Mcghee Tactical Genius

[garymfc]

oh dear oh dear,our self appointed tactical genius blew our top 6 chances today.a right back playing left back and our left back in midfield,kimple a defensive midfielder and three centre backs in defence,in a game we needed to win he sends a team like todays out to win a game.why he choose the team and formation today is beyond me.and then he waits till we go behind before he changes things,when everyone could see sutton,quinn and o'brien were crap.dundee,st johnstone last season nancy at home and st mirren in the cup this year.all games were mcghee has given it the big churchill speech,and we have rolled over.mcghee needs to spend the summer having a look at himself,and getting away from this idea that he is some sort of alex ferguson,when the reality is,he is nowhere near that.

[numpty]

McGhee might be a lot of things, but if he's self-appointed we really ought to be asking questions of our board

[GazzyB]

I am all for freedom of speech. I am totally all for it. But when a clueless buffoon like you comes out and spouts utter drivel like this I feel the need to challenge it...

 

1) A right back at left back. Same fucking difference, Quinn had a good game. With McLean and Quinn we have two full backs who know how to attack AND defend. McLean was great at right back, and Quinn was solid at left back.

 

2) Klimpl, a defensive midfielder. Who would you have had in place of Klimpl? Fitzpatrick, Lasley or Malcolm? All defensive midfielders? Steven McGarry (nackered after 60 minutes)? Jamie Murphy (like 19 years old and not kicked a ball since October).

 

3) Three centre halves? McLean played right back, Craggs and Reynolds in the centre and Quinn out the left. I don't know how we played with three centre halves.

 

Ofcourse he sent that team out today. A 4-4-2 with O'Brien, Hammell, Quinn and Hughes all able to get up and support the strikers. It's hardly a fucking ultra defensive system he played is it? The team was a little different, but the formation was the same we've played all season. We hardly rolled over today. Far from it. We were the better team for most of the game, St Mirren scored against the run of play and scored a peach towards the end. McGhee did fuck all wrong today. He picked the right team and the right formation, it's not his fault the players on the park failed to break down a well organised St Mirren side.

 

Get off McGhee's back. He was not at fault for today.

 

(in my opinion).

[dosser1886]

I'm a really big fan of McGee's and I think that he is one of the best things to have happened to us in a long time.

 

BUT!!!

 

I think he really needs to have a good look at his own responsibility for what happened today. It is not all his fault as players should have enough ability to be able to adapt to different systems and formations at times but the truth is that they were not.

 

He (as other posters have mentioned) does seem to want to wait until the really important games before he decides to mess about with the formation in a major way. IMO, Quinn was really toiling at left back, all to often the ball ended up on his left side with the inevitable result. He is bad enough at distributing the ball with his right foot no matter his left.

 

I feel that Hammell is physically not big enough to be a left back and did want to see him in left midfield at some point but not in such an important game.

 

McLean has been really good in central defence recently, why then shoehorn in Craigan, who I really like, but was just back from injury and tends to toil for pace which was very evident today.

 

Lots of the other guys had really off days and this did not help at all in making this new formation work at all, and we really needed to make some changes sooner rather than, as it turned out they were made far too late.

 

But hey if it had all worked, he would be called a genius, but it didn't so he has to take his share of the blame.

 

(EDIT : Also, and much talked about, I know I'm sick of hearing about it too but the state of the pitch compounded things as well, I lost count the number of times that moves or passes broke down or went astray due to the poor state of the pitch)

[Kmcalpin]

I feel that Hammell is physically not big enough to be a left back and did want to see him in left midfield at some point but not in such an important game.

 

I made that very point when he first broke into the first team but was told by many that his skill would more than compensate for that. Having felt that he was due a run in wide left midfield I'm now reconsidering that. Today he was all too often caught out of position and perhaps he might make a decent central midfielder. He always seems to want to play inside so give him a chance to do that.

[mon_da_well]

Quinn had a good game.

 

Really? I thought he was horrible today!

