Electric Blues Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 10 minutes ago, smiddy said: your right he was and WH was an english teacher and so was his daughter Sheila was a lot easier on the eye than Wilson, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_P Posted March 6, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 2 hours ago, Ya Bezzer! said: Don't really agree with that. I was hoping for a Ross County win. Another 3 points ahead of Killie and 2 ahead of Accies and another game scored off. 1 more win will do it for us. However, we should be aiming for 7th place now. We certainly should....though I must admit in the short-term a St Johnstone win over Ross County and an Accies win over St Mirren, which would see St Mirren drop out of the top six would give me a certain degree of satisfaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yodo Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 1 hour ago, Goggles & Flippers said: Robinson's aura cost us the goal aye? Get over him mate I have 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ropy Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 15 minutes ago, Pettywulliegrew-2 said: Taught by both WH and Hynd........also taught by WH wife who was a primary school teacher at Calder She taught me at Muirhouse 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie73 Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 What a difference in the team work ethic without Polworth and Gallagher, well done boys for a great win today onwards and upwards for the Killie game, let’s have a great Scottish cup run with no pressure of league safety COYW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbybingo Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 46 minutes ago, santheman said: We were saying much the same about our squad when GA joined. Hes turned us around, Wright doesn't look like hes done the same at Killie. Some were saying our squad was pish, some were saying it wasn't. Anyone in the former category would have a point regarding Wright's lack of impact vs Alexander's success. Bit more difficult to compare if you always thought we had a decent side, as Killie fans seem pretty united regarding their pishness. I'm happy we got the right man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FirParkCornerExile Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 28 minutes ago, Andy_P said: We certainly should....though I must admit in the short-term a St Johnstone win over Ross County and an Accies win over St Mirren, which would see St Mirren drop out of the top six would give me a certain degree of satisfaction. I would love to finish above St Mitten , cocky bastards. So a draw between them and Accies and they lose their last game before split and St Johntone win theirs, very long shot though 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_P Posted March 6, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 Another good day. Interesting decision to keep the same starting eleven from last weekend but nobody could argue any of the eleven weren't due the opportunity of building on their achievements of seven days previous. And what a great start! Unfortunately it didn't produce the goal our dominance perhaps merited but I don't think I can remember a start where the opposition were hemmed in for the best part of the opening ten minutes for quite some time. Such a pleasant contrast to the sluggish starts that have seen, even in some of the games we've gone on to win. A well struck penalty to give us the lead and good to see, or to be accurate hear from Jock Brown, that he demanded the ball and his finish was as assured as he sounded confident. Kelly did his usual before half-time. He's almost Randolph-esque in his ability to pull off at least one jaw-dropping save a game. The second was great instinctive finish from Cole for his second but just when we thought we might be home and dry we conceded immediately. Another good test of our resolve and it was great to re-establish the two goal advantage with a classy finish from Long rather than leave us with what would most likely have been a tortuous last half an hour sitting back, getting deeper and deeper and inviting pressure. The substitution of Long seemed to be a bit of a talking point but he was the obvious candidate for me at that point despite his goal and generally decent display. His stupidity in kicking the ball away and getting himself a yellow left him vulnerable. I imagine Alexander's thought process was that if Watt happened to be out for a period he didn't need another forward to be absent through suspension in the next game, particularly one whose temperament is regularly questioned. You just hope we can keep the momentum building when we resume in a fortnight. Much like last weekend there's a sense of frustration that we don't have a game sooner when confidence is high and we have that air of positivity about us. I must admit I don't really have any great sense of regret of what might have been. There were stages of the season where we didn't perhaps get the points our performances might have deserved but given the dangerous place we found ourselves in as recent as a fortnight ago, I'm just quite content that with each passing week we move further and further away from that place. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbybingo Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 47 minutes ago, FirParkCornerExile said: Rodger Hynd was a PE teacher, you can only imagine how he ended up our manager. Not to speak ill of anyone, I'll say he was a memorable teacher. The 2 Whiteford brothers were PE teachers at my school anaw. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy_P Posted March 6, 2021 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 Just now, bobbybingo said: Not to speak ill of anyone, I'll say he was a memorable teacher. The 2 Whiteford brothers were PE teachers at my school anaw. And to take it further down that road Derek's missus taught me in Primary 7. Used to bring in Dumbarton programmes on a Monday morning when he was on the coaching staff there. A few rooms down the corridor was the office of the wife of Norrie Anderson who played for Ayr Utd at the time. She did not bring me Ayr Utd programmes on a Monday morning however. