2019-20 Rebuild

[Kmcalpin]

Last Friday night was, apart from anything else, always going to be a physical test and we failed badly.  It gets back to Robbo's earning the right to play and we just didn't.  We lost too many 50/50 challenges, got bodied just too often, and couldn't hold the ball up when we needed to.  In short, the current squad is too lightweight. 

[underboyleheating]

20 minutes ago, Kmcalpin said:

We lost too many 50/50 challenge,s got bodied just too often, and couldn't hold the ball up when we needed to.  In short, the current squad is too lightweight. 

I hope they are quick learners as this league doesn't take prisoners.

[weeyin]

2 hours ago, Kmcalpin said:

Last Friday night was, apart from anything else, always going to be a physical test and we failed badly.  It gets back to Robbo's earning the right to play and we just didn't.  We lost too many 50/50 challenges, got bodied just too often, and couldn't hold the ball up when we needed to.  In short, the current squad is too lightweight. 

The big issue with last Friday is everybody from front to back was awful. You could fill the team with Campbells, but if they don't run, don't cover, stay out of tackles and can't execute a simple pass, the result would be the same.

When a guy like Tait is shirking tackles like he did in the first half, the game is over. 

The question now is how will the players respond. 

[Yodo]

I see Coutinho knocked us back 

[dinnae-punt-it]

6 hours ago, Kmcalpin said:

Last Friday night was, apart from anything else, always going to be a physical test and we failed badly.  It gets back to Robbo's earning the right to play and we just didn't.  We lost too many 50/50 challenges, got bodied just too often, and couldn't hold the ball up when we needed to.  In short, the current squad is too lightweight. 

I was taken a back by how scared of a tackle Seedorf seemed to be. He needs to grow a set if he is going to make it in this league.

[weeyin]

13 minutes ago, dinnae-punt-it said:

I was taken a back by how scared of a tackle Seedorf seemed to be. He needs to grow a set if he is going to make it in this league.

It was Tait shirking a tackle in the first half that surprised me. He's usually not shy in imposing himself on any opponent, but that moment seemed to sum up the whole team's display; everybody from Gillespie forward was off their game.

The thing that annoyed me about Seedorf was the fact we kept passing to his feet (or just behind him) when he was standing still, instead of into space for him to attack.

[Al B]

We commented at the game that Tait did that 3 or 4 times on Friday. We wondered if he was maybe protecting an injury or something, he really didn't look himself at all.

[Yorkyred]

10 minutes ago, Al B said:

We commented at the game that Tait did that 3 or 4 times on Friday. We wondered if he was maybe protecting an injury or something, he really didn't look himself at all.

He was probably off his game because his team mate in front of him was as good as sitting in the stand. I’ve got far less patience with Hylton’s “performance”.

[buff_is_the_tooth_fairy]

4 hours ago, Yodo said:

I see Coutinho knocked us back 

But Tanner played and scored in the Monday reserve game.

[MelvinBragg]

7 minutes ago, buff_is_the_tooth_fairy said:

But Tanner played and scored in the Monday reserve game.

Interesting to see since I read a rumour on here a couple of days ago that Tanner was going to be released as the club thought he was never going to be able to be back at a required level...

[Al B]

19 minutes ago, Yorkyred said:

He was probably off his game because his team mate in front of him was as good as sitting in the stand. I’ve got far less patience with Hylton’s “performance”.

I'm not talking about him being off his game, i'm talking about him pulling out of challenges and not putting the usual meat behind the ball in a 50/50, in the way that someone would if they were protecting a knee or an ankle or something.

For the record though I completely agree with you about Hylton on Friday.

[weeyin]

4 minutes ago, Al B said:

I'm not talking about him being off his game, i'm talking about him pulling out of challenges and not putting the usual meat behind the ball in a 50/50, in the way that someone would if they were protecting a knee or an ankle or something.

For the record though I completely agree with you about Hylton on Friday.

Aye, I never expect to see Tait pull out of any challenge - very uncharacteristic.

I wouldn't pick on Hylton for being mince, though. From Gillespie gifting a needless pen, to Dunne with his aimless long balls, to the toothless midfield and our inability to create anything in the final third, it was a dismal performance all round.

Just hoping it was a one-off.

[stuwell]

Thought Tait not challenging on two or three occasions  was more down to the conditions and the fear of mis timing the tackle and getting sent off as although Walsh was happy to let Hearts players slide about I'm not sure he would have been so lenient if one of ours had done the same - still don't get the Hearts player only getting booked along with Tait but no booking for the initial challenge.

[buff_is_the_tooth_fairy]

15 minutes ago, weeyin said:

Aye, I never expect to see Tait pull out of any challenge - very uncharacteristic.

I wouldn't pick on Hylton for being mince, though. From Gillespie gifting a needless pen, to Dunne with his aimless long balls, to the toothless midfield and our inability to create anything in the final third, it was a dismal performance all round.

Just hoping it was a one-off.

