Motherwell V Hibs

[bigcol]

I'm not surprised at todays score ,although we won last week I thought we were quite poor with our passing and on Tuesday we looked very sloppy that theme continued today with far too many players getting robbed in possession and slack passing. It is a learning curve for our youngsters and our new manager and as long as they learn from todays mistakes then I can handle the defeat. Could we claim that the half mars bar ( at least it wasn't deep fried) thrown at Zemamma was a signing on fee/gesture, would love to have him in our team.

[postiejim]

Motherwell manager Jim Gannon: "I've spoken to a few managers who have had Hibs and they've felt that certain scores haven't been a fair reflection of the game.

 

"It's like boxing - it's not about the number of punches, it's about the killer blows.

 

"When you think of the reputation and the cost of those players, there is an expectation that they would have that touch more class and efficiency when it comes to finishing.

 

"We've improved a lot of stuff over the last two and a half months. We've been concentrating on improving our attacking play and penetration.

 

"Sometimes we have to be mindful what we've been doing the last six or seven games. Maybe we need to take a step back and make sure that that side is solid before we move on.

 

"We know we have to work hard to be on the park with the teams that have that touch more quality."

[MearnsWell]

Re; the Zemmama debate, very clear cut - look at the incident with Adebayor and the Arsenal fans, he deliberately incited them in exactly the same way as Zemmama did, he even got a table thrown at him FFS. He got a 3 match suspension from the English FA and the wee turd today didny even get a booking.

 

A bad day at the office? Indeed, we payed the penalty for two defensive lapses, plus the fact they took an opportunity at a set piece, we didn't with Forbes ballooning a free kick over the bar from the same kind of position. Not too downhearted, but we need to come out firing on all cylinders against the Bairns.

[linsey12]

Personally, I think Yassin is an excellent player - obviously still learning but has a lot of talent. We aren't that strong defensively and you have to bear in mind that he is playing beside a very inexperienced player in Saunders - thats a developing partnership. If Yassin goes up the line as part of an attacking move, there has to be a greater awareness of the other players to make sure that gap isn't left totally exposed. He wasn't exactly slow to get back into position but it's the same with Hammell...if he's up the park, the central defence and midfielders need to provide cover. We need to be a unit and have the positional awareness to cover the park.

 

We lost today because our inexperience showed. The Hibs players, particularly Zemamma, knew what they were doing - winding us up! They weren't giving our young boys time on the ball and we didn't really cope with it when things weren't going for us. It's all about what they learn from today and hopefully Gannon can get them back on track against Falkirk.

 

It's a disappointing result but we all know it's early days and we're going to see some inconsistencies this season - as long as we stay behind the team and encourage the guys, even when we're disappointed!!, then we'll do ok.

 

Mon The Well

[Tweed]

He's a very good footballer, but was caught completely out of position far, far too many times today.

 

As has already been said, as a defender his first job is to defend - unfortunately he prefers to play on the wing. Hibs took advantage, and they won't be the last team to do so this season unless he realises we can't afford him swanning off up field at every opportunity.

 

Agree - though there are few teams in the SPL that have the pace that Hibs do and Yassin's pace will allow him to give most folk a couple of yards of a start - would suspect against most team's we play it will not be an issue.

 

Other thing I missed off my first post was Sutton and Jutkiewitz I think need to play closer together. When we were forced to go ariel one of them often won the header but the other one was fifteen yards away and hd no prospect of winning the ball. Also when Murphy came on the few times he bombed forward I thought the support play off the ball was dire.

[Big Stall]

Well beaten today, sloppy mistakes and a clinical finish by Riorden. Cant really argue too much. Zemmama behaved like a c**t, but the real arse hole is who ever the 'hard man' was that threw something at him.

 

I think one of our main problems was that JOB was playing through the middle, in the hole linking the midfield and attack. So far this season he's been blinding.... On the wing! Get him back out there causing havoc.

[stoney]

from where I sit in the east it looked a clear foul on Coke that lead to their second?

Some of the defence stopped to claim that gave riordan that extra space to score.

 

would blame Killa more for the first 2 than coke. He could have got some sort of tackle in at the first where he did so well to get back then let the hibs player play the ball across. Then at the second he was out of position again to give riordan all the space he needed. If he is going to bomb forward so much maybe we would be better going for 3 at the back and letting Hammel and him get down the wings leaving reynolds, hutchieson and craigan to defend?

