Motherwell V Partick Thistle 24/8/13

[Welldaft Mk1]

So dominating 70 minutes of football does not entitle us to 3 points.

 

Sure we were up against it last 20 minutes when it should have been more comfortable.

 

I prefer to dwell on the positives, when you obviously are a glass half empty kind of person. Probably nothing will change that....

[Pepper]

They never made Hollis make one save in the whole game.

 

As much as they dominated possession in the last 30 mins the two centre halfs coped with everything thrown at them and there was only really one close shave in the box that I can remember.

 

As has been said we should have been out of site anyway.

 

The more I see of Anier the more I like him and I would have left him on and hooked Faddy who was having another mare.

 

The most worrying thing was the subs who were supposed to come on and shut down the game were pretty much ineffective at stopping Thistle and a better Team may have got something out of that game.

[Busta Nut]

what did Higginbotham do?

[punk_in_drublic]

Reacted to the abuse.

[Goggles & Flippers]

What could have been a comfortable victory ended with a mop of the brow against a team below par with Motherwell improving but nowhere near what we are capable of ... however improving. Knife sharpeners, put away you whetstones. ICT's result at the sty today shows how capable they are and adds a degree of context to last weeks performance.

 

Carswell was excellent until ten minutes before he went off and deserves a start from now on, he's earned it over the past 12 months. Good to see Sutton getting a bit of service and his goal, beats getting none and some of the more fruity members of our support shouting for his P45. The players seemed genuinely pleased for ZFA with his assist however his subbing was correct. Arnier's work ethic is commendable and I understand why McCall would think Sutton would make a better sole target man when sacrificing a striker. Faddy offered more centrally than on a wing and showed glimmers, when he does find that purple patch it will be glorious to watch.

 

For all our missed opportunities, Thistle were in the same boat with a few near misses that if we didn't get the rub of the green we'd be on here calling for major changes. I'm scratching my head as to why our defence is dragged to one side and then another like a rape victim's knickers. The amount of times the central pairing were pointing to overlapping players without cover and shouting commands shows why form teams will damage us unless we address the organisation between the midfield and defence under breaks.

 

As for the "pacey winger" debate raging on In's and Out's, it makes my eyes bleed. In the 4 years we had Humphrey, he was out of favour for a fair bit, injured for a while, tended to last 60 minutes when started and 30 minutes when subbed on. The argument was that opposition teams covered him with two players because of his threat was maybe true at the beginning but not when he had more exposure over time and his final ball was a lottery. Before him we had Jim O'Brien and the other "pacey winger" options we had recently included McGlinchy, that geriatric Northern Irishman and Omar (feel free to add to the list).

 

What we have on paper at the moment is an experienced and, Hammell apart, large in stature, defence. Ball winners in Carswell and Lasley, bit of flare and passing from Vigurs and a capable mop up man in Lawson. A creative game changing spark in McFadden and a capable back to goal ball winner in Sutton with a grafting foil in Arnier. ZFA for me should be a fringe player, he's been bloodied too early through necessity and I think he has questioned his own confidence in his own ability on occasion, (however don't let me take anything away from his 1st half performance today).

 

Let's play to our strengths going forward, which from what we have is zippy, neat and precise back to front passing (dare I say it, like what Barcelona do) because everyone listed above is capable if basic errors are eradicated. It doesn't get the East stand on its feet quite the same way as a one on one break does but it may reap more rewards from the current pool of players.

[Dezz]

I thought Ramsden was absolutely fantastic today! He won just about everything and was doing the job of two men for most of the second half when Faddy wasn't tracking back, before Kerr came on.

 

Special mention for Carswell too who was excellent in midfield and it was certainly no coincidence the midfield went to shite when he had to get subbed off ...he is a perfect replacement for Las when the old yins legs start to get a bit tired later in the season.

 

Anier doesn't half do some amount of running as well. A lot more positive from the whole team today, especially in the first half. Onwards and upwards.

[East Stand Well Boy]

Top performers: ramsden, carswell and anier.

 

Ramsden, confident on the ball and finally looking to go forward.

 

Carswell, controlled the middle of the park until his injury.

 

Anier, ran himself into the ground, showed a few glimpses of nice skill.

 

McFadden was horrible yet again, he seems to think he is too good to track back, rest of the team is bursting a gut to get back he's swaggering back in the other half looking at the stands. ZFA offers nothing, I agree, he has no want to take people on, he hasn't got great pace, he only seems it because everyone else is show as treacle. Anier seems to have a bit of pace about him.

