphrey and Lawless on the books). Tim Clancy is no centre back as his previous manager admitted and it shows but thats not the player's fault. The central midfield lay far too deep creating a huge gap to the isolated Michael Higdon. In many games Lasley & Jennings are not the right combination. We badly need Nicky Law's pace in the centre. We are simply not playing Jamie Murphy to his strengths which are being totally wasted. He didn't seem to know where he was meant to be playing yesterday (not for the first time) and instead of supporting Higdon more often than not tracked back to take the ball out of defence. We should forget playing a lone striker, despite our limited options, and revert back to a 4-4-2 formation. Again the squad is lightweight, as the Manager has acknowledged, and against bigger stronger opponents like St Johnstone we'll struggle. Make no mistake our provincial rivals will have watched yesterday's events with interest. Contrast yesterday's performance and result with the last time we met at Hampden Park a few months ago. Saints would appear to have been a lot more astute in the transfer market than we have been. Our off the field errors came home to roost big time yesterday. On the field errors - I'll say no more. Very good post Dave and one that I agree with wholeheartedly. I was saying all during the transfer window we needed at least one more striker to add to Higdon. I am somewhat dumbfounded this has/had not happened. We have Murphy and Higdon and then reserves. Whilst on their game these two will deliver, what happens when either or both get injured or as was evident yesterday, neither were on their game. Daley may prove to be an astute signing but was one of the areas we have covered quite well. No-one could foresee losing both Saunders and Hutchison which has left us with little cover at central back. I am surprised Mccall has not given Page a try out. He is a goal threat and could not surely have done worse than Clancy yesterday. If we play him at Centre back till Hutchison comes back we will continue to leak goals. 9 in 3 games even if 2 were against the Old firm is abysmal. Not pressing the panic button yet as we are still 3rd after 8 games and in a much healthier position than either Hibs or Aberdeen, but I am concerned..................despite having probably one of our most successful seasons last year in term of income it is concerning that we appear to have one of the most threadbare squads in the SPL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickoza Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 I remembr back when McGhee was manager and we were sweeping all before us. An "easy" game came up at Fir Park around Christmas time against Falkirk, three points we thought - and they sunk us 3-0 with ease that day. Shit days happen, we were dreadful yesterday. If it happens continually, we've got issues - not including Parkhead, we're only one shit game behind us. Let's see what the reaction is come Tuesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfc Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 yesterday was the worst performance by a long way for a while lets hope it was just a one off and nothing more.saints got enough players behind the ball to make it hard for us and having guys like murphy and law off form we could still be playing now and we wouldnt have broke them down.a really fear for us in central defence we were ropey as fuck and made sheridan and sandaza look better than they are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweed Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 I remembr back when McGhee was manager and we were sweeping all before us. An "easy" game came up at Fir Park around Christmas time against Falkirk, three points we thought - and they sunk us 3-0 with ease that day. Shit days happen, we were dreadful yesterday. If it happens continually, we've got issues - not including Parkhead, we're only one shit game behind us. Let's see what the reaction is come Tuesday. Ironically that was all Higdon's fault as well.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well 4 Europe Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 An early goal is crucial against teams like this, try and make them come out. We beat them 3 times last season and each time we scored in the first 15 minutes and the games were essentially over by half time. Infact twice last season we were 3 up at half time against them. They really seem to struggle with our pace and width and if we come flying out the blocks and grab an early goal as I said earlier I feel we will win it comfortably. However the longer they keep it at 0-0 the more I will worry. People will get restless and we will end up panicking if we can't break them down and start pumping aimless high balls forward. Sadly so predictable. Struggle to break a team down. start to panic and lump long balls forward. Always seems to be the way if we don't score first. Has anyone else noticed that in the 3 games we've lost the first goal this season we've went on to lose by an aggregate of 11-0. Two of those were against the OF I know but it's still pretty shocking. As other's have said it's as if plan A doesn't work we have no plan B and McCall seems reluctant to try and change things, which is so fucking frustrating when you can see it isn't working yet he refuses to change it. In saying all this as bad as we were Saints weren't all that great and we basically handed all their goals to them due to our own inept defending. An own goal, a defence splitting pass from our own left back and the third was just a shambles from the entire defence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobey_Dosser Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 No point in harking back to McGhee's early days. The difference in quality between that team and current crop is night and day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Welldaft Mk1 Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 Just seen the highlights online. The 1st goal sums up our defending at set pieces. It was an OK cross into the box, but was nothing other than routine and you would expect that to be tidied up time and again in most other SPL penalty boxes We need 11 players at 6ft 7+ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orinoco Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 Cant say i am suprised by yesterdays result, as it happens time afer time. I also cant say i am suprised by the reactions by some. Given our resources, it's a miracle we've got a team of average to good footballers who would want to play for us. We have no right to win every game, and have to earn it. Maybe the players have forgotten this and believed the hype. Time to draw a line, roll up the sleeves and move on. It was only three points dropped and there is plenty of time to make this up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malky79 Posted September 18, 2011 Report Share Posted September 18, 2011 For me in a sea of mediocrity Jennings stuck out like a sore thumb, and not a good way. Looked barely interested and out of depth. Lasley didn't do anything good either but looked fit enough at least. I think McCall made the right substitution but at least 10 minutes to late. Odd flurry aside we never got into gear and changed needed made. To be fair to McCall the luxury of a sub he thinks can make an impact has not really been something he had til now but Daley should have been fired on earlier. Thought Law made us look a bit more potent when he wandered inside, and having two pacy wingers either side could have opened up options. The suicidal 2nd goal though robbed that change I think of any real chance of having the impact it may have had earlier on. All 3 goals were poor at best to lose, fundamentals that we shouldn't need to be discussing. I do wonder if the players thought all they had to do was turn up yesterday!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Easy Target Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 That was one of the worst Motherwell performances I've seen in years. Nothing went right all day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnstone Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 Bad day at the office. McInnes got his tactics spot on and his players all played really well. All the Motherwell players had a bad day at the office. The goals were all defensive errors from us and not through St Johnstone ripping us open. Essentially we caused our own downfall. But I love how all the pant wetters come out the woodwork screaming that we are in danger of relegation. Get a fucking grip. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzer Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 For me, what was noticeable was that when Higdon won headers (and despite his detractors, it happened a fair bit) no Motherwell player was aware/keen/quick enough to get on to the loose ball. The contrast for me was tben when Sandaza won the ball, the St Johnstone players were picking up the second ball. Our "defensive"midfielders were not helping stop this. I suggested at the time subbing Jennings and Lasley for Forbes and Daley and going with Daley Forbes Law Humphrey Someone suggested it was too attacking a midfield. I'd argue that we were getting no protection from our centre midfield anyway. That's simply what caught my eye yesterday. The point Diggle makes about having eleven "untouchables" is one I'm sure we've all noticed. Would it surprise anyone if we saw the same eleven start on Tuesday as started yesterday? It would not surprise me, but it would disappoint me.. Melvin... i have just read that post and to be honest you have a valid suggestion thier. good post mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yabba's Turd Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 Melvin... i have just read that post and to be honest you have a valid suggestion there. good post mate. Next time just click the plus sign at the bottom right of his post. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milo Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 Randolph was shocking for the 3rd goal. He failed to hold what ammounted to no more than a passback! Imagine Michael Fraser had done that?!?! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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