Jump to content

St Mirren Again


ThickAsThieves
 Share

Recommended Posts

How do we approach this one then?

 

I'm not usually bothered about the League Cup but we can't lose twice at home to St. Mirren in a matter of days. It'd be far too embarrassing so we need to win this. I'd make a number of changes...

 

Gallacher

McMillan - Muirhead - Lindsay - Carroll

Osman - Bannigan

Elliott - Lawless - Higginbotham

Doolan

 

Would also be tempted to bring O'Donnell in and shift McMillan over to left-back. We shouldn't go with Muirhead and Balatoni again, they're not good enough together for whatever reason. Time to put trust in Lindsay, who dropped down to the Championship last season and did a very good job by all accounts. I've put him next to Muirhead here, but wouldn't be that bothered to see him next to Balatoni. Just I really want to see Muirhead come onto a proper game - he was excellent in the First Division but he's only ever played alongside Conrad in the top league. Is he just not good enough or could he play well next to someone else?

 

Stevenson has been a massive disappointment so far - I'd be tempted to give him the last 20 in the hope that he's fired up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did McMillan not play central defence for Dunfermline ? If McMillan is at rightback, then I'd like to see SOD infront of him on the right. He has played that role very well before,

 

Is Higgy banned from this game for picking up 5 yellow cards, or is that the next league game ?

 

As captain, I just can't see Stevenson getting dropped

Link to comment
Share on other sites

.............................Gallacher

 

McMillan.....Lindsay.....Balatoni.....Carroll

 

.................Osman.....Bannigan

 

.......Lawless.....Craigen.....Higginbotham

 

........................Doolan

 

Subs:

 

Fox

Muirhead

O'Donnell

Wilson

Stevenson

Elliott

Ecclestone

 

No idea what's happened to the Muirhead that played for us in the 1st Division but that player has disappeared & I don't see any signs of it returning. He's not composed on the ball at all, looks shaky, slow & just not up to scratch. He really needs a loan spell in the Championship, I feel, to try & re-discover himself. We don't have enough defender to make that possible but I don't think we can rely on him as a starting player right now. I'm not saying Lindsay is better currently, but he's obviously quite highly thought of & I'd give him a shot.

 

We really should have kept Mair, we're now stuck with a partnership that resulted in his arrival.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It'd be a league match ban for 5 yellow cards but he's [only] on 4 so far this season anyway.

 

Last season it was a one match suspension after first six yellows. If you then picked up another six you'd face a two match suspension. Btw I'm not 100% on this but I don't think the two yellows in one game count on the tally. You just face suspension for the red card.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Dan Seaborne was missing from the team that lost on Friday night but will face a late fitness test to make Tuesday night’s contest.

 

“We’re going to give Dan every chance as he’s a great asset to us when he plays but we’ll just have to wait and see. Other than that it’s just Sean Welsh and obviously Gary Fraser that we’re missing.”

 

My understanding was Seaborne picked up an injury on Thursday in training.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

Yes, seen it on the OS. Went over on his ankle on Thursday, late fitness test for tomorrow night and being given every opportunity to make it.

 

With regard to Conrad, I've always thought he starts the season off poorly before coming onto his game as the season progresses. Hopefully he can start to get it together tomorrow.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I might miss this, the third game in a row, due to my first child's arrival (when does it get easier to leave them!?)

 

But here's the team I'd put out, if fit;

 

Gallacher

O'Donnell McMillan Seaborne Carroll

Osman

Stevenson Bannigan

Lawless----------------------------Higgy

Doolan

 

With Eccleston and a bunch of kids on the bench

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't think it would do Lindsay any good being brought in for this game and being put beside Balatoni or Muirhead, if Seabourne is fit then I would start Lindsay beside him, but the defence is enough of a shambles as it is, Lindsay won't learn anything being drafted in beside Conrad or Aaron and if the defence has another horrorshow, then it won't do much for the boy's confidence.

 

I wasn't there on Friday night (saw the highlights) but I think I'll be there tonight. Don't know if I must be a glutton for punishment but despite Friday's performance I am still fairly confident. No way will St. Mirren manage to win two games on the trot and I think/hope our players will be a lot more fired up for this after what happened on Friday.

 

I imagine the team will be:

 

Fox

O'Donnell

Balatoni

Seabourne (if fit, otherwise Muirhead)

Carroll

Bannigan

Osman

Higginbotham

Stevenson

Lawless

Doolan

 

Think Archie will keep largely the same team, although I think it would be beneficial to start with Ecclestone up front with Doolan in behind and drop Stevenson, who has looked poor and doesn't look fit enough to start two games a week anyway. Doubt it'll happen though. Have a funny feeling Archie will go with O'Donnell just to change things slightly. Then the standard subs of Craigen and Elliot to radically change things as usual for the last 15-20 minutes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don't think it would do Lindsay any good being brought in for this game and being put beside Balatoni or Muirhead, if Seabourne is fit then I would start Lindsay beside him, but the defence is enough of a shambles as it is, Lindsay won't learn anything being drafted in beside Conrad or Aaron and if the defence has another horrorshow, then it won't do much for the boy's confidence.

 

That's a good point about playing Lindsay alongside a defender who is himself not playing well. It's unlikely that Seaborne and Lindsay will play together, as a preferred start anyway, unless Dan is comfortable playing right centreback. Obviously not his preferred position and that could result in just as unfavourable a baptism for Lindsay. I can't then see Big Liam start a game till both Seabourne is unavailable and either Muirhead or Balatoni is playing more assuredly.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gallacher

SOD - Muirhead - Seabourne - Carroll

Osman - Bannigan

Stevenson

Lawless - Doolan – Higginbotham

 

Think Archie probably planned to play Gallacher anyway in this fixture given it is the league cup. I also think we will see SOD get his chance to stake his claim for a place.

 

Hopefully Seabourne will be fit. The two main players we can’t afford to be out are him and Higgy. Both Hamilton and St Mirren games were played without Seaborne. No doubt in my mind that was a big factor in the loss.

 

St Mirren I believe we play the same tactic as on Friday. Try to keep it tight first half then press us hard second. We need to react to this much better than we did on Friday.

 

On Lindsey, I agree that playing him in a defence already short of confidence is a probably a bad idea. Would like to have saw him and keenan go out on loan.

Edited by Alan Murray
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gallacher

Sod McMillan seabourn Carroll

Osman

Higgy Lawless

Bannigan

Doolan ecclston

Really wana see 2 up top tonight we should try dominate the game n get early goals rather than go one up and think we r gona stroll it Stevenson doesn't deserve to start neither does balatoni both been poor a think McMillan can do a job a cb he's quicker than both our options we have absolutely no pace at the back

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a shame that Gabby was punted as he's has more ability than both Balatoni and Muirhead.

 

I'm not one to goad The Cup but that statement doesn't hold water. They're not world beaters for sure but Piccolo was an ill advised signing. Personally I regret Mair getting punted as he is better than Muirhead for sure and scored a couple of vital goals at the back end of last season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...