[weeyin]

oh dear oh dear,our self appointed tactical genius blew our top 6 chances today.a right back playing left back and our left back in midfield,kimple a defensive midfielder and three centre backs in defence,in a game we needed to win he sends a team like todays out to win a game

Someone should confiscate your copy of Football Manager.

 

[Shaka]

I am all for freedom of speech. I am totally all for it. But when a clueless buffoon like you comes out and spouts utter drivel like this I feel the need to challenge it...

 

1) A right back at left back. Same fucking difference, Quinn had a good game. With McLean and Quinn we have two full backs who know how to attack AND defend. McLean was great at right back, and Quinn was solid at left back.

 

2) Klimpl, a defensive midfielder. Who would you have had in place of Klimpl? Fitzpatrick, Lasley or Malcolm? All defensive midfielders? Steven McGarry (nackered after 60 minutes)? Jamie Murphy (like 19 years old and not kicked a ball since October).

 

3) Three centre halves? McLean played right back, Craggs and Reynolds in the centre and Quinn out the left. I don't know how we played with three centre halves.

 

Ofcourse he sent that team out today. A 4-4-2 with O'Brien, Hammell, Quinn and Hughes all able to get up and support the strikers. It's hardly a fucking ultra defensive system he played is it? The team was a little different, but the formation was the same we've played all season. We hardly rolled over today. Far from it. We were the better team for most of the game, St Mirren scored against the run of play and scored a peach towards the end. McGhee did fuck all wrong today. He picked the right team and the right formation, it's not his fault the players on the park failed to break down a well organised St Mirren side.

 

Get off McGhee's back. He was not at fault for today.

 

(in my opinion).

 

 

Sorry bud but if you want a clueless buffoon,look in a mirror! MMG`s team + tactics were horrible today, Quinn didnt look too comfortable + would have been far better in his more natural side+position. McLean played ok but is a centre half at heart. I think garymfc meant that Klimpl along with that defence meant we had 5 players (half our team) who wouldnt/couldnt influence attack in a game where we needed to score, not saying Klimpl shouldnt have played, but having Klimpl + a defence where the full backs didnt add anything going forward meant more pressure on Hughes/JOB/Hammell to create the chances

[Lobey_Dosser]

I am all for freedom of speech. I am totally all for it. But when a clueless buffoon like you comes out and spouts utter drivel like this I feel the need to challenge it...

 

1) A right back at left back. Same fucking difference, Quinn had a good game. With McLean and Quinn we have two full backs who know how to attack AND defend. McLean was great at right back, and Quinn was solid at left back.

 

2) Klimpl, a defensive midfielder. Who would you have had in place of Klimpl? Fitzpatrick, Lasley or Malcolm? All defensive midfielders? Steven McGarry (nackered after 60 minutes)? Jamie Murphy (like 19 years old and not kicked a ball since October).

 

3) Three centre halves? McLean played right back, Craggs and Reynolds in the centre and Quinn out the left. I don't know how we played with three centre halves.

 

Ofcourse he sent that team out today. A 4-4-2 with O'Brien, Hammell, Quinn and Hughes all able to get up and support the strikers. It's hardly a fucking ultra defensive system he played is it? The team was a little different, but the formation was the same we've played all season. We hardly rolled over today. Far from it. We were the better team for most of the game, St Mirren scored against the run of play and scored a peach towards the end. McGhee did fuck all wrong today. He picked the right team and the right formation, it's not his fault the players on the park failed to break down a well organised St Mirren side.

 

Get off McGhee's back. He was not at fault for today.

 

(in my opinion).

 

Usually find myself nodding in agreement with what you say Gazzy but I feel your a wide of the mark with your thoughts on Yesterday.

 

Time and time again, McGhee has made bizarre changes for a crunch game. I think it is fair to say that he does have some belief that he is a tactical genuis and almost every time it has backfired on him. You can go as far back as the CIS Cup against Rangers last season when IIRC, he left out Porter and had Roscoe up front his self!!? The less said about Dundee, Accies, Nancy and St Mirren x 2 the better...

