Motherwell Vs Aberdeen Saturday 15Th August

[star sail]

Hammell cost us the second goal I felt. A terrible free kick that was floated in short of the 18 yard box thereby taking every Motherwell player out the game and allowing Aberdeen the perfect platform to break and get the free kick that led to the goal. He knew it to and let his head go down for the remainder of the game.

 

Those suggesting that the four performances at the start of this season are as poor as the start of last season either have very poor memories or are just not prepared to give our current management and team any breathing space at all.

 

Aberdeen will have much easier wins this year and with just a little bit more fortune we could have been sitting on 5 pts this evening with two home draws. I think we have played three of what could be the top four teams this year. It's what happens now that will make or break our season.

[DEWELL]

We did compete well today and could've nicked a point but individual errors and 2 or 3 players who were crap have cost us. Watch Aberdeen's 2nd goal...

[wellwell91]

In this league 2 wingers are a luxury. Aberdeen had extra man in midfield and found it easy to play round or through our midfield 2.

As has been previously said Hammel's floated free-kick to the corner of the box put us under unnecessary presure when we did not win the ball.

We must have the worst 2 fullbacks in the league there positional play at times is criminal.

Any scout from other teams must be rubbing there hands in anticipation.

Kennedy and Chalmers surely can't be any worse

[underboyleheating]

I hadn’t planned in going to this game, however, a last minute change in my travel plans meant I could go along. I thought we started brightly and managed to score the all important first goal. Their first goal seemed really bizarre, a nothing ball crossed into the box which appeared to miss everyone before hitting the post and eventually landing in the net. How many bad goals do we seem to lose? The second was a free header in the box, which either our keeper or defenders really need to deal with. On the positive side I thought Moult worked very hard up front and kept the Aberdeen defenders on their toes. Johnston took his goal well, however, he is very wasteful with his passing. Over all we still look a yard short, however, hopefully that will be rectified the more games that we play. My aspirations of us being top six have now been adjusted to being the best of the rest in the bottom six.

[Happy Dosser]

 

"Hammell cost us the second goal I felt. A terrible free kick that was floated in short of the 18 yard box thereby taking every Motherwell player out the game and allowing Aberdeen the perfect platform to break and get the free kick that led to the goal. He knew it to and let his head go down for the remainder of the game."

 

Exactly, and then Law was pressured into the foul for the free kick. Ripley seemed either baulked by his own defence or fouled. Since there was no protest, probably the former.

 

We are weak at right back, no helped by Ainsworth's inability to track back or tackle effectively. Marvin's pettit lip display is really getting on my nazzums, blaming everyone but himself for his inability to pass the ball five yards. Can we really afford to play both at once? They were supposed to be assets, not liabilities.

 

From where I was sitting, Moult had an excellent second half, he's got neat feet and began to link up well, winning more and more in the air against Aberdeen's behemoths. He worked really hard, despite some hard tackles. Give him a break.

 

The Mutton Molesters are better than us but we could have scraped a draw, like last Saturday. Tynecastle was the only unacceptable performance so far, so the season starts now against the teams who will be at our level for most of the season.

 

Let's put the cheese wire for Baraclough away until the first round of fixtures is finished. We've had a tough start.

[siebsbarmyarmy]

In this league 2 wingers are a luxury. Aberdeen had extra man in midfield and found it easy to play round or through our midfield 2.

As has been previously said Hammel's floated free-kick to the corner of the box put us under unnecessary presure when we did not win the ball.

We must have the worst 2 fullbacks in the league there positional play at times is criminal.

Any scout from other teams must be rubbing there hands in anticipation.

Kennedy and Chalmers surely can't be any worse

Hayes & McGinn..... Two wide players

[dosser1886]

Yet another hard luck story, the 6 goals we have lost so far this season have been an absolute joke.

 

Not outplayed today but we really need to stop shipping such god awful soft goals.

 

Hell of a lot of unforced errors putting ourselves under unneccary pressure. To watch us having a free kick in their half ending up in a goal to them was soul destroying.

 

Really likes the look of Moult.

[madscot]

Hayes & McGinn..... Two wide players

They didn't play wide today tho .

[wellwell91]

Hayes & McGinn..... Two wide players

Yip ..... But both put in a shift tracking back and closing played down

[faddythedaddy]

Both very good players too, McGinn superb today

[steelboy]

What have you been smoking????

