Scottish Premiership Partick Thistle V Motherwell Sat 8 Apr 15:00

[ropy]

3 at the back keeps Cadden too far down the pitch, 4 at the back with him playing right back sees him further away still. Is Tait coming back?

 

The place we are specifically lacking is midfield, no presence at all. Perhaps we need to gamble at the back and put McHugh back in there.

[Donaldo87]

Fuck it I think we'll still stay up.

 

Dunno why dunno how but I don't think we are finishing bottom and reckon we could see off any of the three teams in the championship if it came to it.

 

Ask me again after next week right enough...

[Kmcalpin]

I'm trying hard to take positives from today's game. It was always going to be a very hard match and we only lost 1-0. No red cards and no obvious injuries. Thats about as much as we could have hoped for. Both Accies and Inverness picked up red cards. Robinson has had another opportunity to suss out what doesn't work and hopefully he'll have learnt from it. Next week really is win or bust - no excuses.

[grizzlyg]

Players all wanted Robinson to get the job so good to see results have improved.....Not!!! The point at Ibrox wasted by only 1 point in last 2 games. People having a go at the negative posts but quite frankly I can't blame them. No fight from a team fighting relegation is a farce. This all goes back 18months ago when Magoo got the job. I can never fault Burrows for his love of the club and dedication but the key decisions have been disastrous. And this is my opinion which i have the right to voice. Next week is a must win...COYW

[Ya Bezzer!]

The place we are specifically lacking is midfield, no presence at all. Perhaps we need to gamble at the back and put McHugh back in there.

Does McHugh add creativity in midfield? The only good thing right now is we have stopped throwing in goals. Do you really want to leave Jules and Heneghan unsupervised? Games will be over after 20 minutes. I'd keep McHugh back there even if McManus was available and drop Heneghan

[Shaka]

Players all wanted Robinson to get the job so the holiday camp could continue. The lazy unprofessional cunts have had it too easy for too long

[Lobey_Dosser]

The thing that worries me is,when/if we get relegated(Im 95% resigned to us now being relegated) were stuck wi Robinson who is showing worrying signs that the Oldham debacle was the rule rather than the exception when it comes to his managerial skills.

 

When we go down,can we afford 2 or 3 seasons in the wilderness a la Hibs?

If we get relegated, Robinson will be away. I'd also expect 1 or 2 Directors to walk if they stay true to their word.

[mfcdez]

Taking a gamble on a couple of English lower league players to try and unearth a gem is one thing. Loading your team with them is just dicing with death.

For every Louis Moult or Marvin Johnston success story, there's a Jacob Blyth, Craig Clay, Louis Laing or Wes Fletcher abject disaster.

Wednesday night and this afternoons performances prove that the recruitment system is massively flawed.

Unfortunately dropping down a tier seems to be the only way the powers that be are going to open their eyes and realise it.

The squad is littered with sub-standard players and past it senior members, many with time left on contracts.

If the dreaded happens, I fear that next season could go very St Mirren-esque with a second successive relegation battle, never mind a run at bouncing straight back up.

Got to hope Moult can get back to fitness as soon as possible, as I think he alone is the only hope of getting out of this.

[MelvinBragg]

Taking a gamble on a couple of English lower league players to try and unearth a gem is one thing. Loading your team with them is just dicing with death.

For every Louis Moult or Marvin Johnston success story, there's a Jacob Blyth, Craig Clay, Louis Laing or Wes Fletcher abject disaster.

Wednesday night and this afternoons performances prove that the recruitment system is massively flawed.

Unfortunately dropping down a tier seems to be the only way the powers that be are going to open their eyes and realise it.

The squad is littered with sub-standard players and past it senior members, many with time left on contracts.

If the dreaded happens, I fear that next season could go very St Mirren-esque with a second successive relegation battle, never mind a run at bouncing straight back up.

Got to hope Moult can get back to fitness as soon as possible, as I think he alone is the only hope of getting out of this.

Louis Laing would be a standout in our current team. As might Wes Fletcher...

[Ya Bezzer!]

Louis Laing would be a standout in our current team. As might Wes Fletcher...

 

Louis Laing was destroyed by East Fife and Wes Fletcher was a bone china player who now plays in an elf league.

[MelvinBragg]

 

Louis Laing was destroyed by East Fife and Wes Fletcher was a bone china player who now plays in an elf league.

I don't disagree but my point still stands. Laing or Jules? Fletcher or Blyth?

[CoF]

I don't disagree but my point still stands. Laing or Jules? Fletcher or Blyth?

 

Fletcher - nah, not for me. On a par with what I've seen of Blyth.

 

Laing - I'm convinced letting him go was just another symptom of McGhee's descent into madness. Not because he was a world beater, but because it left us with zero cover for our centre backs should one of them get a long term injury. Laing and Heneghan as a centre back pairing with McHugh in midfield would be fine. Instead, we've got the one midfielder I'm sure McGhee signed to build his team around constrained to sitting at the back with a disjointed and inconsistent midfield in front of him. Madness.