[fatcalf]

For my part I felt he got it wrong as soon as I saw the team line-up. Finding a place for Quinn when he didn't want to leave out McLean was wrong, it's obvious he rates his defenders so highly that he doesn't want to leave any out but that's a pre-requisite for his position, you have to make decisions to leave players out. Changing the team around to accomodate ones you like brings it's own problems and we suffered yesterday from those changes I felt. But St Mirren, if nothing else, are good at stopping teams from playing and they've done us again, maybe if we'd gone back to our plan A we could have overpowered them but plans b, c, d etc have let us down badly.

Still he's got more right than wrong in his time, just wish he wouldn't mess about with the formation in the biggest games

[Mitch]

He waits and picks his times to fuck about with the tactics. McGhee is a excellent manager but this is why I dislike the guy!

[MelvinBragg]

Kind of similar to what Fatcalf says, I get the impression that McGhee has eleven players he wants to pick and he'll shoehorn them into a formation rather than try and find a balance in the team...

[bigmcd]

im affraid to say that things just didnt go our way today but i think the run in december cost us not todays game but i will stay possitve and look forward to next season and hopefully a few players will come in a a few bad ones will leave as mcghee says he will go for quality over quantity well i think we need more quality heres to next seasonn look on the positive we have another lanarkshire derby to win

[Lobey_Dosser]

Kind of similar to what Fatcalf says, I get the impression that McGhee has eleven players he wants to pick and he'll shoehorn them into a formation rather than try and find a balance in the team...

 

Nail on the head methinks.

 

Last season McGhee had faith in his attack minded players. My favourite game under McGhee remains the demolition of Hibs at Easter Road when our front 6 were Hughes, Lasley, McGarry, Roscoe, Clarky and Porter.

 

Nowadays our apparent strength is in defensive minded players, hence the inclusion of 2 defensive minded players in our midfield!

[the fox]

No one else has mentioned but should Cillian Sheridan not have been introduced sooner?If Motherwell have any promising centre backs would anyone drop Reynolds?

Another thing i do not understand is locking the dressing room and ranting at the players for about 1 hour after wards after the damage is done i think better to leave them to stew in their own juices for a wee while.

Roll on the summer

[Wellfan1984]

I would drop Reynolds for either Quinn or McLean. The other will play right back, and Hammell at left back.

[star sail]

What responsibilty do the players take for yesterday. I am a big fan of Mcghee so maybe I cut him too much slack but lets say that Hammell and Quinn could be excused because of being out of position ( which in itself is a very lame excuse) what about the rest of them?

 

Hughes and Smith got pass marks (just) for me. To say Clarkson tries hard, I don't think is good enough. I try hard but I am rubbish. I lost count of the number of times that Clarkson while in posession put his head down and ran straight into an opposition player hoping for some fortunate rebound, before going down looking for a foul. Thats a cop out. Yes it looks as if you are trying hard but nothing is actually happening.

 

It is unfair to single Clarkson out because you could go through the whole team (defenders who lob balls forward in hope rather than expectation etc). The point is these players get paid to do more than they did yesterday. McGhee cannot be blamed for poor decision making, players shirking responsibility and at times a lack of energy. For me it was a team of 11 players who simply bottled it yesterday.

 

On Mcghees qualities, I wondered what he would (or could) say in his post match interview yesterday and I thought he got it spot on. That for me is where McGhee is a class apart. For those who criticise saying he is all talk, communication is a big part of a managers skill, like it or not.

[star sail]

oh dear oh dear,our self appointed tactical genius blew our top 6 chances today.a right back playing left back and our left back in midfield,kimple a defensive midfielder and three centre backs in defence,in a game we needed to win he sends a team like todays out to win a game.why he choose the team and formation today is beyond me.and then he waits till we go behind before he changes things,when everyone could see sutton,quinn and o'brien were crap.dundee,st johnstone last season nancy at home and st mirren in the cup this year.all games were mcghee has given it the big churchill speech,and we have rolled over.mcghee needs to spend the summer having a look at himself,and getting away from this idea that he is some sort of alex ferguson,when the reality is,he is nowhere near that.

