Jump to content

McCall and This Season……


javeajag
 Share

Recommended Posts

8 hours ago, laukat said:

Assuming Tiffoney signs our starting eleven with ages in brackets start to look something like this

Sneddon (24)

Foster(35)-Brownlie(27)-A.N.Other-Holt(28)

Turner (23)-Docherty(28)-Bannigan (28)

Rudden (21)-Graham (34)-Tiffoney (23)

Its a starting eleven that has as many players at the peak of their career (ages27-29) as players with potential (ages 21-24). If Bell or another centre half over 30 signs or Dobbie we are still quite a young team with pace, potential, experience and leaders.

The remaining squad places so far are mainly made up of relatively experienced younger players such as McKenna, Niang, Gordon, Murray and MacIver.

If you consider that only Bannigan, Sneddon and Gordon were in Caldwells team thats quite a turn around in less 18 months. Gone are the jobbing proffessionals looking for a pay cheque but giving little in return.

Whatever happens next its nice to see a proper transfer strategy and structure that look like building a team for both the present and the next few seasons.

 

Its easy to forget Tam O'Ware seeing as he has been just about as injury prone as Mustapha Dumbuya. At 28 he fits your description as being in the peak of his career. Although he has been hugely disappointing, hopefully he will use that frustration as motivation and be fired up to recapture the form he demonstrated at Morton

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, Jaggernaut said:

Isn't that  because managers tend to prefer "more established" keepers or loanees who are expected to go right into the first team? It's not surprising if it seems to take a long time for a youngster to mature in those circumstances. It looked to me like Sneddon was looking absolutely fine as our keeper the longer last season went on. 

Agree 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, laukat said:

Assuming Tiffoney signs our starting eleven with ages in brackets start to look something like this

Sneddon (24)

Foster(35)-Brownlie(27)-A.N.Other-Holt(28)

Turner (23)-Docherty(28)-Bannigan (28)

Rudden (21)-Graham (34)-Tiffoney (23)

Its a starting eleven that has as many players at the peak of their career (ages27-29) as players with potential (ages 21-24). If Bell or another centre half over 30 signs or Dobbie we are still quite a young team with pace, potential, experience and leaders.

The remaining squad places so far are mainly made up of relatively experienced younger players such as McKenna, Niang, Gordon, Murray and MacIver.

If you consider that only Bannigan, Sneddon and Gordon were in Caldwells team thats quite a turn around in less 18 months. Gone are the jobbing proffessionals looking for a pay cheque but giving little in return.

Whatever happens next its nice to see a proper transfer strategy and structure that look like building a team for both the present and the next few seasons.

 

When the first 11 is shown in playing formation it looks a team capable of mounting a challenge! 

A couple of things. 

Assuming Tiffoney is a done deal I would show the team formation as a 4-4-2 with Tiffoney playing wide left outside Bannigan! This looks to have a slightly better balance. 

McKenna and Niang are obviously cover for the back 4, presumably as Centre Backs. 

McIver and Murray cover for strikers  and wide right midfield respectively. 

The problem is Gordon. He is not at the present a midfielder nor an out and out striker. He would though be, I think, good playing behind the strikers. A player who arrives 'late' in the box and scores goals. This would mean changing formation to  4-3-1-2 to accommodate him! 

Is it possible Ian McCall is keeping a place in the back 4 open for O'Ware? He would be a real bonus if he could regain his Morton form! 

I have always liked Berra but not sure about trying to sign him - on balance probably not! 

A developing squad which is looking good. Great to have a manager who knows what he is doing! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Jaggernaut said:

Isn't that  because managers tend to prefer "more established" keepers or loanees who are expected to go right into the first team? It's not surprising if it seems to take a long time for a youngster to mature in those circumstances. It looked to me like Sneddon was looking absolutely fine as our keeper the longer last season went on. 

He was fine though should have done far better for the second against Cove.  He was fine for much of the season though had some clangers against st Mirren, Forfar and East Fife.  There won’t be anywhere near as much room for the same errors in the championship though

I think because of the length of time he gets defended more than say someone like Wright.  He is definitely a fine keeper- but can we do better- if Doohan or someone became available then we should move for him

Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, javeajag said:

Listening to McCall talk about wanting turner to go beyond Brannigan and Docherty and the strikers  just as tifonney does I wonder if he’s looking at a 3-5-2 option 

He says he  wants to play left sided midfielders down the right flank and vice versa to compliment fullbacks playing on their orthodox wing. So that more than suggests his preferred formation would not be 3-5-2.

McCall also said he wants a more advanced midfielder (Turner?) to play ahead of Bannigan and Docherty. Of course we can't have three central mids, two wide mids AND play two up front. Confusing?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, exiledjag said:

When the first 11 is shown in playing formation it looks a team capable of mounting a challenge! 

A couple of things. 

Assuming Tiffoney is a done deal I would show the team formation as a 4-4-2 with Tiffoney playing wide left outside Bannigan! This looks to have a slightly better balance. 

McKenna and Niang are obviously cover for the back 4, presumably as Centre Backs. 

McIver and Murray cover for strikers  and wide right midfield respectively. 