Dunnes passing has been poor since he got here, but when Hearts sit deep, closing space, and (happy to) let him have the ball we need movement ahead of him or someone on the ball who can find a team mate. 

He isn't good enough to find the long pass.  It took an age to drop.  Seedorf was hugging the touchline at Robinsons insistence with lots of space at times but Dunne either didn't or couldn't find him.  It didn't help that when he got the ball he wouldn't or couldn't beat the two men that immediately closed him down, or frustratingly turned back towards defence.

[mfc88]

25 minutes ago, stuwell said:

Thought Tait not challenging on two or three occasions  was more down to the conditions and the fear of mis timing the tackle and getting sent off as although Walsh was happy to let Hearts players slide about I'm not sure he would have been so lenient if one of ours had done the same - still don't get the Hearts player only getting booked along with Tait but no booking for the initial challenge.

That absolutely baffled me as well. Did I miss something or did Michael Smith not just boot the ball into seedorf's chest from point blank range, sparking a very minor melee - we get 2 men in the book for it and only a booking for smith also?

[steelboy]

The one that Tait pulled out of on the edge of the Hearts box in the first half was a good decision. It was a complete hospital pass from (I think) Seedorf and the risk/reward in terms of being injured/sent off versus us scoring wasn't worth it.

Carl McHugh is the proof that you don't have to go in 100% for every potential challenge.

[Kmcalpin]

3 hours ago, mfc88 said:

That absolutely baffled me as well. Did I miss something or did Michael Smith not just boot the ball into seedorf's chest from point blank range, sparking a very minor melee - we get 2 men in the book for it and only a booking for smith also?

He 100% did and it should have been a straight red. Madden completely lost control and that weakness led to a string of incidents afterwards; all completely avoidable. In view of the Carroll decision I'm waiting to see if the Compliance Officer offers Smith a 2 match ban tomorrow.  

[GazzyB]

.

[GrahamH]

3 minutes ago, GazzyB said:

Wasn't the ball in play when Smith did that? I.e. the ref hadn't blown for a foul or anything?

No, the game had stopped for a free kick as far as I remember.

[GazzyB]

1 minute ago, GrahamH said:

No, the game had stopped for a free kick as far as I remember.

Yeah you're right, I just checked and the ref blew the whistle just as Smith kicked it into Seedorf.

 

Hopefully the compliance officer leaves it be, or Seedorf will get banned for jumping up and grabbing Smith by the throat.

[Yodo]

9 hours ago, GazzyB said:

Yeah you're right, I just checked and the ref blew the whistle just as Smith kicked it into Seedorf.

 

Hopefully the compliance officer leaves it be, or Seedorf will get banned for jumping up and grabbing Smith by the throat.

Now there is a plus and he could get an extra two games for impersonating a footballer 

[Alpha1886]

10 hours ago, GazzyB said:

Yeah you're right, I just checked and the ref blew the whistle just as Smith kicked it into Seedorf.

 

Hopefully the compliance officer leaves it be, or Seedorf will get banned for jumping up and grabbing Smith by the throat.

Smith deliberately and violently blooters the ball point blank range into Seedoorf who is lying defenceless on the ground after being fouled by Smith well after Madden has blown for a foul. That's not being hard - that's the act of a coward/thug. Should have been red for violent conduct by itself. Seedorf jumps up to confront Smith as anyone would and puts his hands on Smith's throat while Smith is aggressively mocking him. Then Smith pushes his hand into Seedorf's face which is another straight red offence. All this happens right in front of referee, assistant referee and fourth official. So sum of their 3 brains and  competence equals SFA. Although maybe they took into account Levein's input.

[Kmcalpin]

44 minutes ago, Alpha1886 said:

Smith deliberately and violently blooters the ball point blank range into Seedoorf who is lying defenceless on the ground after being fouled by Smith well after Madden has blown for a foul. That's not being hard - that's the act of a coward/thug. Should have been red for violent conduct by itself. Seedorf jumps up to confront Smith as anyone would and puts his hands on Smith's throat while Smith is aggressively mocking him. Then Smith pushes his hand into Seedorf's face which is another straight red offence. All this happens right in front of referee, assistant referee and fourth official. So sum of their 3 brains and  competence equals SFA. Although maybe they took into account Levein's input.

Well, if thats not a case for the Compliance Officer I'm a total and utter loss as to what is.  If no action is taken then the system is well and truly f****d.

[weeyin]

1 hour ago, Kmcalpin said:

Well, if thats not a case for the Compliance Officer I'm a total and utter loss as to what is.  If no action is taken then the system is well and truly f****d.

If the ref has seen the incident and not taken any action I don't think it can be referred. To quote from an SFA Question and Answer:

The Compliance Officer can only take retropsective action when an "on field incident, or an exceptional part of an on field incident, has been unseen by the match officials."

[Big Wispy Flossy]

The compliance officer should be too busy building a case against the Cnut that is Tom Boyd and his employer