Motherwell V Partick Thistle Sat 26 Sep 15:00

[ropy]

Never noticed it at the game but McDonald blatantly pushes the defender as the cross is coming in for our second goal. That should never have stood. Probably the wee break we needed. Surprised nobody from Thistle was complaining about it.

Probably because they realised that the referee had set the tone for a free for all for pushing.

[steelman1991]

Ha Ha didn't he just - justice done, after the punishment Moult received all game.

[yosemite sam]

Never noticed it at the game but McDonald blatantly pushes the defender as the cross is coming in for our second goal. That should never have stood. Probably the wee break we needed. Surprised nobody from Thistle was complaining about it.

John Hartson did that all his career and got away with it, why not skippy!

[Andy_P]

Job done all in all. Not pretty, arguably undeserved and laced with a little good fortunate but a very very important three points. It buys the club time, buys goodwill from the support and makes that league table a whole lot less worrying than it might have been had the result not gone our way.

 

Craigan is clearly an intelligent chap and I think he is underplaying the significance of the team selection. At a stroke he got players and supporters on board with the changes he made. It would have been really easy just to go along similar lines, mumble a few lines about it being the old manager's ideas for that game and the likelihood is few would have argued the point. But it was bold and decisive and set a new tone.

 

As for the team we do continue to see flashes of things from players that hint of better things to come from if they can somehow manage to add more consistency to their games. There are better things to come from this group of players than what we've seen from much of this season so far.

 

I feel a touch sorry for Lasley though these days. He's in something of a no win situation as I see it. I'm not going to claim he played well yesterday - far from it - nor indeed was he particularly great last week either as it happens but he appears to be at a point with some of our support that unless he turns in an utterly faultless display he stands accused of lacking pace, lacking discipline, running about like a headless chicken or all of the above, all at the same time.

 

At least put things in a little context. He is 36, was playing in a two alongside a player returning from injury who Craigan said was no better than 60% against a heavily outnumbered central midfield. Players twice the calibre and with a decade less on the clock are going to struggle to produce the faultless displays that are demanded of him week in, week out, in similar circumstances.

 

But nice to enjoy a win, nice to edge a little further away from those bottom two places and to have a little hope restored again.

[siebsbarmyarmy]

 

I feel a touch sorry for Lasley though these days. He's in something of a no win situation as I see it. I'm not going to claim he played well yesterday - far from it - nor indeed was he particularly great last week either as it happens but he appears to be at a point with some of our support that unless he turns in an utterly faultless display he stands accused of lacking pace, lacking discipline, running about like a headless chicken or all of the above, all at the same time.

 

At least put things in a little context. He is 36, was playing in a two alongside a player returning from injury who Craigan said was no better than 60% against a heavily outnumbered central midfield. Players twice the calibre and with a decade .....

Got to say I disagree with this Andy. I don't feel sorry for Lasley, he has to realise his limitations these days, as although he may still be as fit as a fiddle his timing and decision making is causing more harm than good.

 

Three times he lunged into try and nick the ball away and was a least a yard or two short, causing a player to turn him easily and move into the space he should have been in. Holding a player up or moving them backward would be off more benefit.

 

No one expects the same Lasley off 4 or 5 years ago other than I imagine him.

[Big Wispy Flossy]

Got to say I disagree with this Andy. I don't feel sorry for Lasley, he has to realise his limitations these days, as although he may still be as fit as a fiddle his timing and decision making is causing more harm than good.

 

Three times he lunged into try and nick the ball away and was a least a yard or two short, causing a player to turn him easily and move into the space he should have been in. Holding a player up or moving them backward would be off more benefit.

 

No one expects the same Lasley off 4 or 5 years ago other than I imagine him.

The only way I feel sorry for him is because he's been asked to play in a 2 man centre midfield. I can just about accept him playing deep in a 3 man midfield but now he's woefully short of the standard required when playing 442.

 

He gets in to horrible positions on the football park, he's a mile late getting to his man as a consequence he gets turned for too easy and is a mile late in the tackle (someone's going to get a sore one shortly). His passing is also way short of the standard required.

 

He's been a great servant to us over the years but if we want to move forward as a team, and be in better control of possession in a game, he needs to be replaced with someone better. One of my major gripes with barraclough is that he had nearly a year to do this and failed miserably.