[Wellarmy]

I said ...with this group of players, and in our current form we are going down. You cant ignore the fact if our form doesnt improve and we dont score we will be favourites for the drop. The players need to step up, however, I see no evidence that they will.

Fair point just used to you being abit more positive! We'll not win many games as we don't often score more than one and as you and everybody else knows we just don't keep many clean sheets. I hope these guys are doing double shifts this week, we need 3 points against ICT next Saturday . If we don't then I for one will be touching cloth

[Kmcalpin]

Got to hope Moult can get back to fitness as soon as possible, as I think he alone is the only hope of getting out of this.

I'd like to see Moult back a soon as possible but he alone can't save us. If he's not given decent service he'll not score. Simples.

[mfcdez]

I'd like to see Moult back a soon as possible but he alone can't save us. If he's not given decent service he'll not score. Simples.

Very true , the service is obviously key and been seriously lacking , but in the couple of games he's been absent there have been a few chances that I would have fancied him to put away , where his stand-ins have been found wanting.

One man doesn't make a team , but we can at least look a threat in the final third with him in it .

[Mintymac]

Any updates on the Moult injury ? . Also think we need to gamble and put our best midfielder into central midfield . Jules in at centre half with Henegan . Not ideal but can't think of any other way.Also Cadden ain't a wing back needs to play further up the park . Is McManus out for rest of season ?

[sinjy]

I would possibly come into the happy clappers group. I backed McGhee until the Dundee game mainly because I could not see any better alternative out there.

However letting Laing go with a lot of games behind him and replacing him with a rookie in Jules was a gamble and sure enough McManus got injured straight away.

The disallowed goals at Dundee and Partick, the sendings off that might or might not have been correct that cost us two of our best players for two games and the no goal last Wednesday all add up to a lot of bad luck. Add in three away games at Rangers Celtic and Aberdeen and it seems to me that the gods are against us.

Jules, Clay, Bowman and Blyth were gambles that have not come off and as for Pearson he is either injured or scared of getting an injury that scuppers his chances of going back to India as he has been guff.

I kept reading that our great forwards would get us out of trouble but in the last four games it has been missed chances that have stopped us winning. Couple that up with a defence that could n't keep hens out of a close and we are in deep shit.

We have had a good run 30 years in the top flight but I really fear it is coming to an end.

[smiddy]

well sinjay

if you read on pie n Bovril the ict fans say the same as you so next week with 2 feckin shite teams and us 4 points in front , expect an ict 1-0 victory just to make things interesting, oh and the only mob on p&b who are confident are the yaccies ??? ( no feckin wonder after stealing points of the sheep n st j then us and ross c so they are the only ones picking up points

[sinjy]

I think this backs up my feeling that we are going down. Its not our year. Accies beat Aberdeen when every report suggests they were the luckiest team ever. Then two St Johnstone players fight each other and they score in the last minute against nine men.

Its just a feeling I have that its written that we go down. I so hope I am wrong.

 

well sinjay

if you read on pie n Bovril the ict fans say the same as you so next week with 2 feckin shite teams and us 4 points in front , expect an ict 1-0 victory just to make things interesting, oh and the only mob on p&b who are confident are the yaccies ??? ( no feckin wonder after stealing points of the sheep n st j then us and ross c so they are the only ones picking up points

[gilmour]

Read enough off to bed hoping for better days

[wellowell]

For me shit result but for once every other result went for us imo . Next week is a must not lose and unfortunately with our home record so bad and especially against ICT we could certainly lose . Someone said we're not a 1 man team with Moult missing but unfortunately we are imo he decides whether we stay up or not . Ran out of sob stories midfield is shite so get Campbell in and Pearson out he's done sfa since he returned .Missing my 1st home game next week as away so hopefully we can win when I'm not there as been shit when I have been . IMO any team in bottom 6 can go down and we have 6 games left now confirmed against other 5 so it's game on starting next week .We are good enough to stay up but unfortunately we can be bad enough to go down .

[El Grew]

Same pish as Wednesday. Certainly we have as poor a group of players has bee seen at FP in a long time but the manager is clueless:-

 

(1) Same starting 11 as against Accies with exception of Jules in for Hammell;

(2) Same set-up/formation as against Accies;

(3) Same awful first half as against Accies;

(4) Same players substituted as against Accies; and

(5) Same awful second half performance as against Accies.

 

Our manager comes out and states that the game was lost because of our poor first 30 minutes!!?? Well, that's just absolute f*cking twaddle. We were only a goal behind and with a full 2/3 of the match left to try and remedy things. However, it was really only in the last 10 minutes that we exerted any pressure and even then it was really only wind and piss. Prepare for a future in the Championship.

[ropy]

Losing that goal was criminal, 2 defenders in the six yard box, neither marking the only attacker, stand between him and the goals please.

 

The goal wasn't the keeper's fault but that is where a good goalie makes a difference, get out and block it before he gets the shot away.