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 2 minutes ago, bobbybingo said: Some were saying our squad was pish, some were saying it wasn't. Anyone in the former category would have a point regarding Wright's lack of impact vs Alexander's success. Bit more difficult to compare if you always thought we had a decent side, as Killie fans seem pretty united regarding their pishness. I'm happy we got the right man. We didn't really have a functional team when Alexander arrived but he's made good choices to establish a starting XI that works. Cole was in and out under Robinson, he's started every game under Alexander. Maguire, not before time, has been brought in and given a run in the correct position. We brought in a top class goalkeeper. Roberts has performed better than Robinson's wide players. Guys like Seedorf, White, Polworth have been ditched. We are not out the woods yet but Alexander just seems like he's a more competent judge of players and knows better how a team clicks together than Robinson did. Even when Robinson did get it right it usually felt like he was forced into it or it happened by accident. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbybingo Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 1 minute ago, Ya Bezzer! said: We didn't really have a functional team when Alexander arrived but he's made good choices to establish a starting XI that works. Cole was in and out under Robinson, he's started every game under Alexander. Maguire, not before time, has been brought in and given a run in the correct position. We brought in a top class goalkeeper. Roberts has performed better than Robinson's wide players. Guys like Seedorf, White, Polworth have been ditched. We are not out the woods yet but Alexander just seems like he's a more competent judge of players and knows better how a team clicks together than Robinson did. Even when Robinson did get it right it usually felt like he was forced into it or it happened by accident. Agree with that. I'm happy to admit I was wrong about the hopelessness of a few players (not all, though) but the questions will remain about their long term future once the season's over. It feels like a team now, rather than a collection of guys who disappeared then reappeared on a regular basis, with ever diminishing returns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grumpy Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 1 hour ago, smiddy said: your right he was and WH was an english teacher and so was his daughter Were you in my class at Dalziel? Roger Hynd was a psycho, Wilson Humphries was a brilliant teacher and Sheila was rubbish at giving the belt. Much better looking than her dad though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coatsy Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 48 minutes ago, grumpy said: Were you in my class at Dalziel? Roger Hynd was a psycho, Wilson Humphries was a brilliant teacher and Sheila was rubbish at giving the belt. Much better looking than her dad though. Sorry cant agree with the Wilson Humphries comment, more interested in nipping out for a fag than teaching Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pettywulliegrew-2 Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 45 minutes ago, grumpy said: Were you in my class at Dalziel? Roger Hynd was a psycho, Wilson Humphries was a brilliant teacher and Sheila was rubbish at giving the belt. Much better looking than her dad though. Always remember a vey animated Wilson Humphries reciting poem when I was in second year in Dalziel 76/77 “The Green Eye of the Yellow God” where as Hynd was a bampot of a PE teacher, always remember coaching the school team and him telling us to rip out earrings of opponents ears Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoF Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 2 hours ago, Ya Bezzer! said: We didn't really have a functional team when Alexander arrived but he's made good choices to establish a starting XI that works. Cole was in and out under Robinson, he's started every game under Alexander. Maguire, not before time, has been brought in and given a run in the correct position. We brought in a top class goalkeeper. Roberts has performed better than Robinson's wide players. Guys like Seedorf, White, Polworth have been ditched. We are not out the woods yet but Alexander just seems like he's a more competent judge of players and knows better how a team clicks together than Robinson did. Even when Robinson did get it right it usually felt like he was forced into it or it happened by accident. Good post. One huge difference is that we actually have a midfield connected to both the front three and the back four - in possession, particularly in the first half we frequently had 5 or 6 in the final third which quickly switched to 7 or 8 playing defensive roles when needed. It's something we've tried and failed to for the more than a calendar year. I'm sure the more tactically minded on here can explain what's changed, but it looks like a big part is down to the desire and motivation Alexander has instilled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted March 6, 2021 Report Share Posted March 6, 2021 One thing is that Alexander likes us to play out from the back with short passes. That helps keeps things connected much more than having the keeper launch it every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kat Posted March 7, 2021 Report Share Posted March 7, 2021 1 hour ago, weeyin said: One thing is that Alexander likes us to play out from the back with short passes. That helps keeps things connected much more than having the keeper launch it every time. Funnily enough against Livi we abandoned that idea of playing from the back and two players coming into the box, Kelly went route one all day. Roberts is actually surprisingly good in the air winning numerous duals. It's nice to look forward to games these days, the last week or so has been tremendous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WELLDAFT Posted March 7, 2021 Report Share Posted March 7, 2021 RH at Garrion wouldn't let us put the locks on weightlifting equipment to make sure we lifted them straight, the thought of dropping 15kg on your toes worked every time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted March 7, 2021 Report Share Posted March 7, 2021 1 hour ago, Kat said: Funnily enough against Livi we abandoned that idea of playing from the back and two players coming into the box, Kelly went route one all day. Roberts is actually surprisingly good in the air winning numerous duals. It's nice to look forward to games these days, the last week or so has been tremendous. Aye, just after I saw your post I came across this article about how he's adapted this initial approach. Definitely one for that stats and tactics nerds. Quote Graham Alexander has encouraged his side to play short from goal kicks since his arrival to build possession from defence. This has been a trademark of Alexander’s Motherwell since his arrival alongside their determination to press high - this has also been tweaked