 

If it wasn't for the fact we have next to no options, I reckon McFadden would be on the bench right now.

 

On another note, the sheet number of people in the East who don't know anything about football and the rules of the game involving corners, offsides and the powers of the referees, the corner which Partick retook, was met with boos towards the referee, the referee was still busy writing down the ridiculously long double barrelled surname of their left back after booking him and had not indicated a restart in play with his whistle, but it was his fault they got a retake, supposedly he should "just give them a goal", and the Hollis boo boys, yet another game Hollis done nothing wrong yet he's a "waste of space" or a "stupid arsehole". People jumping into their speeches, the part where Hollis rushed out and gathered the ball, according to one boy sitting near me, he has to get out and collect the ball, which was said when Hollis had the ball in hand and was looking for options. They aren't realising that as soon as a goalkeeper has to work, 10 other players haven't done their job.

[Ian-in-Oz]

Just reading the Thistle forum and the main theme seems to be they should of had something for their 2nd half performance when they made masterful substitutions that changed the game. No mention of our best midfielder going off having any effect on that.

Also spotted these classic quotes:

 

 

Thought we had stage fright the first half. Archie obviously told them at half time to stop thinking there are better than us and we took control of the second. Still snatching at shots so looks like nerves but thought higgy looked very sharp and needs to start against Cowdenbeath to get a goal. Osborne got stuck in but my man of the match was craigan who ran the midfield second half and did a power of work. Sinky was causing loads of problems as well didn't seem to play a right back and with some luck we could have scored. All the subs did well once they came on and should get a start on Tuesday.

Muirhead had a stinker as did Fraser but at least we gave the fans something to shout about late in the game.

Ps the motherwell young team are an embarrassment.

 

The wankiest bunch of fans Ive ever seen.God knows what the other Motherwell fans who sit next to that feckin drum think.

 

 

Also liked the Motherwell Young Team. Supporting their local club with some noise and colour.

 

 

I thought they looked like idiots, always been a bit of a ned fest at that part of the ground

[MelvinBragg]

I'll admit that McFadden wasn't great but not tracking back?? I seem to recall him winning the ball back in the right back position several times in the second half...

[Mitch]

I'll admit that McFadden wasn't great but not tracking back?? I seem to recall him winning the ball back in the right back position several times in the second half...

He has been murder all season. He isn't a right winger. Needs to play just behind Sutton/Anier.

 

When he tripped over himself and fell in the box was painful to watch.

[Lobey_Dosser]

Aye, it was sad to watch Faddy flounder at the end but iirc that was his 1st 90 mins and contrary to what folk say, he did his fair share of tracking back.

 

I thought he had a good 20 mins or so at the beginning of the 2nd half. He must be moved centrally asap so that he can start to pull the strings and be able to turn in two directions.

 

He wasn't happy playing left mid in the Premiership while earning £30k a week so I doubt he's overjoyed at being hung out to dry on the right wing at Motherwell.

[punk_in_drublic]

So dominating 70 minutes of football does not entitle us to 3 points.

 

Sure we were up against it last 20 minutes when it should have been more comfortable.

 

I prefer to dwell on the positives, when you obviously are a glass half empty kind of person. Probably nothing will change that....

 

 

We were being fucked for the last 30 minutes. It doesn't matter how positive or negative you are.

[Ya Bezzer!]

So dominating 70 minutes of football does not entitle us to 3 points.

 

Sure we were up against it last 20 minutes when it should have been more comfortable.

 

I prefer to dwell on the positives, when you obviously are a glass half empty kind of person. Probably nothing will change that....

 

I think 'dominated' is a bit strong and I think your 70 minutes is wrong as well.

 

For me the game started to swing when they brought on Higginbotham on 52 minutes. We were already looking shaky when Carswell (who was injured making a defensive challenge just over our 18 yard line remember) went off.

 

The reason we got the full 3 points yesterday was because Partick don't have a penalty box striker. If Kris Boyd or Billy Mackay had been playing yesterday we'd probably wouldn't have got a clean sheet.

[punk_in_drublic]

I think 'dominated' is a bit strong and I think your 70 minutes is wrong as well.

 

For me the game started to swing when they brought on Higginbotham on 52 minutes. We were already looking shaky when Carswell (who was injured making a defensive challenge just over our 18 yard line remember) went off.

 

The reason we got the full 3 points yesterday was because Partick don't have a penalty box striker. If Kris Boyd or Billy Mackay had been playing yesterday we'd probably wouldn't have got a clean sheet.

 

Spot on.