 

We played too slowly today but that loss is not too bad as it may give some of the players the wee kick up the backside they need before our next run of winnable games

[Rickoza]

Yassin was out of position going forward, but who was filling in for him - nobody sadly.

 

I think, as Grievesie said, we'll get this often during the season. One week we'll pump somebody, the next it'll be us. And unitl we find that consistency factor, whcih will take time in coming, it's going to happen more often than not. Still, weare still in not too bad shape really all things considered.

 

Disappointed in the chat round about us, couple of folk calling the youngsters muppets for hesitancy or a slack pass. Give them time, you have to.

[Neil]

We seemed far too content just playing the ball about, recycling possesion and not looking to make the killer ball today. This is fine when you're in the lead or drawing but down by 2 goals, this just doesn't work. Sutton and Jutkewicz as a partnership ain't gonna cut it I'm afraid, their lack of mobility forces O Brien to play inside where is pretty much useless, so many times Hammell had their right side beaten but JOB was hung up in the middle and unable to get on the end of any passes which resulted in a slack pass into the middle, a woeful cross or getting tackled, put us under no amount of pressure as well and indeed led to the first goal as Hammell was his usual self at getting back after an attack.

 

In midfield every man was posted missing, Coke had a shocker, indeed his last two games have been sub par from his early season performances and Ross Forbes whilst capable of a moment of magic needs to learn when to pick the pass and when to shoot, unfortunately the boy has no right foot and this will prevent him from becoming a top player in the middle of the park, it worrries me slightly that we are unbalanced in centre mid with both Coke and Forbes being very left footed.

 

Humphrey looked useful when he came on, so hopefully he'll maybe get the nod to start against Falkirk and use his pace to expose a bad Bairns defence.

[dosser1886]

Bit of a reality check today, don't get me wrong we have come on a fair old bit under Jim Gannon but we got sussed out today by Hibs. They didn't give us a second on the ball and forced our important guys into making mistakes and getting cought with the ball and wwe ended up giving the ball away far too often. Coke makes us tick at times and he was made to look pretty poor and ordinary today.

 

We needed a lot more momentum and pace in our play. The slow patient stuff just played right into Hibs hands and they had that bit more class, in that, any decent opportunity they had they put away unlike us.

 

Anyway onwards and upwards.

[Neil]

What about that absolute howler of a lassie at the front of the Hibs support, what was she on?

[carlukemurray]

Hibs have players that can create and score goals. They have options upfront, options on the bench.

 

Sadly, Motherwell don't.

 

I thought Coke looked tired today and Forbes wasn't himself, played pretty deep at times. Gannon's program notes hinted that the players were exhausted after the cup game.

 

McHugh had a nightmare when he came on as a sub.

 

But a week to recover. Then Falkirk at home.

[Orinoco]

Other thing I missed off my first post was Sutton and Jutkiewitz I think need to play closer together. When we were forced to go ariel one of them often won the header but the other one was fifteen yards away and hd no prospect of winning the ball. Also when Murphy came on the few times he bombed forward I thought the support play off the ball was dire.

 

I thought the same the other night against Inverness. The two strikers were to far apart, and did not link up. We also seem to be missing a right sided midfield player. On the left you have Hammell and O'Brien linking up, but over on the right we have Yass and noone. Perhaps play yass at right midfield with saunders at right back. Unless other players take responsibility and cover for our attack minded full backs then opposition teams will expose our defence down the wings. Forbes seems to cover left back, but who is ment to

cover right back?

 

Alhough we got beat, we still seem to be going in the right direction, and given time and with the fans patience we will improve and become a good solid entertaining team. Hibs have mugged a few teams this year by having better strikers, which i am sure is costing them abit of money. So no shame.

 

One thing i will say is it's a nightmare for those of us who were not at the game to work out who had a good or bad game given the fans views on each players performances. For example Yass was to blame for all goals, yet another thinks he was our best player!!

[MJC_MKI]

What about that absolute howler of a lassie at the front of the Hibs support, what was she on?

 

 

Her in the pink jeans who was taking her top off and swinging her hips and her flabby belly?

[Richie]

The Zemamma incident will be in the match report as the ref picked up the "missle" .

Looked a bottle top to me rather than a coin, shouldn't have been thrown though even if Zemamma was being a tit and should have been boked for inciting the crowd.

Re the game, the winning streak had to come to an end at some point, its how we pick ourself up that matters.