[Shire Greats]

Nobody has mentioned how spectacularly bad Steven McLean was today. I think their no3 couldve taken a baseball bat off Moults napper and not had a foul given against him. Time and time again he came through Moult with elbows and arms flailing. Not to mention his elbow on Ripley in 2nd half. No wonder the big man was raging. Ridiculously poor refereeing.

 

As for the game. Much improved attitude and application. The football wasnt the prettiest at times but we deserved the 3 points against a Thistle team that played much better football than I had expected.

 

Moult needs to start jumping for the ball, he wants to back in all the time, therefore centre backs need to come over him to challenge.I didn't think their number 3 was all that dirty ......I know the well fans were going mental , tho

 

Onwards and upwards!

[Shire Greats]

 

Nobody has mentioned how spectacularly bad Steven McLean was today. I think their no3 couldve taken a baseball bat off Moults napper and not had a foul given against him. Time and time again he came through Moult with elbows and arms flailing. Not to mention his elbow on Ripley in 2nd half. No wonder the big man was raging. Ridiculously poor refereeing.

 

As for the game. Much improved attitude and application. The football wasnt the prettiest at times but we deserved the 3 points against a Thistle team that played much better football than I had expected.

 

Moult needs to start jumping for the ball, he wants to back in all the time, therefore centre backs need to come over him to challenge.I didn't think their number 3 was all that dirty ......I know the well fans were going mental , tho

 

Onwards and upwards!

 

 

Moult needs to start jumping for the ball, he wants to back in all the time, therefore centre backs need to come over him to challenge.I didn't think their number 3 was all that dirty ......I know the well fans were going mental , tho

[weeyin]

Don't disagree, but if the defender had shoved Skippy the same way, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have got the pen. Different rules in the box these days.

[Andy_P]

Got to say I disagree with this Andy. I don't feel sorry for Lasley, he has to realise his limitations these days, as although he may still be as fit as a fiddle his timing and decision making is causing more harm than good.

 

Three times he lunged into try and nick the ball away and was a least a yard or two short, causing a player to turn him easily and move into the space he should have been in. Holding a player up or moving them backward would be off more benefit.

 

No one expects the same Lasley off 4 or 5 years ago other than I imagine him.

 

Hmmm....Agree and disagree Sieb.

 

There are two strands for me. I agree we should be seeking to maximise what we get from him by utilising him better. Baraclough and I think in his programme notes earlier in the season Lasley himself acknowledged that his role ideally would be tweaked this season to compensate for the passing of time.

 

But in losing Pearson after forty-five minutes at Inverness, having the utterly anonymous Taylor alongside him and then watching the team struggle that plan has been largely punted into the long grass. At times Lasley has been our midfield. I do acknowledge that in trying to be all things at once he does run the risk of ending up not doing anything particularly well - and laughably is then stood accused of disappearing by some - but when it borne of a genuine desire to try to get the job done regardless of the circumstances I tend to be a little more forgiving.

 

I still stand by the belief some have written him off now and are unwilling to give a fair crack of the which. Demands are being placed upon him to reach a level of performance that is both unrealistic and unattainable given the previously stated factors. He could be our man of the match over the next three games and run the show totally yet if in the following game again he is below par that will be enough for some to write him off as past it, done or over the hill etc. He deserves better than that.

 

Perhaps the more pertinent question that should be asked is why our management teams of recent years have allowed a situation to develop where our midfield often disintegrates to the point that it is reliant on a 36 year old to do the job or two or three in the middle of the park.

[siebsbarmyarmy]

I also agree & disagree.

 

My issue with Lasley isn't his effort, endeavour, age or fitness it's his general decision making at times. Something he has total control over.

 

The guy is a legend no denying it but his general play is what has caused so much space it the middle of the pitch for the opposition, be it wether he has played with Taylor, Leitch or yesterday with Pearo.

 

Against Bolton he sat In front of the defence and done the straightforward simple stuff. What he is good at, a friendly so he reined it in.

 

I'm not writing him off, maybe I just expect more, 36 or not but at the moment he is more of a liability than a benefit. In my opinion of course.

