Motherwell Vs Stjarnan Fc

[milo]

That was so bad I don't know where to start.

 

So I won't.

[EightSixteen]

Anyone give us an clue as to what happened with the penalties?

 

Were we shite tonight or unlucky? Excluding our defense, how do we look elsewhere on the pitch in a competetive game?

[TAM]

First pen was a hard shot that hit Lasley's hand, touch unlucky. Second one in injury time was a scramble in our box with 2 Well players and one of their's on the ground trying to get to ball. Ref gave it for holding back, didn't look like one to me.

[Ya Bezzer!]

Well that was a little bit deflating.

 

We started really well, it was 2-0 going on 4 or 5 and it looked like it was going to be an easy night. Maybe that was the problem. What ever it was we just took our foot off the gas and let them back into the game. I don't know if it was fitness or just unprofessionalism but even then Stjarnan didn't look much of a threat until a deflected cross hit Lasley arm and they got the penalty.

 

At 2-1 we shat it. There is no other way of saying it. We shat it.

 

Second half we had nothing going on at all, the players were dead on their feet and Stjarnan created all the best chances and they constantly caught us on the break, they had already missed an absolute sitter, had a long ranger wizz narrowly by and hit the post before they got the penalty.

 

It was quite a hot evening and that probably didn't help us but to only have half an hour of legs is not really good enough, although probably not that surprising having seen the Fulham where we hardly got into a canter.

 

It's going to be tricky to get through this tie now with those two away goals against us but it's not impossible. We will have to improve a lot though if we do.

 

I'll end on one positive note, we have a pretty good record away to Scandinavian teams - Bredablik, Aalesund, HB, Mypa, we won at all those grounds.

[Well Well]

Completely and utterly inept at closing down any threat. My granny could have walked through that Motherwell team in a zimmer at any point without being tackled or closed down. When Josh Law and Ainsworth went off we put Kerr and Erwin on. Erwin looked like he wanted to play but Kerr..oh dear powder puff in the extreme..Only plus point in that team was Law. He was brilliant, the spark we need but deary me we were sleep walking. First penalty was ridiculous they fire in a shot that cannonballs of las and they get a spot kick and he gets a booking.

The 2nd penalty was entirely down to not closing anyone down at all they walked through our midfield then defence and then it was panic stations.

I need to calm down, haven't been so angry in ages at such a surrender to a complete bunch of no hopers. Fuck me their No10 was about 20 stone and looked more like a rugby player.

[Richie]

Yep, second to every ball and kept backing off. Complete lack of urgency.

Should have been closing down, pressing and taking the game by the scruff of the neck.

A 3rd goal (3-1 win) would have likely seen us through, but we were far too tame.

[Ya Bezzer!]

Fuck sake...

 

What's the thoughts on penalties? Not at game and BBC have hardly mentioned our game tonight!

 

The first one was a deflected cross. Hit off Reid and then Lasley's arm. A bit unlucky but Lasley seemed to move his arm towards the ball so it was a penalty as far as I'm concerned.

 

Second one I didn't get a good view of because of the sun. They hit the post there was a stramash in the box and the referee pointed to the spot. I didn't see anything myself that made it a penalty but I was down the other end and had the sun in my eyes so I can't say it wasn't a penalty either.

[TAM]

I'm struggling to understand how the club as a whole work so hard 9/10 months to get in to Europe and then do absolutely nothing to get ready for it. Extreme lack if fitness was very evident tonight for too many players. Their number 10 had some nice touches but god he even made me look slim!

[StAndrew7]

All too reminiscent of Albion Rovers and other European games. They pressed us hard the whole game and we didn't like that one bit; particularly at the back. They looked fitter, more eager and like they wanted to win it. We didn't.

 

Ramsden's distribution was nothing short of chronic, although the rest of the back 4 and Twardzik weren't far behind him.

 

Pass marks to Carswell (who bailed us out on several occasions), Erwin, Sutton and Law. Quite how Vigurs got one of the MOTM awards I won't know. Just as it was announced he tried to beat 6 players and then lost the ball when we had 3 waiting for a pass on the 18 yard line.

 

We could quite easily have lost that by 3 if they could finish; I counted 3 chances inside the 6 yard box they should have scored. We're lucky still to be in this tie.

