Weebaw1

Oh no! Are you back? Silence has been golden.

You obviously haven’t seen Tiffoney. He’s been quite outstanding all season. Away and keep the restaurants in business and watch Liverpool on the box. Perhaps you have leanings to PTFC but you’re of no use to us with that attitude.

Can’t believe jags fans aren’t up for this. I appreciate we’ve been rank rotten since Christmas but this is the climax of the season. What’s the point watching all season then not being up for the climax? If Tiff plays we have a real chance. He’s ripped them up all season! Lets get up to Firhill, have a pint in Tennents, the Woodside or the Botany, forget the BBC and get behind the team!

There were quite a few spaced out Jags fans. Most were quite happy in their own little world, not upsetting anyone, singing, backing the team and not reacting to being goaded by a large Ayr support(which could have turned nasty). Foster, who has been one of our better players this season, was having a shocker along with several others. He’s a good pundit, well spoken, informative, amusing. He has a short fuse though. I don’t believe he’d have punched the abusive fan(haud me back!) but the incident raised an issue. I’ve never doubted his passion or effort for the game or PTFC unlike certain other ex OF players. He was the only player to react. But why should they take that abuse unless they’ve downed tools? Fans should back the team. But, why did Foster have to walk round the pitch when substituted? Was he encouraging further abuse?

Assuming we make 4th place, our (perhaps remote) chance of promotion is with a fit and firing Tiff. Everyone knows how vital he is. He was clearly ill or injured on Saturday. Has there been any news?

I just want to see a good game. Week after week it’s garbage. No skill, flair, pace. And no entertainment. I’d prefer to lose 4-3 than the dreaded 1-0 every time. Thank God for Tiff. There’s absolutely nothing coming from the midfield. Delivery is a joke. How everyone laughed when Jak crossed the ball over the JL stand and Hendrie was trying to cross the corner flag instead of the ball. But McKenna’s crosses are not even laughable. We had some good passes in to him 1st half. Every one wasted. I just felt sorry for him. He didn’t wNt to be there. For God sake McCall, do something radical at RB. The boy’s a haddie!

I agree and disagree. We couldn’t string 2 passes together. They were by far the better team. We survived through good luck, bad finishing and good goalkeeping. But we did look as if we could score. At last! Having Tiff and Graham back makes a huge difference. They are just good attackers. I find Graham frustrating because he’s grumpy, petulant, slow, and always picking up inane bookings. But he’s a bloody good footballer and bursts a gasket every game. Tiff is just class and looks as if he’s returning to form. They couldn’t have scored a goal like that. I recall a game vs Rangers when we played brilliantly, were all over them when that we Skandanavian winger Lundstrom or something scored a cracker. Rather similar scenario. We have been let down by the back up squad if Smith, Crawford, Murray , Alegria and other fringers. Jak needs to come good soon.

Unfortunately they just need to be Jags beaters and some really crap teams have been doing that lately. However I think we’re improving slowly but surely. We should make the playoffs which will give us some money but there’s not a hope in Hell that we’ll win 3 ties in quick succession. Unless Tiff goes mental……

Much better today. It looked as thought we were taking over from half time. Banzo was linking well with Hendrie. Tiff was troubling them. Their RB had his hands full. Then he took Banzo off! ‘WTF’ I thought. Thereafter we struggled to a point.

I’ve never understood the Turner love in. He played Saturday and was swatted aside like a fly. Constantly caught in possession and regularly passed the ball to an Accie. Agreed, everyone else apart from Banzo did the same. He was dreadful when he came on tonight. His strength is dead balls but there’s nobody to cross to now.

I appreciate that Alegria hasn’t been the answer. But the decision to sub him for Murray was inexplicable. He was solitary, chasing aimless punts and sometimes held it up for non running midfielders. Murray was never going to be able to play that role. He’d have been better trying McKenna up front to possibly win some headers! He certainly ain’t a right back. Bypassing the midfield would have been a plus today and Saturday. Turner, Smith and Crawford were passengers.

Smith and Crawford jogged through the 1st half. Lazy barstewards need a kicking.

Having (almost) recovered, calmed down, and considered matters rationally, I’ve come to the conclusion that tomorrow is make or break. If Tiff, Graham and Foster are back, this will make a huge difference. Holt to cb, Smith, Tunji and Turner or Crawford out. Back on track’

Change of mentality required. Score, score and score again, Don’t depend on defence.

We’ve been struggling to create anything for poor old Graham. Theres nothing constructive coming from the midfield so the number 10 position becomes vital. I don’t believe Jak’s delivery from wide is up to scratch so playing him wide is not the answer, He causes mayhem around the edge of the box with movement, strength and speed. Smith has none of these attributes (does he have any?). We get absolutely zero from Smith so we should try Jak as a 10- a causing mayhem 10 rather than a Cruyff/Hazzard type! Im surprised McAlistair hasn’t featured. I know he was poor when he came on but he hasn’t been give any opportunity.

I agree, he was terrific but I can’t see him ever scoring a goal. We have a problem in that we only have 1 player who can score. And he’s a 34 year old cart horse with a knackered back. Perhaps Jakubiak could be played in Smith’s role as he’s basically crap.

After we scored, we just stopped playing. Our defence cannot expect to deliver shutouts every game. We’ve been getting too used to winning 1-0. Intensity and mental attitude are well worked football phrases. There was none of that today. They knew Morton were crap and didn’t believe they’d ever score. As you say, we put together a good spell after their equaliser awakened us from our slumber. Management and captain should have been encouraged to go for the jugular rather than fart about.

However! The 2 late equalisers for draws against Killie and Arbroath denied them 2 points each. That could be vital.

Agreed. I don’t understand why keepers are allowed to take a bye kick from eithe side of the 6 yard box. It encourages time wasting. Sneddon was (correctly) booked vs Airdrie so there’s a lack of consistency.

McCall needs to make changes to the midfield. The final ball is not good enough. Smith and Murray were dreadful and shouldn’t start again. Turner, Banzo, Doc and Jakubiak were excellent 2nd half and the back 4 tight. Dont think Alegria played badly but he’s too similar to Jakubiak.

If we are promoted we’ll have a far higher budget for recruitment. Martindale has to change half his personnel every summer but finds and improves players. Fitzwater, Forrest, Nouble and others. We played Arabs off the park. Arbroath should have beaten Hibs, Morton should have beaten ‘Well. There’s not much to fear if we can hang on to Tiff and the best of our current players and recruit as well as Livi. Lets take this opportunity now and go for it! If we fail it shouldn’t be for lack of ambition.

Alegria must start. He offers pace and physicality.

1st half performance was excellent. Alegria put himself about and had a great touch before lobbing over the bar. McKenna was terrific and has obviously improved his delivery. Some great stuff from Banzo too. Their subs made a huge difference and our back 4 plus Sned were magnificent in blunting their attacks. It’s tough on Tunji but he’s stumbled on our best back 4. Foster seems to get better and better! Bring on that Zanatta so he can terrify the precious lamb yet again. We’ve won without Tiff which is a confidence booster. Changed our style, dug in, others coming to the fore in a vital victory.

But they’re also pish!

I agree (partially). He plays rb in a back 4 so he may be more suited to defensive duties. However he had virtually no defensive requirements all night such was our dominance. He had so much possession in forward areas that we’d have been better with Turner or Crawford or possibly Murray in that position to deliver better crosses. Crawford played well enough but struggled at outside left as he obviously doesn’t have a left foot. Perhaps a solution could be to play a Scotland style back 5 with Holt or McKenna in the Tierney role bombing forward and Turner and Foster wing backs. We scored vs Killie from Mayo’s burst.