Re Conroy, I think we were a victim of Rangers' geetin last week. He went 180 and didnt book players who should have been etc. To be fair he couldn't really win.

 

Onwards and (hopefully) upwards!!

[BarnsleyFCFan]

Her in the pink jeans who was taking her top off and swinging her hips and her flabby belly?

 

 

I wonder if those 20 kids around her were hers?

[bigcol]

Her in the pink jeans who was taking her top off and swinging her hips and her flabby belly?

 

 

The wife was told to stay at home !

[Richie]

Coke has lacked sharpness in the last few games, good player (unfortunately no pace) but may need arest.

 

BTW there were people around me giving dogs abuse to Forbes for playing it sideways/backward... Thought that was bang out of order. There were no passes upfied on, he retained the ball rather than just hoofing it and giving the ball away anyway. The boy is 18/19 and hurling abuse at him after a handful of first team starts (in which he is our top scorer) seems to me slightly counter-productive.

[rightdodgyman]

I canne be arsed reading all this thread.

 

We just wereny at the races today. Thought Coke had a bad game and this affected us badly. The defenders got caught out with slack passing as Coke wasn't as available as he usually is.

 

A fair show of stigs at fir park today

[bigcol]

Coke has lacked sharpness in the last few games, good player (unfortunately no pace) but may need arest.

 

BTW there were people around me giving dogs abuse to Forbes for playing it sideways/backward... Thought that was bang out of order. There were no passes upfied on, he retained the ball rather than just hoofing it and giving the ball away anyway. The boy is 18/19 and hurling abuse at him after a handful of first team starts (in which he is our top scorer) seems to me slightly counter-productive.

 

 

I agree the team were getting stick for not giving the ball away where I sit in the POD !

[2/6 tae get in]

Felt that we had no stomach for the fight after going two behind. Looked at times as if we were playing in slow motion. No striking potential at all today and badly in need of a real 'finisher'. Could Willie P or Dougie be coaxed to put the boots back on because if this problem ain't solved soon we will struggle as i really did not think Hibs were all that good

[Yir Elder]

A bad day at the office today, and here's hoping that's all it turns out to be. A few of our better performers were off the boil today and we lacked a bit of bite and sharpness in our play. That said, we knew a bad one was coming, our young team couldn't sustain the run forever.

 

It will be interesting to see how the team react to this defeat, long term it will do us no harm as long as lessons are learned and youngsters gain experience from it. Its certainly far too early to be panicking, and certainly not the time to be abusing some of the players.

 

We'll come back from this I'm sure. Keep the faith perople.

[Coolhandluc]

Looked at times as if we were playing in slow motion.

That's 2 games in a row where we've played a very patient build-up passing style. Although we played a passing game in the Europa Cup games and v Killie, I thought it was at a much faster pace, and as a result were able to break down the opposition defence. Wasn't at Gers game, but suspect it would have to be faster and sharper against them anyway?

[El Grew]

I had the dubious pleasure of being invited to New Douglas Park a couple of weeks ago to see Hamilton play Hibs. Hibs were rank rotten and Hamilton thoroughly deserved to beat them. Hamilton played 4-5-1. Antoine Courier played up front and ran the Hibs centre backs ragged especially Bamba, with continual runs into the inside right and inside left channels backed up by midfielders feeding off him. The Hamilton midfield kept a high line and pressed and stifled Hibs so much that their defenders had no option but to go long and this played into the hands of the Hamilton back four. I saw Jim Gannon at the game - he was in the BBC radio commentary team. So I thought, well done Jim, you've just seen how to beat Hibs.

 

I therefore thought turning up today that we would have it all sussed out and get the 3 points,

 

However, I thought our performance was reminiscent of our opening game against St Johnstone in that the players didn't seem sure about the formation and as a result looked all out of sorts. I couldn't work it out either and the best I could come up with was that we were 4-2-3-2 but I'm still not sure about it. We seemed to have two holding midfielders in Hately and Cokes and two attacking midfielders in O'Brien and Forbes with two forwards in Sutton and Jutkiwietz. Although only Sutton seemed to play in the centre as Jutkiwietz seemed to have been deployed to play wide on the right. Hately and Cokes both had poor games today and as a result we just weren't able to get going.

 

So come on JG stop messing around with the formation. The side, formation and tactics you used against Rangers worked a treat so why not stick with them? If its not broke then don't fix it.

[Coolhandluc]

Gannon's viewpoint

Oops first try at inserting a link :-(