[Big Stall]

Some real positives to take from the game, we were so much better in the first half than we have been this season. We pressed high up the pitch, gave thistle no time to settle on the ball, looked to actually create chances and play football as opposed to the long ball tactics of the last few games.

 

 

Second half however was reverting back to type which was worrying. Anyone who thinks it was only the last 20mins or after we lost carswell is off their head. Yes we got even worse in the last 20mins but right from kickoff in in the 2nd Thistle came out fighting and really went at us.

 

Still, we got 45 minutes of improved football and 3points so it was a good day. Other positives:

 

- Hollis clean sheet

-Ramsden pushing forward

- Carwell very assured in CM

- A goal that wasnt from a long ball

 

I was impressed in the 2nd half with Thistles left back with the double name. Not sure if he was any good at defending but he certainly wasn't afraid of getting forward.

[ankles]

Enjoyed the game. We played ok and still took the three points and kept a clean sheet so onwards and upwards. I'm a wee happy camper this morning

[Spiderpig]

We were being fucked for the last 30 minutes. It doesn't matter how positive or negative you are.

 

Did we lose a goal...no, did Hollis have to get his gloves dirty and make a save..no, did the team do their job and win the game..yes. So all in a good days work, winning games when not playing particularly well, the mark of a good team

[underboyleheating]

The reason we got the full 3 points yesterday was because Partick don't have a penalty box striker. If Kris Boyd or Billy Mackay had been playing yesterday we'd probably wouldn't have got a clean sheet.

While we defended reasonably well yesterday, if Thistle had a more potent strike force we would have been in trouble. The real test of any improvement is when we come up against the likes of Celtic, Inverness or any side with an proven striker. At times in the second half we looked nervous against what on the day was a very ordinary Thistle strike force.

 

 

 

[punk_in_drublic]

Did we lose a goal...no, did Hollis have to get his gloves dirty and make a save..no, did the team do their job and win the game..yes. So all in a good days work, winning games when not playing particularly well, the mark of a good team

 

I agree. I didn't make any comments that were opposite from the points you raise. My point remains. We were being fucked in the second half.

 

I'm glad we won and even more so when not playing so well.

[Andy_P]

This if Thistle had.....

 

It's the old if your auntie had balls she'd be your uncle.

 

If Motherwell hadn't given away a penalty against Aberdeen we might have won....

 

If Motherwell hadn't given away a goal early on last week the game plan wouldn't have been shafted after five minutes...

 

And so on. It's all supposition.

 

When it boils down to it you play what's there in front of you. We played and beat what was there in front us. No requirement for seeking any additional angst that what might have been a worse case scenario.

[Steve Diggle]

If you'd have said to me at the start of the close season when every player that we'd given a platform to was fucking off to pastures new, that we'd have 6 points on the board four games in I'd have settled for that.

 

Shite start to the season or fifth best - depends how you look at it.

 

All our signings look excellent. Aye all of them.

 

We need width and pace - no doubt. One in this week would be good. Then try again in January? I could live with that.

 

Carswell will be our next big player. I've liked the look of him since day 1. I hope we try an extend his current deal as soon as possible.

 

Hutch and McManus look like the best centre half pairing for ages.

 

Nothing is coming off for McFadden but I'm sure it'll come.

 

This McFadden is shite malarkey. Seriously, have a word with yourselves. He doesn't track back? Seriously? He tracks back more now than I can ever remember.

 

I've said it before. I'd love to see this place when things really are shite.

 

But down to brass tacks. The people who have worked their arse off to achieve what we have over recent seasons and who have given us the players we head into this season with deserve far more respect and time to bed things down than this petty ill informed bitchy fuckin drivel.

[Steve Diggle]

It also has to be said that we have the best section of fans in the league. The guys in the end of the East Stand are exceptional. No matter the result they're there for the team. More of us need to follow their lead

[underboyleheating]

The guys in the end of the East Stand are exceptional. No matter the result they're there for the team. More of us need to follow their lead

Agreed, there was a time not that long ago when Fir Park sounded more like a morgue than a football stadium. These guys have been brilliant, and add some much needed atmosphere to even the poorest of games.

 

Edit: my Thistle mates daughter wasn’t too impressed at the naked torso show in the singing section, maybe one or two need to pay more visits to the gym rather than the pub, before opting to get naked.

[milo]

My thoughts on yesterday’s game.

 

Until the goal there really wasn’t much going on and the goal when it came was really encouraging as it looked like a reasonably deliberate passage of play from us. Pleased for Sutton to get off the mark. I didn’t think he did much else to be honest!