Moult played his heart out.

Always looked to get onto to the ball and linked play up when he could.

Guy never stopped trying all day

That's great.

 

If they switch goals for points for effort we'll have a brilliant season.

[SaintJohn]

Was at the game today, had to bottle up some rage before posting - but that today summed up this current motherwell squad.

 

I'll start with the things that weren't within our control - namely that wee scud book willie Collum.

 

I'd consider myself fairly level headed and look at football from a balanced perspective - so I can say with confidence it isn't my claret tinted specs that bring me to my decision that he's the worst referee out of a very bad bunch in Scotland. How this guy can be seen as our leading ref is beyond me. It's clear he's never played the game, in fact I'm certain he was the last to get picked in the playground, before the team that was left with him decided they'd be better off a man down and telt him to go and play with the birds. I'll say no more other than he obviously loves the sight of his own wee rat face that he tries to make as many poor decisions so he can get his mug on sportscene more than once.

 

Now on to our own showing. All in all, we didn't play badly - but we certainly didn't play as well as a home side with top 6 ambitions should. The new guy in midfield is not terrible, but I'm confident we won't be willing him back after his loan expires. A passenger at best and I can't see what he brings to the table more than jack Leitch, who in my opinion has the tools to be a good player. Johnson had an off day and probably should have been subbed earlier, and his replacement Thomas did more in an attacking sense in 20 mins than the rest of the team put together. Everyone else was average other tha Louis Moult who I thought was outstanding. The podcast guys touched on our lack of mettle last season and I think that still rings true. Need some more warriors in the side. Actually we need 'A' warrior in the side.

 

Our problem is not that we get beat occasionally (or more than occasionally!) - it's that we cannot, under baraclough, even grind out a draw. It's either win, or get beat. I still think he's the right man - however the tactics obviously need changing. A draws not ideal but at least it stops our opponents gaining ground.

 

Anyway, it was a horrible start to the season fixture wise (the cynic in me says the SFA are still reeling at how we pummelled The Rangers) so handed us a shiter of a start. Onwards and upwards though, looking forward to the next match to put it right.

[weeyin]

What have you been smoking????

Moult played his heart out.

Always looked to get onto to the ball and linked play up when he could.

Guy never stopped trying all day

Don't bite. He just looks to see who everyone else thought had a decent game and takes the opposite point of view.

 

Remember, this is the guy who spent months trying to convince us Higdon was mince.

[BigWeegieDosser]

I thought Moult was terrible. What's he good at? He looked miles out his depth, Keegan/Casagolda style.

 

d.

You have to be kidding, Moult MOTM by a country mile. A mature, intelligent display from a guy clearly trying to retain the ball and bring others into the game. Won more headers in that shift than Big Handsome won in the whole of last season, and he alarmingly actually directed his headers too.

Out of his depth, you jest???

[siebsbarmyarmy]

They didn't play wide today tho .

You must have watched a different game then from me.

[MearnsWell]

Actually was positive through the 2nd half, as we were creating so many chances, I thought we'd a decent shout for an equaliser.

 

I'm kinda in the frame of mind that if we keep playing the same, we're going to give some shower a doing sooner rather than later. Next week against the Perth Saints would be a good start...

[CoF]

6 goals conceded so far and we've had a big hand in every single one of them.

 

I honestly don't know what to make of that.

[Fal_Dosser]

Yet another hard luck story, the 6 goals we have lost so far this season have been an absolute joke.

 

Not outplayed today but we really need to stop shipping such god awful soft goals.

 

Hell of a lot of unforced errors putting ourselves under unneccary pressure. To watch us having a free kick in their half ending up in a goal to them was soul destroying.

 

Really likes the look of Moult.

Completely agree !

 

Another game where the opposition have plenty of the ball, but don't look like doing much that we can't cope with, until we give away another two comedy goals - The build up to Hearts 2nd goal aside, the goals lost would be criticised at amateur level, never mind professional.

 

It appears to me that our style of play this season is to let the opposition have the ball and they have to work hard to score - downside is we keep gifting fecking goals.