 

 

 

A goal and a clean sheet next week gets us through...

[Well Well]

Law was immense..got a sly kick on the left ankle which happened just after he slotted the 2nd goal. I didn't think he was coming out 2nd half as he was hobbling for some time. Carswell was anonymous first half, didn't have an issue as we were strongish going forward. 2nd half he came onto a game when the subs came on and was timely in a few tackles. Lasley was all over, covering every blade of grass, some poor passing but he managed to recover and was unlucky with the penalty and almost scored a couple himself. I liked Ramsden, he was solid, won a good % of his headers against a taller opponent. As previously said needs to work on his distribution. Reid was scary at some points and was lacking in confidence hence a lot of his passes were backwards. He can be a good tackler but almost sold the jerseys when he dived into a tackle which allowed their player almost clean through on goals by Dan pulled off a great save. Hammell was Mr dependable and with some coaxing could have done some more work down the wing.

 

Ainsworth done some good crosses but fell out the game, needs to take on his man more. Vigurs could have imposed himself a lot more. Caught on the ball more than once.

 

Sutton was well alone after Law went off and was a sad figure at times with no service

 

We should and could have pinned them back and put pressure on their defence which was woeful (See our 2nd goal). Pass marks for Las, Law, Hammell and in the 2nd half Carswell. Law was easily MOM only one with some spark when he went off it was awful stuff.

[Ya Bezzer!]

Pass marks to Carswell (who bailed us out on several occasions), Erwin, Sutton and Law. Quite how Vigurs got one of the MOTM awards I won't know. Just as it was announced he tried to beat 6 players and then lost the ball when we had 3 waiting for a pass on the 18 yard line.

 

To be fair to Vigurs when he got the ball there was nothing on for him so he didn't really have any options. I agree about Carswell who was our best midfielder but I thought Sutton was poor due to being isolated for most of the match.

[mjw]

Hardly, disappointing but we should be sharper next week. Sounds like they are there for the taking though I expect a tight game. They obviously will fancy their chances right now.

 

There was a team there for the taking but it wasn't Stjarnan.

[Lobey_Dosser]

Really good for 25 mins, utterly unprofessional for 20 mins then abysmal in the 2nd half.

 

Same flaws as last season, can't keep possession, can't win the ball back, can't defend cross balls. And at the moment we don't have the quality at front and back that bailed us out time after time last season.

 

Can't get my head round why we started all the flicks and tricks at 2-0. Somewhat insulting towards out opponents who more than deserved the draw in the end.

[weeyin]

Glad to see the doom merchants had a good preseason and have hit the ground running.

[Ya Bezzer!]

Glad to see the doom merchants had a good preseason and have hit the ground running.

 

You are right. Losing a 2 goal lead to a semi professional team from Iceland with a totally rotten second half performance is magic and deserves praise.

 

Most of the guys complaining about tonights performance paid £25 to watch it by the way.

[siebsbarmyarmy]

Fuckity fuck fuck and fuck is all I can say.

 

Difficult to know where to start.

 

We began really brightly, sharp passing, creating chances and ainsworth looked like he was going to run riot then..... we stopped.... was this to do with our fitness or our lack of fight, who knows, we just seemed to capitulate.

 

Dont get me wrong I think this is as much down to do with their manager changing tactic and ours not adapting. I'm not overly impressed with McCall tonight... taking off Ainsworth and bringing on Kerr at RM.. deary deary me....

 

Not just for the two penalties I thought Lasley was really poor tonight, distribution and balance was off. I would have brought Leitch on with 20 minutes to spare, badly needed composure in the middle. Ransden was dragged all over the place and seemed to want to get invloved in wrestling matches rather than concentrate on the game.

 

Why have two 6ft plus strikers and not play a winger is also a bemusement... I'm a big fan of Vigurs and again tonight some of his passing was delightful aswell as creating most of our chances again but his fitness was shocking and dropped after about 60 mins. He also would have been off with young Thomas out wide left to run at them and try and get the ball in the box.

 

Sutton isnt a lone striker and couldnt hold the ball up, Big Erwin done more in 20 mins than Sutton did in the full game and spent half it on his arse.

 

Pass marks for Carswell, Hammell, Vigurs(60mins), Law and Erwin.