The problem is Gordon. He is not at the present a midfielder nor an out and out striker. He would though be, I think, good playing behind the strikers. A player who arrives 'late' in the box and scores goals. This would mean changing formation to  4-3-1-2 to accommodate him! 

Is it possible Ian McCall is keeping a place in the back 4 open for O'Ware? He would be a real bonus if he could regain his Morton form! 

I have always liked Berra but not sure about trying to sign him - on balance probably not! 

A developing squad which is looking good. Great to have a manager who knows what he is doing! 

I really hope not to see Niang at CB again to be honest. I think he’s a decent back up for midfield but at CB no no no no !

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm pretty sure McCall intends to play a back 4. He's not signing centre halfs in enough quantity or of the type to play 3 at the back and I cant think of him really playing a back 4 for any prolonged period at any other clubs.

In most of the leage one games it was a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2. Key to that was having an orthodox back 4 with the fullbacks only overlapping when we are in the opposition third and for 1 of the midfielders to hold (Docherty)and sweep in front of the back 4.

I think we we see a similar back 4 with docherty in front. I suspect Bannigan will be link man between attack and defence but will play more of his game of the left side with Turner starting form the right side. I am really keen to see Turner as I suspect he will also bring an improvement in Bannigan. I don't think Bannigan has had similar quality alongside him since Welsh and Osman were at their peak.

Up front we on most occassion start with Rudden, Graham and Tiffoney (assuming he signs) with Tiffoney on the left side but free to move inside and outside.

So in games where we dominate possesion (mainly home games) when we defend it will be a 4-4-2 but when we attack it will be more like a 4-1-2-3

Assuming we sign a second winger there will be occassions (mainly away from home) when we go with an orthodox 4-3-3 in attack and either Rudden or Graham sits out. That formation allows for a quicker counter attack and also to form a 4-5-1 when we defend.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, MonehJags said:

Its easy to forget Tam O'Ware seeing as he has been just about as injury prone as Mustapha Dumbuya. At 28 he fits your description as being in the peak of his career. Although he has been hugely disappointing, hopefully he will use that frustration as motivation and be fired up to recapture the form he demonstrated at Morton

I thought about putting O'Ware in my 11 but whilst he meets the age description his injury record would suggest he's not someone we can rely on for the Championship. I would have thought McCall would either be looking at him as backup or be looking to offload?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, Third Lanark said:

Thus far Sneddon hasn’t been signed 

I didn't know that.

Suggests either he hasn't been made an offer because McCall doesn't rate him or he's only been made an offer to be number 2 but is hoping someone else can improve on that?

He could probably be first choice at most league 1 clubs but I don't think Sneddon would get many championship level offers.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Thistle88 said:

I really hope not to see Niang at CB again to be honest. I think he’s a decent back up for midfield but at CB no no no no !

People easily forget players' form before they had a bad period.  Njang (Senna)  was fine in the first half of the season (when we were defensively pretty solid, our problem being scoring) .  But the game against Dundee United after the restart when he made one bad blunder and another mistake (which was exacerbated by the ref ignoring a foul on him by Clark), both leading to losing goals,  put a bad dent in his confidence and he lost his form.  McCall gave him a couple of chances to get his confidence back and then brought in Bell.  However, the boy is only 20 just now and can easily recover from that.  Whether he ends up as a defender or midfielder depends on the coaches at Firhill and what they see in him training every day.  Young players can lose confidence more easily than experienced players and we have to give them a bit of leeway.

Edited by Mr Bunny
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Mr Bunny said:

People easily forget players' form before they had a bad period.  Njang (Senna)  was fine in the first half of the season (when we were defensively pretty solid, our problem being scoring) .  But the game against Dundee United after the restart when he made one bad blunder and another mistake (which was exacerbated by the ref ignoring a foul on him by Clark), both leading to losing goals,  put a bad dent in his confidence and he lost his form.  McCall gave him a couple of chances to get his confidence back and then brought in Bell.  However, the boy is only 20 just now and can easily recover from that.  Whether he ends up as a defender or midfielder depends on the coaches at Firhill and what they see in him training every day.  Young players can lose confidence more easily than experienced players and we have to give them a bit of leeway.

Wasn’t a dig at Senna to be honest. I’d just rather see him in midfield were I think he will develop into a good player. I just don’t think he suited CB, always wanted an extra touch when it was wiser to hoof it. That’s just my opinion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Thistle88 said:

Wasn’t a dig at Senna to be honest. I’d just rather see him in midfield were I think he will develop into a good player. I just don’t think he suited CB, always wanted an extra touch when it was wiser to hoof it. That’s just my opinion.

That's what the forum's for, throwing in our opinions.:thumbsup2:

And the odd argument too, as long as not too heated.:D

Edited by Mr Bunny
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, laukat said:

I didn't know that.

Suggests either he hasn't been made an offer because McCall doesn't rate him or he's only been made an offer to be number 2 but is hoping someone else can improve on that?

He could probably be first choice at most league 1 clubs but I don't think Sneddon would get many championship level offers.

If that's true, it might be because he played for Partick Thistle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are building a good squad capable of finishing in the top half of the league imo. Really looking forward to getting back to Firhill and watching the team 'live' and not on a screen. Good luck to Penrice, except when he is playing against Thistle. :fan:

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...