 

Thought Moult had a pretty good game, and Skippy was much more effective in a more advanced role, but there's no getting away from the fact that we lack something creative in the middle of the park

 

Not overly worried yet, but we need another win soon.

 

 

MON RA DOSSERS

[Well Up For It!]

I thought Moult was terrible. What's he good at? He looked miles out his depth, Keegan/Casagolda style.

 

 

Finally proving that you don't have a clue when it comes to football.

 

He was by a mile our best player today, and showing flashes of great link up play.

[Spiderpig]

That's great.

 

If they switch goals for points for effort we'll have a brilliant season.

You really are a feckin negative depressing arse...why do you bother watching the game all you ever do is slag the team off, give it a rest FFS

[Kmac]

Our problem is not that we get beat occasionally (or more than occasionally!) - it's that we cannot, under baraclough, even grind out a draw. It's either win, or get beat. I still think he's the right man - however the tactics obviously need changing. A draws not ideal but at least it stops our opponents gaining ground.

 

 

 

You are bang on with this point.

 

I've been quiet on Baraclough and tried not to be too judgemental however this is the infuriating thing. He talks a good game and I think he has the best intentions regarding the players and the club, however the feeling I get from him is what is translated to the park. We have no grit. Baraclough has the philosophy that players should go an express themselves and his signings suggest, by in large, that it is this which he is trying to install in us.

The amount of times we capitulate in games or aren't able to do the nasty things is what is costing us. I would argue that both today and the UTD game could have seen us have 5 points from the opening 4 games instead of 3, if we had the mentality of "we might not win this but I'm sure as fuck the opposition aren't either". We are almost in the position of having too many flare players in the side now.

It's great when everyone has a good day and I am certain that we will dish out a few 4/5 nil hammerings this season (like we did at the end of thye last), however we need to compete every week.

I view this as a mentality issue more than anything and that is a fault of management as far as I am concerned.

 

There are still weak areas which need adressed. Law needs shown the door. He has been dross from the minute he arrived and despite the lovefest he gets on here, is still well below average. Hammell looks really un-sharp and it could be after last season that we are now well and truly in his twilight years. Taylor is a passenger and is symptomatic of the mentality described above.

 

We have some really good players at the club however a bad result next week and I would personally be acting extremely quickly to re-assess the management before we end up trapping ourselves in another un-necessary relegation scrap.

[Spiderpig]

Our biggest problem today was the midfield Lasley and Taylor were anonymous and did feck all the whole game. Taylor may be settling in to the team its only his 2nd start so maybe deserves a bit of time to show what he can do. But sorry to say this Lasley is 2nd to every ball he won feck all and as a result we surrendered the midfield right from the off.

[Lobey_Dosser]

I can't see Taylor going on to be a regular starter in a midfield 2. More likely he'll offer competition on the left. I'm no sure about Leitch but he's been hard done by in the last 2 selections.

 

Law meanwhile does my head in at right back. Leaves Laing to clear up his mess time and time again and in the last 2 weeks, has failed to offer Dom Thomas any support in the later stages of the game.

[Ya Bezzer!]

Our biggest problem today was the midfield Lasley and Taylor were anonymous and did feck all the whole game. Taylor may be settling in to the team its only his 2nd start so maybe deserves a bit of time to show what he can do. But sorry to say this Lasley is 2nd to every ball he won feck all and as a result we surrendered the midfield right from the off.

 

Lasley was trying to compete against 2 or 3 midfielders on his own due to Taylor being an empty shirt. We were already a man down there due to the formations so we didn't have much chance with Taylor's failure to turn up. It's hard enough 2 v 3.

[Kmcalpin]

Aberdeen looked a far better side than us and were about a yard faster all round. For me Louis Laing was MOTM. Moult had a reasonable game but suffered from lack of support and decent service - too many aerial balls which he was never going to win. Central midfield struggled, which shouldn't come as a surprise given that we played with 2 wingers. In games against decent teams we need 3 in the middle. Lasley was poor and I can't say that I noticed Taylor as he was anonymous. Both full backs were very poor and showed their lack of positional sense. Time for another right back, maybe Kennedy, and Chalmers to be given a run at left back. Same defensive problems as last year. Felt sorry for Ainsworth as he received shocking service - kept having to back track for short balls - just not his game.

 

We need another defensive central midfielder and quick, and not just for back up.