[Brazilian]

It's almost like he expects too much of himself, but many of our support cut him no slack

Yesterday was possibly one of his worse games,

but at least 3 others had far worse contributions, excuses are getting made for them yet Lasleys role gets debated over and over.

Asking him to carry a midfield two is possibly the flaw, he actually covered for Pearson a few times.

 

rather have him on the pitch than any other at this time

[Guest]

Am I alone in thinking that Grimshaw was brutal? Astonished to see folk saying he did well. I thought he was all over the place.

 

Good result, though.

 

Good to see marvin getting back to looking a bit more confident, a goal from McDonald (if a poor performance) and a great day from Kennedy and Ainsworth.

 

McLean should get to fuck. Shite.

[Mitch]

Am I alone in thinking that Grimshaw was brutal? Astonished to see folk saying he did well. I thought he was all over the place.

Same with myself. He was continually 3 or 4 yards behind the defensive line. His distribution was poor at times too. Saying that, willing to give him a few matches ahead of Law.

[capt_oats]

Am I alone in thinking that Grimshaw was brutal? Astonished to see folk saying he did well. I thought he was all over the place.

Wouldn't go as far as brutal. I thought he did a lot of what I'd want a full back to do. Was strong in the tackle, had a bit of pace getting back and forth and closed down reasonably well.

 

In terms of positioning he definitely looked a bit shaky but that's fairly understandable since not only is he relatively new at the club but he's just been chucked in at RB yesterday. He lost his man for their goal though, either way I thought he looked a much better fit there than Law.

[Kmcalpin]

Am I alone in thinking that Grimshaw was brutal? Astonished to see folk saying he did well. I thought he was all over the place.

 

 

No, I thought he had a reasonable game maybe 5 out of 10 but no better. That said he was all over the place at times. I believe he can play RB but is basically a central midfielder and I assumed that he had been signed to play there.

[Casagolda]

Am I alone in thinking that Grimshaw was brutal? Astonished to see folk saying he did well. I thought he was all over the place.

 

Good result, though.

 

Good to see marvin getting back to looking a bit more confident, a goal from McDonald (if a poor performance) and a great day from Kennedy and Ainsworth.

 

McLean should get to fuck. Shite.

 

Grimshaw kept his man in front of him all game, can't ask much more for his first game at full back. Compared to the defensive lapses by Law and Chalmers, where they both get skinned at least twice a game I'm not going to get upset by a few misplaced passes.

[Big Wispy Flossy]

 

Grimshaw kept his man in front of him all game, can't ask much more for his first game at full back. Compared to the defensive lapses by Law and Chalmers, where they both get skinned at least twice a game I'm not going to get upset by a few misplaced passes.

Grimshaw got 'skinned' at least twice in the first 15mins but got better as the game progressed

[Brazilian]

 

Grimshaw kept his man in front of him all game, can't ask much more for his first game at full back. Compared to the defensive lapses by Law and Chalmers, where they both get skinned at least twice a game I'm not going to get upset by a few misplaced passes.

I actually laughed at this post:

A perfect example of selective vision? in an attempt to promote one players capability over others

[Wellfan1984]

Grimshaw's main problem was positioning. But then again that's why teams have a marshal in the defence, we do not have that.

[wellwell91]

Grimshaw's main problem was positioning. But then again that's why teams have a marshal in the defence, we do not have that.

He was a 100% better than Law

[Welldaft Mk1]

McLean should get to fuck. Shite.

For all he was shite and he was, he can referee any of our games.

 

Under his watch we have won 15 games and drawn 3 from 24 matches. That is only 6 defeats from 24 matches.

 

Coincidence perhaps but that is a better win record than Most of the top managers

[Casagolda]

I actually laughed at this post:

A perfect example of selective vision? in an attempt to promote one players capability over others

 

Here is 3 examples of a full backs getting skinned

[superward]

Thought Grimshaw had a good game after a slightly shaky start

[Donaldo87]

On a side note Sportscene need to get rid of the "Feature" pish if they insist on then showing the game from what looks like a mobile phone. A nice idea but its executed so badly. I dont think you can even get 'normal' highlights off the BBC when they do that.

 

And dont get me started on the fan that wants Terry Butcher back