 

After that I was quite surprised at how much we dominated play. Aniers volley was well executed but the keeper made a good but reasonably comfortable save. He snatched at, or didn’t catch right, another couple of chances though but at least got himself in decent shooting positions. I didn’t think Thistle offered much at all in the first half at all really and whilst we weren’t great we well still well on top.

 

The second half was a different proposition altogether though. The turning point was a combination of the excellent Carswell going off and the excellent Higginbotham coming on. I can’t remember which happened first but all of a sudden we were pegged back and Thistle were allowed far too much room to advance. We still had the best chances to score though and Lasleys miss was really poor to be honest. Still thought he had a great game though.

 

The last 30 minutes was brutal and nerve wracking to watch! Hollis might not have had a save of note to make but we sat far too deep. I thought the back 4 were excellent. I have been critical of McManus and I’m still not convinced his hearts in it but he was good yesterday. He had a tackle on Forbes at the end that if someone had did that to a Motherwell player I would’ve been out my seat! Took the ball cleanly but followed through as well! A bit naughty I thought. I thought we gave the ball away continually in this period and were unable to keep the ball at all. Jury is still out on Lawson and Vigurs for me. Kerr at right midfield is no use and that’s the second time he’s been brought on to play there. He got skinned by Ross Forbes in the right back position at one point also so I’m not sure if he’s a right back either! If he’s a centre half then playing him in either of those positions is even worse! I’m not sure re-signing him was really what the team needs. The right side was woefully exposed at times in the last 20 minutes.

 

I thought Faddy was marginally better than he had been the past few games but he is still a passenger. It’s quite worrying how out of sorts he looks. His run through on the keeper right at the end where he eventually fell over was Omar Daley-esque. Need to get him off the right wing maybe but he’s not contributing anything I’m sorry to say. He looks a shadow of the player we saw at the end of last year. Would it be worth a shout playing Erwin or Moore out there? Can’t be any worse.

 

I’m a big fan of the noise and singing coming from the end section. I love the new song where they all point at each other and throw their tops in the air! However the abuse Higginbotham took from them on mass was embarrassing and disgraceful. There are times when former players returning deserve at bit of stick; and it’s all about opinions I suppose, but I thought that, along with the stick Reynolds for instance took to be cringe worthy and does not reflect well on us as a fanbase. In my opinion of course. I can see both sides of the argument for kicking the ball out when someone was injured but I can understand why Thistle didn’t put the ball out when they were on the attack. If we were on the attack chasing an equaliser and we put the ball out I would’ve been raging. It’s worth noting Higginbotham returned the ball after that and at the end in the drop ball after the McManus/Forbes tackle.

 

Oh, and I thought the ref was murder!

 

 

[Andy_P]

 

I'm a big fan of the noise and singing coming from the end section. I love the new song where they all point at each other and throw their tops in the air! However the abuse Higginbotham took from them on mass was embarrassing and disgraceful. There are times when former players returning deserve at bit of stick; and it's all about opinions I suppose, but I thought that, along with the stick Reynolds for instance took to be cringe worthy and does not reflect well on us as a fanbase. In my opinion of course. I can see both sides of the argument for kicking the ball out when someone was injured but I can understand why Thistle didn't put the ball out when they were on the attack. If we were on the attack chasing an equaliser and we put the ball out I would've been raging. It's worth noting Higginbotham returned the ball after that and at the end in the drop ball after the McManus/Forbes tackle.

 

I think Higginbotham getting the stick he did was largely down to Thistle not putting the ball out. Whether you believe they were right or wrong in not doing that is a debate for another day, but whenever you are on the receiving end there is always an explosion of anger from those fans who feel wronged.

 

It's worth remembering that he actually got a pretty decent welcome when he came on at first, particularly when you consider he was a fringe player on loan for six months who albeit had one particular moment of magic, did very little else of note. There was a spread of applause across the East Stand and that's far more generous a welcome than many who have contributed more have ever received.

 

I must admit the turning point for me was his gesture towards the East Stand. In my estimation he went from a former player I was neither here not there about to an opposition fucker fair game for any abuse that came his way after that.

 

On Reynolds I was told by a mate who bumped into Reynolds father a few days after the game that he was raging with the abuse he took. That I can understand. Without wanting to feed Frazzle's fire about his ability, he was with us long enough and left in a way where I personally feel he deserves a bit better. I do ofcourse understand the view that the minute someone goes elsewhere and comes up against us they have the power to do us damage and are therefore now the enemy, but aye Reynolds I personally felt was a little more up the scale than just an average returning Motherwell player.