 

Here is just three of about 30 differences between McGhee and Ferguson

 

Sutton..........Berbatov

Reynolds.......Vidic

Clarkson........Rooney

 

I agree McGhee is not Alex Ferguson but I don't think he thinks he is and it is an unfair comparison.

[punk_in_drublic]

I thought McLean was poor in the second half. Anyone in the top 'close to the away fans' section of the East would have had a greaet view of Mclean constantly sticking it far up the park with a long right field cross ball all the way through the second half. I like big McLean, but it wasnt happening.

[Martin86]

I've been saying for a while that i would of liked to see hammell left side of midfield, but yesterday was not the game to try people in other positions thought hammell had quite a good game tbh especially 1st half, think that could be his future position. Quinns hardly a right back let alone a left back so was dissapointed to see him start there and he was pretty gash.

[Richie]

Throw ins

 

Really annoys me why we are perfectly content to just give away possesion at throw is (as well as goal kicks etc).

Is it really that difficult to work on it in training and ensure the ball is retained rather than throwing it in hope it lands at someones feet.

Same with goal kicks/when the keeper punts it. Why don't the full backs just withdraw, take the ball from the keeper and work it from the back.

Fair enough if time is pushing on and you have to go direct, but as someone once said... if you have the ball, they can't score.

I know Scottish fans are impatient etc but surely it is better to retain the ball and work away to find gaps rather than just surrendering possession.

If you can sort out ball control, passing and movement off the ball you're well in with a shout of winning games... especially in this league.

[MearnsWell]

I thought McLean was poor in the second half. Anyone in the top 'close to the away fans' section of the East would have had a greaet view of Mclean constantly sticking it far up the park with a long right field cross ball all the way through the second half. I like big McLean, but it wasnt happening.

 

Sit about there and agree, however the reason for big Stretch punting it all the time was that O'Brian was not showing for a pass - he spent most of the second half in the top quarter in line with the penalty area, even when McLean had just been given the ball by Buzz. Nae midfielder coming back to pick up either - was reminiscent of Malpas era Coach where the only option he had was a long diagonal onto Flippers head, or punting in into a channel for Skippy. Could've been down to either O'Brians desperation to create something in the last third, or our midfielders losing interest by that point. Not good anyways.

[Kmcalpin]

For my part I felt he got it wrong as soon as I saw the team line-up. Finding a place for Quinn when he didn't want to leave out McLean was wrong, it's obvious he rates his defenders so highly that he doesn't want to leave any out but that's a pre-requisite for his position, you have to make decisions to leave players out. Changing the team around to accomodate ones you like brings it's own problems and we suffered yesterday from those changes I felt. But St Mirren, if nothing else, are good at stopping teams from playing and they've done us again....

 

Good points FC. The team selection yesterday was reminiscent of Craig Brown's Scotland reign. "If your 5 best players are centre backs then you play them all."

 

I agree and can only assume that, unlike last season, MMcG reckons our strength this year is at the back and so you select more defenders. As it was we had these two lads both playing out of position, but both playing nonetheless.

[Bill Bones]

The whole strategy seemed an attempt to stop the influence of Dorman. If that was so necessary it surely would have made more sense to Fitzpatrick on at left midfield. A bit baffled by the need to pick players out of position when alternatives were available and also the fact that McGhee again tries something new (not a bad thing) in such an important game.

[that hat]

Throw ins

 

Really annoys me why we are perfectly content to just give away possesion at throw is (as well as goal kicks etc).

Is it really that difficult to work on it in training and ensure the ball is retained rather than throwing it in hope it lands at someones feet.

Same with goal kicks/when the keeper punts it. Why don't the full backs just withdraw, take the ball from the keeper and work it from the back.

Fair enough if time is pushing on and you have to go direct, but as someone once said... if you have the ball, they can't score.

I know Scottish fans are impatient etc but surely it is better to retain the ball and work away to find gaps rather than just surrendering possession.

If you can sort out ball control, passing and movement off the ball you're well in with a shout of winning games... especially in this league.

As far as the throw ins are concerned you know the answer to this one