[Andy_P]

Starting off on the positive. I like the fact in his short while in charge Robinson has been thoughtful with his formations and has tried to work something around the players at his disposal. I've been impressed at him being bold enough to give players who hadn't featured previously a shot at a vital stage of the season whilst leaving out some of the untouchables. I like his willingness to address the personnel and tactics early in a game if it doesn't appear to be working.

 

But some of that poses as many questions as answers and brought other problems as a consequence. Why have we got the initial tactics wrong and had to change so early? Why have we had to be bold and gamble making double substitutions so early? Why the hell have we resorted in recent games an utterly awful and ineffective hoofball style?

 

I said prior to SR's appointment I would be intrigued to see how he handled the job and I remain so. Yet the words of a few fellow posters who stated the person we would want to build something may not necessarily be the best person to help us avoid relegation is a nagging increasingly repetitive voice in mind.

 

These challenges are all great for Robinson to work through to learn about his players and their capabilities. But it's fucking agonising stuff looking on in seeing them work at it, in the midst of the plight we currently find ourselves in.

 

The first half yesterday was as bad as its been for a good while. Defensively weak. Offering absolutely nothing going forward and very lucky not to be at least a couple down.

 

The second half was much improved and we dominated if not exactly carving out chance after chance. There was a response though, we got effort, we got urgency and we looked like a team that wanted to win rather than one in the first half that just looked sorry for themselves and had no belief.

 

I think it's been so unfortunate that in two of the most important games we've been without Moult. You would think between midweek and yesterday he would surely have been able to make something out of the pressure and dominance we had in spells over Accies and Thistle.

 

Yet perhaps Tait's return is arguably just as important given the ability to return to a 4-4-2 that actually has a proper right back in it. The wing-back roles for Frear and Cadden have increased their defensive duties and in many cases left them deeper than where would have liked. Albeit Cadds could have been put under pressure defensively yesterday when he played as a right-back in the second half it was refreshing that the formation change at half-time allowed us to put in some half decent crosses, or at least semi-decent crosses, rather than the utterly awful and ineffective hoof up the middle aimed at Bowman.

 

The single goal losses to top half teams perhaps suggest that we're not that far away, although we simply cannot afford to write off forty-five minutes in the manner we did in the first half yesterday. We'll be a better team for Tait and Moult's return and hopefully the breather that Lasley has had over the last few weeks will see it's benefit in the final weeks of the season.

 

Horrible as the table currently looks I remain hopeful that we still have enough about us to finish at least tenth.

[Dezz]

Starting off on the positive. I like the fact in his short while in charge Robinson has been thoughtful with his formations and has tried to work something around the players at his disposal. I've been impressed at him being bold enough to give players who hadn't featured previously a shot at a vital stage of the season whilst leaving out some of the untouchables. I like his willingness to address the personnel and tactics early in a game if it doesn't appear to be working.

 

But some of that poses as many questions as answers and brought other problems as a consequence. Why have we got the initial tactics wrong and had to change so early? Why have we had to be bold and gamble making double substitutions so early? Why the hell have we resorted in recent games an utterly awful and ineffective hoofball style?

 

I said prior to SR's appointment I would be intrigued to see how he handled the job and I remain so. Yet the words of a few fellow posters who stated the person we would want to build something may not necessarily be the best person to help us avoid relegation is a nagging increasingly repetitive voice in mind.

 

These challenges are all great stuff for Robinson to work through to learn about his players and their capabilities. But it's fucking agonising stuff looking on in seeing them doing it, in the midst of the plight we currently find ourselves in.

 

The first half yesterday was as bad as its been for a good while. Defensively weak. Offering absolutely nothing going forward and very lucky not to be at least a couple down.

 

The second half was much improved and we dominated if not exactly carving out chance after chance. There was a response though, we got effort, we got urgency and we looked like a team that wanted to win rather than one in the first half that just looked sorry for themselves and had no belief.

 

I think it's been so unfortunate that in two of the most important games we've been without Moult. You would think between midweek and yesterday he would surely have been able to make something out of the pressure and dominance we had in spells over Accies and Thistle.

 

Yet perhaps Tait's return is arguably just as important given the ability to return to a 4-4-2 that actually has a proper right back in it. The wing-back roles for Frear and Cadden have increased their defensive duties and in many cases left them deeper than where would have liked. Albeit Cadds could have been put under pressure defensively yesterday when he played as a right-back in the second half it was refreshing that the formation change at half-time allowed us to put in some half decent crosses, or at least semi-decent crosses, rather than the utterly awful and ineffective hoof up the middle aimed at Bowman.

 

The single goal losses to top half teams perhaps suggest that we're not that far away, although we simply cannot afford to write off forty-five minutes in the manner we did in the first half yesterday. We'll be a better team for Tait and Moult's return and hopefully the breather that Lasley has had over the last few weeks will see it's benefit in the final weeks of the season.

 

Horrible as the table currently looks I remain hopeful that we still have enough about us to finish at least tenth.

A well thought-out and worded post Andy which basically sums up my thoughts on our current predicament.