Yabba's Turd Posted August 17, 2015 Report Share Posted August 17, 2015 No panic yet, but we need something from this one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Haggischomper Posted August 17, 2015 Report Share Posted August 17, 2015 They're not a scary team but, on the other hand, nor are we - at least, not yet. Don't think we lose this one but important to take at least a point 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texanwellfan Posted August 17, 2015 Report Share Posted August 17, 2015 We will romp this one...Sutton to score a hat trick..................Ohhhhh wait a minute 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The African Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 This game could tell us quite a lot about where we are and how the season will pan out. Let's hope we can get back on track with a decent performance and three points. This time last season we failed to turn up for this kind of fixture. If we have moved on from there then we should at least be competitive and take something. After three straight losses we could do with adding to our points total. A defeat would not be fatal, but it would point to a long hard struggle ahead this season. One each, with Ainsworth scoring for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milo Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 Need to stop the rot here with at least a point. Kennedy in for Law and Leitch for Taylor please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 St Johnstone will be no pushovers. They'll be physical, hard working, organised, and very streetwise. Not the most talented team in the league but they can grind out results through biting, scratching and clawing their way through 90 minutes. Its hard to know what midfield formation we should deploy. Play 2 wingers and we might be short in the middle and there's no guarantee Johnson and Ainsworth would receive any decent service. If we play 3 in the middle it might bottle things up there but neither Leitch nor Taylor has impressed so far. Would love to see both full backs changed but thats unlikely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 I'd be surprised if there's much, if any, change to the starting XI. However depending on how the game is going you might see subs a bit earlier if we're winning. Maybe along the same lines as Saturday; Thomas, Cadden + another getting 5-10 mins longer than they have been. Personally I feel if Kennedy can play right back then I'd like to see him in for Law, not just because the latter's been struggling for form of late and had a part to play in 2 of the goals conceded by not dealing with crosses into the box but simply because I quite like the idea of having a more dominant back 4. Kennedy is 6ft+ and by all accounts looks like he's a more imposing player physically than Law. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superward Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 Can't go along with chucking Kennedy in for Law just yet in my eyes. We haven't even seen the him play yet! Try him there in U20s today and see what he is like. If he strolls it I would consider it as Law has been a weak link a few times from last season and into this. I am going along to the u20 match today so I will key yese know! ;-) I would go back to 442. Ripley Law Laing McManus Hammell Ainsworth Lasley Leitch Johnson Skippy Moult (Fletcher if fit) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelboy Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 We had a good record at Perth for a while then two times in a row McCall pissed on the travelling support by making no effort to win and now it's four defeats and fairly miserable performances in a row there. They've conceded 8 goals so far and have injury problems at the back so this should be an opportunity for us to demonstrate we can score goals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 Can't go along with chucking Kennedy in for Law just yet in my eyes. We haven't even seen the him play yet! Ha! Quite. I suppose that was what I was getting at by saying if he can play there. You're right though he might be bloody awful in that position. Would be interesting to hear where he plays this afternoon for the u20s. Also quite interested to see who gets the nod if Fletcher is fit and how that affects McDonald's role, if it does at all. Was noted that Bara was saying in his post match interview that he felt Moult's game was more suited to playing with a partner. Curious to see if one is preferred to the other depending on formation, you get the impression that Skippy will start every game as long as he's fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postiejim Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 Saints will be to good for a poor Motherwell team. 3-0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
underboyleheating Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 We need to be much better at defending set pieces as similar to last season we look like losing a goal every time the opposition floats a ball into our box. St.Johnstone are a team who we really should be matching point for point and hopefully we can come away from Perth with at least a point. I’m going for 1-1 with Sutton netting their goal (it has to happen) and Moult getting off the mark for ours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_P Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 We're not a millions miles away. I wouldn't rip it up just yet. . Sometimes it's fine lines. A chance taken here, some more resolute defending there. If we had lost by three or four to both Hearts and Aberdeen and they were cutting us to ribbons on every attack it would be worrying. But that wasn't the case. An another day with the same balance of play those games could easily have had different outcomes. Eradicate the persistent self-inflicted goals and there's a reasonable unit there that's in the early stages of a team-building process. Worth giving the team a bit more time to evolve in my mind. If further down the lines its apparent we can't evolve or are regressing then make changes, but for no I'd go with consistency of selection where we can and at least give them the opportunity to develop as a team. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StAndrew7 Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 I'm seeing the same issues as we had under Gannon in his early days; inconsistency due to adapting to a new system. Thankfully Baraclough doesn't appear to be the nutter Gannon is/was, so if we give it time I think it'll work. The focal point of the attacking system we play is the lone striker and getting in and around them quickly. Unfortunately we lost Erwin who adapted to the roll brilliantly last season and got others (Ainsworth, Pearson, McDonald and Johnson) involved quickly. We've since brought in two players in Moult and Fletcher who need to adapt to the SPFL, their new surroundings and their team mates. I do honestly think we would have gotten something from the Aberdeen game had Fletcher been fit; he's more suited to the lone role than Moult is. The most important thing is getting McDonald to play a more advanced role off the striker; that worked brilliantly last season against Kilmarnock, St Mirren and Hamilton. Defensive mistakes can be ironed out and I agree with other posters; I think Watt should be given a go at right back if Law doesn't improve. Everything meaningful from the opposition seems to come down the right flank (something I noticed at ICT). This is slightly off topic but I do hope that we'll have a go at teams at home more; two up top is a must with McDonald supporting Moult or Fletcher. We've got the pace and trickery to trouble most fullbacks and defences in this league consistently; it's time Baraclough recognised this and allows the team more opportunities to express that ability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well Up For It! Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 My local game, just round the corner from me, so always look forward to these games. Think we should be looking to get a result here. St. Johnstone are a much easier test than Aberdeen, Hearts and Dundee Utd for me. That said, written in the stars that the big handsome bastard will score against us. 2-1 the 'Well - Skippy and Moult with the goals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Dosser Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 "(Fletcher if fit)". On Saturday, he was sitting in the stand with one of those plastic protective casings on, superward. Hard to say how serious it may be: I thought it was only supposed to be one game he was going to miss. In any case, I thought Moult had an excellent second half. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
real dosser Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 Kennedy sent off today for the U20 side. Does a ban affect the first team if he was to be selected on Saturday ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superward Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 Pretty sure it's development league only. They split out first team/development league suspensions here each week: http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/football_document_libraries.cfm?page=2567 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texanwellfan Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 Lionel got to play U20 when he was suspended so I would assume they are separate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LankyMac Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 I think Law has been our weakest link in every game this season. Other teams have noticed and are taking advantage of this. If St Johnstone notice this, they will be able to get good crosses into Sutton. Kennedy played well in pre-season when paired with Laing, but Luke Watt is my preferred choice. He came on today after Kennedy got sent off and didn't put a foot wrong. He's been impressive the last several times I've seen him and I think it's time he had a go. Taylor had a nightmare first game but every player did against Hearts. Against Aberdeen he played a lot better but fitness level wasn't there and he disappeared. Other than that I would keep it all the same. Or I would like IB to try something bold, like pull Skippy back into a Pearo type role with a lot more freedom and encouragement to go forward, with Moult and Fletcher (Clarky if he's still out) up top. I think the different styles of our two new strikers would compliment each other well. But that's probably waaaay too bold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfc Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 i'd go with a midfield 3 for this (that doesn't include skippy) as we still seem to be getting outnumbered in the middle of the park in these types of games and have skippy up front.st johnstone aren't the quickest of teams so if ainsworth and johnson are at it then they could do them some damage.we badly need to get something from this game as a fourth straight defeat even this early would be slightly worrying, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 No panic yet, but we need something from this one St. Johnstone have an excellent home record. They have only lost two home league matches in the last 10 months and the last team to go there and win, other than Celtic, was Hamilton Accies back in the first week of January. Before that you have to go back to October 2014 when Kilmarnock won there. They have a few injuries at the moment, particularly in defence but Graham Cummins has scored 3 in 4 so we'll need to keep an eye on him and of course they have Sutton who may or may not come back to haunt us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 st johnstone aren't the quickest of teams Michael O'Halloran is probably one of the quickest players in the league. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busta Nut Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 Or I would like IB to try something bold, like pull Skippy back into a Pearo type role with a lot more freedom and encouragement to go forward, with Moult and Fletcher (Clarky if he's still out) up top. I think the different styles of our two new strikers would compliment each other well. But that's probably waaaay too bold. Skippy in Midfield is an awful idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superward Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 Michael O'Halloran is probably one of the quickest players in the league. 1 swallow does not make a summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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