[Well Well]

Glad to see the doom merchants had a good preseason and have hit the ground running.

 

Trust me if you actually saw that performance you would be the same. Not doom merchants if anything a pretty damn good review on what actually happened out there.

[Dosser30]

Thought big Erwin looked very good when he came on

[siebsbarmyarmy]

Glad to see the doom merchants had a good preseason and have hit the ground running.

 

Ok whats your thoughts on the game..... give me some positivity....

[StAndrew7]

I liked Ramsden, he was solid, won a good % of his headers against a taller opponent. As previously said needs to work on his distribution.

 

 

This is why I love football; totally different opinion to mine. I thought he was a bombscare at times; all too eager to come charging out for a header particularly in the 2nd half, making up for mistakes in the first, I felt. He missed on 2 or 3 occasions and two of his mistakes ended up with them having very, very decent chances to score.

 

And for the record, there's not much about anyone else's posts that I can fault.

 

Weeyin: I've never been a 'doom merchant'; quite the opposite, in fact. However, after that performance tonight and paying £25 for the 'pleasure' of that? It really, genuinely was that bad.

 

What the hell kind of regime did the players follow in pre-season? The majority were blowing out their arses after 60 minutes.

[Ya Bezzer!]

This is why I love football; totally different opinion to mine. I thought he was a bombscare at times; all too eager to come charging out for a header particularly in the 2nd half, making up for mistakes in the first, I felt. He missed on 2 or 3 occasions and two of his mistakes ended up with them having very, very decent chances to score.

 

Ramsden won just about every header against a bigger man. I thought he was very good in the first half but I didn't get a good view of what he was doing in the box in the in the second half when Stjarnan created a lot more chances so I won't comment on that.

[Well Well]

This is why I love football; totally different opinion to mine. I thought he was a bombscare at times; all too eager to come charging out for a header particularly in the 2nd half, making up for mistakes in the first, I felt. He missed on 2 or 3 occasions and two of his mistakes ended up with them having very, very decent chances to score.

 

I think that is down to the right side of defence. Ramsden seems to get in about it but Reid for me was the bombscare. Looked good going forward but my god did he panic if he was given the ball across the back and closed down. We need to stop trying this passing across the back because the Icelanders closed it down quickly and made our back line look way too panicky on the ball. Left side looked solid enough with McManus sweeping stuff up from Ramsdens tackles and his outball was Hammell

[StAndrew7]

Ramsden won just about every header against a bigger man. I thought he was very good in the first half but I didn't get a good view of what he was doing in the box in the in the second half when Stjarnan created a lot more chances so I won't comment on that.

 

Like I said, that's why I love fitba'. His first half was certainly better than his first; but a couple of his mistakes in the 2nd may well have cost us if Stjarnan had punished us.

[underboyleheating]

An unacceptable performance against a semi professional team. At 2-0 I thought we would go on to finish up comfortable winners. To be honest on chances I thought Stjarnan could have won the tie and only poor finishing let them down. No excuses we should be winning these games if we have aspirations of doing anything in Europe.

[MelvinBragg]

Can't get my head round why we started all the flicks and tricks at 2-0. Somewhat insulting towards out opponents who more than deserved the draw in the end.

That same thought occurred to me at the time.

 

Having said that, had Sutton stuck away the chance right after they made it 2-1, I reckon that would have knocked the stuffing out of them.

 

First impressions of the game...

 

Wrong goalkeeper. Nielsen was shafted towards the end of the season, dropped as he was finding form after his penalty save against Celtic. Twardzik looked very shaky tonight.

 

Not that he was helped by the entire left side of defence being exposed/posted missing. Can't make up my mind if Hammell really was that bad tonight or if Vigurs "free role" left him exposed.

 

Thought Carswell was good tonight. Lasley, a bit too headless chicken. Ainsworth, we didn't get the ball to enough early on when it was clear he had the beating of them. Law, too early to tell, but looks comfortable on the ball. Vigurs did a lot well but also made some terrible decisions.

 

Sutton won a lot of ball in the air but was feeding off scraps.

 

My last thought, a question really. When did putting Kerr on at right midfield ever work? Not having a go at Kerr, think he has a lot of potential and attributes to be a solid defender but he looks a fish out of water at right midfield no matter how often McCall plays him there...