PTFC V ICT

[jlsarmy]

1 minute ago, Garscube Road End 2 said:

Not necessarily.  I have always wondered why he was never offered a contract after his expired.

Archie thought he could get better after we got relegated from the Premier League 

Not sure Archie’s judgement was right ? 

[Barney Rubble]

1 minute ago, jlsarmy said:

Archie thought he could get better after we got relegated from the Premier League 

Not sure Archie’s judgement was right ? 

Stevie had already decided he was going at the end of the season - it was solely his decision to leave the club.

Archie had nothing to do with it.

[jlsarmy]

1 hour ago, Barney Rubble said:

Stevie had already decided he was going at the end of the season - it was solely his decision to leave the club.

Archie had nothing to do with it.

100% wrong , he wasn’t offered anything and indeed was out of football for a period of time 

[Barney Rubble]

1 minute ago, jlsarmy said:

100% wrong , he wasn’t offered anything and indeed was out of football for a period of time 

This is becoming tedious.

He was offered and declined a contract - conditional on which league Thistle would occupy in 18-19. He exercised his right not to make a decision until Thistle's status was confirmed. If after the play-off he had no contract then that was his choice.

From this conversation, it's clear you have access to Stevie Lawless or those close to him, and I have access elsewhere. There are two sides minimum to every story, so let's just leave it there. 

Either way, I do not believe today's Steven Lawless would be a good fit for Ian McCall's Partick Thistle - but by the same standard, should Lawless be available it's for Ian McCall to decide.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

17 hours ago, Lenziejag said:

What do you think Lawless would bring to the team. Who would he replace in the starting line up. What we are lacking, I think, is some steel in the midfield and Lawless definitely doesn’t bring that.

Yes, we lack an Abdul Osman/Murray Davidson/Steven Bell (earlier model) type of player . We do also lack for reasons given in another post a left sided player to  play down the right flank. If it's a question of priority you have to ask what's more important, balance of formation or extra dig in midfield? 

As I see it without Hastie functioning on the right (as is the current case),  occasional wing swapping etc with Tiffoney, opposition defenders can simply mark the latter out the game. They don't have a credible threat on their left flank to worry about. With Tiffoney sort of neutralised we'll be more inclined to the long ball, even more so as we play two up. We're simply not stretching back fours (threes ) enough. We've an exceptional young talent in Tiffoney and I feel it's near criminal not utilising that talent (and of course , pace) to the maximum.

Undoubtedly the "more steel in midfield" is a solid argument. Realistically I don't see Docherty being dropped under McCall. Persistently playing two up top means we can't introduce a third central midfielder. I've rarely seen us play well and win when Bannigan has a poor game so I believe he's essential, unless of course we just play hoofball for 90 minutes. 

Sorry, just realised I'm being my usual long winded self. In answer to your Lawless question I think you have to distinguish between Stevie Lawless the person and Stevie Lawless the player. I'm not going to comment on the former but I'd say the Lawless of his first few seasons with us is the epitome of the style of player, cutting in from the right flank, that would compliment and free up Tiffoney. In fact the only other player I can think of in similar vein would be yon guy that had that great season at Motherwell. What's his name, Jake.......?

 

[Dick Dastardly]

For much the same analysis of the problems, I came to the conclusion that an Abdul Osman/Paul Paton type of midfielder is what we need. I’d drop one of the strikers to accommodate him.

Firstly, nobody (with any success) plays 442 anymore.  Usually they will be outnumbered in midfield, starving the front two of any decent service. I don’t think it matters that there is no right sided winger, provided there is an alternative threat other than hoof ball.

A holding midfielder would, I think, allow Banzo and Doc be more attack minded, and with Murray or Smith getting forward to support a lone striker it offers a threat down the middle.

Of the strikers, Rudden is the one that I struggle with. Although a different position, he reminds me of Ryan Edwards or James Craigan in that he runs around a lot, but not to any positive purpose. That said, just occasionally he has a great game and shows there is a real player, just not often enough for me.

McCall has to try something different as the same 10 + 1 in the same positions is not going to cut it.

[laukat]

Talking of a central midfielder reminded me that Welsh was playing for ICT yesterday and showing some of the qualities we miss in midfield. In the first half he picked up the ball facing his own goal near the Jackie Husband side of the pitch turned and flashed a high cross field pass onto the ICT rightwinger putting the winger 1 on1 with Holt. 

If that had been Bannigan or Docherty picking up the same ball it would have been played on the deck in the direction they were facing resulting in a 5 yard pass to a defender who then plays it sideways or hoofs it or back to the keeper who would then hoof it.

To my mind Docherty is the modern championship level defensive midfielder however I'm starting to less convinced that Bannigan has the range of passing to be the midfield playmaker.

 

[Albert's Ghost]

I always liked Welsh, but I thought we was done when he left us.  Just wrecked by injury.  But he's  had a great spell at Caley, and he's still only 31.