recently. They conceded 20 shots in the 3-0 defeat to St Johnstone as they persisted with trying to play out from the back but Alexander has altered this strategy in the last two games. Liam Kelly has been an excellent signing for Motherwell. He’s a very good goalkeeper and his distribution is brilliant - undoubtedly one of his strengths and a prerequisite for modern goalkeepers. The former Livingston goalkeeper has completed all 84 of his short passes this season. While a majority of these will be ‘safe’ passes it’s still impressive to have a 100% short pass accuracy. Therefore, it’s understandable why Alexander has looked to utilise Kelly’s excellent distribution skills but there’s been a noticeable tactical tweak in recent weeks. Against St Johnstone, Liam Kelly took 14 goal kicks, passing eight short (57%) and hitting six long (43%). However, in the ‘Well’s next fixture against St Mirren he didn’t take any of his eight goal kicks short and it was even more noticeable against Hibernian. In the crucial 2-0 victory, Kelly didn’t take any of his 13 goal kicks short and it appeared to be a clear instruction to go long before looking to dominant on second balls. Motherwell’s combative midfield three of Allan Campbell, Barry Maguire and the impressive Robbie Crawford were excellent at winning these duels and it allowed Motherwell to gain territory higher up the pitch. It’s noticeable that the two other games where Kelly never played short were in Alexander’s first game in charge against St Mirren and in defeat to Hamilton, where Brian Rice’s side implemented an extremely risky high press and forced Kelly to go long. The catalyst for the tactical adjustment in Motherwell’s last two fixtures will have been significantly influenced by the lacklustre defeat to St Johnstone. The Saints, successfully, implemented a high press which prevented Motherwell progressing the ball up the pitch and forced them to play back to their goalkeeper. Their inability to beat the press effectively combined with the Steelmen’s commitment to build possession from defence was emphasised by Kelly receiving 22 passes. This figure is significantly higher than his average received passes since joining Motherwell (10.6 per90) and was indicative of Motherwell’s struggles to get the ball to their forward players. A majority of these actions were a direct result of playing short from goal kicks. The Queens Park Rangers loanee would distribute the ball to one of his centre-backs, Ricki Lamie or Tyler Magloire, and with no alternative pass available, they’d be forced to drop the ball back to Kelly. Of the 22 passes back to Kelly; Magloire had ten, Lamie eight, Liam Polworth two, Max Johnston two, Tony Watt one and Jake Carroll one. The League Cup winners smothered the Steelmen and prevented Alexander’s side from influencing the game from an attacking perspective. Motherwell’s xG was a ridiculously low 0.04 which is the second lowest in the Premiership all season - Hamilton recorded an xG of 0 in the 8-0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox. It was highlighted by the fact that Motherwell only managed five touches in the opposition box during this encounter. That statistic shouldn’t be used as a catalyst to criticise Motherwell’s front three - why aren’t the front three influencing the game? It’s impossible to impact the game as an attacking threat if you aren’t receiving the ball in dangerous areas and the opposition deserve credit for restricting that. St Johnstone and Callum Davidson deserve immense praise for identifying how Motherwell play and executing a strategy to capitalise upon that. Also, it’s imperative to highlight that Motherwell were decimated by injury for this fixture. Alexander was without the service of two, arguably three, of his starting back four and the influential Allan Campbell was also unavailable. There can be little doubt that the Perth side were buoyed when they received the team sheets and that, perhaps, encouraged them to be braver in their pressing tactics. Conversely, while Alexander’s impressive fortitude would have ensured that Motherwell were confident of achieving a positive result, it can be disheartening to be without so many key players - psychology is hugely significant in football. It will be hugely reassuring for any Motherwell supporter that Alexander identified the issues in the St Johnstone defeat and addressed them immediately. Other managers would be too stubborn and committed to one style of play to the detriment of results. Progressing the ball from defence is increasingly prevalent in modern football and there are benefits when executed perfectly - it’s aesthetically pleasing and effective. Possessing the adaptability to change tactics depending on opponents or circumstances during games will be hugely beneficial to Motherwell moving forward. It’s also important to stress that Alexander joined midseason during a congested schedule and the positive impact the former Scotland international’s had on performances, and results, is encouraging. The 49 year-old will have the summer transfer window to make adjustments to his squad after assessing the current players. After a full pre-season, where Alexander can dedicate more time to integrating his ideas, Motherwell supporters should be increasingly optimistic about what the future holds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelmaninOZ Posted March 7, 2021 Report Share Posted March 7, 2021 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelmaninOZ Posted March 7, 2021 Report Share Posted March 7, 2021 5 hours ago, weeyin said: One thing is that Alexander likes us to play out from the back with short passes. That helps keeps things connected much more than having the keeper launch it every time. The Gaffer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellsince75 Posted March 7, 2021 Report Share Posted March 7, 2021 the last 3 games are much improved. Credit to the manager for finding a way to make the 4-3-3 work for us . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0Neils40yarder Posted March 7, 2021 Report Share Posted March 7, 2021 11 hours ago, FirParkCornerExile said: and it doesn't make John Hughes a good manager just as it doesnt make Tommy Wright a Donkey. It maybe doesnt but it does mean that he hasnt had the impact that Killie require to get out of the mess they are in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoF Posted March 7, 2021 Report Share Posted March 7, 2021 I wonder how long Martindale will last. I imagine players will only respond to that psychotic screaming for so long before they tune out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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