Home to Hamilton Academical - Saturday 6 August

[Thistle88]

Just now, Jaggernaut said:

I think countless passes side to side and occasionally back can quite easily accumulate to 70% of possession. That doesn't mean you're going to win the match, as today showed.

I genuinely couldn’t see us scoring, Hamilton sat back and defended pretty well and made it a scrappy game but I felt there was a complete lack of ideas when we got the ball in their half. 

[Norgethistle]

31 minutes ago, Yellow & Redneck said:

Despite all his bluster, McCall's tactical strategy and ability isn't conducive to free-playing goalscoring. 

I seriously do not see the point of wasting money on four strikers! Why? On paper they all seem like good options, but McCall seems determined to play Graham on his own. 

We were free playing and free goal scoring last week, at times today (last 10 of both half’s) we were the same. 
Im happy with the start to campaign picking up 4 points from 2 tricky teams, and unbeaten in 6 

Played 6 won 4(5) drew 2 (1) Lost 0 Scored 13 

[Jaggernaut]

1 minute ago, Norgethistle said:

We were free playing and free goal scoring last week, at times today (last 10 of both half’s) we were the same. 
Im happy with the start to campaign picking up 4 points from 2 tricky teams, and unbeaten in 6 

Played 6 won 4(5) drew 2 (1) Lost 0 Scored 13 

Eh? Didn't we just lose a (farcical) goal?

[johnkebab71]

Weston has to get on the pitch earlier. 

[Thistle88]

Don’t know why he didn’t bring Dowds on with amount of aimless punts up the park to be honest.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

1 minute ago, Thistle88 said:

I genuinely couldn’t see us scoring, Hamilton sat back and defended pretty well and made it a scrappy game but I felt there was a complete lack of ideas when we got the ball in their half. 

I don't know whether it was lack of ideas or lack of pace that was the main fault. More likely a combination of both. Fitzpatrick offered a bit of invention and was speedy enough so I'd not be that critical of him.

[Jaggernaut]

Somebody asked whether Mitchell should be replaced by Sneddon next week.

Actually, I don't understand why Sneddon was dropped in the first place, after his record-making shut-out performances last season.

To me this reeks of the old Thistle attitude of "you've developed at Thistle; but outsiders must be better than you."

Having said that, Hamilton's goal today was a total freak, and if that was the only reason from dropping Mitchell then I would say that was very harsh.

(Just about) everything else he did was fine.

[Thistle88]

4 minutes ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

I don't know whether it was lack of ideas or lack of pace that was the main fault. More likely a combination of both. Fitzpatrick offered a bit of invention and was speedy enough so I'd not be that critical of him.

No idea but individually I wouldn’t even say anyone stood out as particularly bad, so many times we gave the ball away stupidly when we were trying to build from midfield to attack.
 

I think he should have bring another striker on earlier to have someone closer to Graham because I felt like we weren’t troubling them enough and their 3 CBS weren’t being put under much pressure. 

[Norgethistle]

20 minutes ago, Jaggernaut said:

Eh? Didn't we just lose a (farcical) goal?

A fluke goal, 99 times out a 100 that doesn’t happen 

[JAG1970]

Not at our best but created enough chances to win two games.

No coincidence that Brownlie coming on and allowing McMillan to RB enabled a better balance and more threat down that side. A few players need some more game time to get up to speed e.g. Milne, Fitzpatrick, Tiffoney, Mullen, McKinnon etc and once we’ve got the defence back/up to strength I think we could do very well this season.

Thought their keeper pulled off some point winning saves today.  

[Fawlty Towers]

I will just quote what I read on here so often - "football is a results driven businesss".

So far our results see us unbeaten in all competitive fixtures, through to the last 16 of the League Cup and top of the Division.

Performances will vary over the course of the season but the table only looks at points won.

 

[laukat]

Today was one of those day where despite everyone's efforts and best intentions nothing really clicked into place. 

Ticket purchasing arrangements were a shambles and I missed the first 15 minutes waiting at the booking office because the website stopped selling tickets around 2pm

First half we were doing ok but when we had an overlapping player we kept selecting not to use him. Turner was in acres of space on the right wing 3 or 4 times and McMillan wanted to go left or go long through the middle.

Second half again seemed to fall into the same pattern of not moving the ball quickly enough to the man in space. 

We did look much better with Brownlie at centre half and McMillan at rightback. Milne and Fitzpatrick never really figured out how to create 2 v1 situations and the crossing from either side was non existant in the first half. When McMilland Fitzpatrick linked up on the rightside it was much better. Similarly on the left Tiffoney and Milne were starting to cause real problems.

Hamilton never looked like scoring and the goal they did get was mainly a freak but I think Mitchell could do better and Holt wasn't shy in telling him what he thought.

Frustrating not to win today but that was the sort of game we were losing last season. Really need to start next week with 2 central defenders even if Brownlie can't finish the game

[fenski]

Pretty much that^

I know Graham scored, but I'd like to see what Dowds can do  - similar physical presence but more mobile.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

5 minutes ago, laukat said:

Really need to start next week with 2 central defenders even if Brownlie can't finish the game

Perhaps the logic behind not starting Brownlie is that attackers may have dropped off in pace by the time he comes on. But it just takes a couple of attacking opposition subs to negate that logic.  I'd have thought a centreback who's fit enough for the bench would be able to pace his way thru an hour on the pitch. Someone playing attacking wide is a different matter, and it didn't look to me that Tiffoney could've offered much more than the 30 plus minutes we got out of him today. Think he could be a couple of games away from starting a match.

 

 

[Kingleo]

Never mind the talk about the football. How did the half time performance go down? Has it raised everyone’s awareness of infectious diseases in Malawi ?

[Third Lanark]

39 minutes ago, JAG1970 said:

Not at our best but created enough chances to win two games.

No coincidence that Brownlie coming on and allowing McMillan to RB enabled a better balance and more threat down that side. A few players need some more game time to get up to speed e.g. Milne, Fitzpatrick, Tiffoney, Mullen, McKinnon etc and once we’ve got the defence back/up to strength I think we could do very well this season.

Thought their keeper pulled off some point winning saves today.  

Agree we weren’t brilliant but good Accies goal keeping, poor decision making in box and poorer finishing as well as conceding a complete and utter freak goal stopped what would have been a routine win

Dont really get the comments from some about Accies being direct with their attacks as other than a freak goal Mitchell had next to nothing to do in contrast to Accies goalkeeper who produced a string of great saves

[Winter of '63]

It's way too early to make a proper judgement but first impressions...

I thought we were ok with a much better balance than last year particularly with an actual attacking intent down the right flank. We lost a bizarre goal but even with a makeshift defence I can't recall Accies threatening to score whereas their Keeper had several good saves. However while it's fine keeping possession there is not much point if it all ends up with a hopeful long diagonal punt up the park. The build up was too pedestrian with McMillan failing on several occasions to feed Turner in clear space.  Accies were able to slow the game in the second half - we weren't able to control the game or up the tempo.

I thought Turner did well as a makeshift right back and also in midfield...Fitzpatrick was lively...Milne looked nervy and short on stamina but has potential...Graham often seems clumsy but scored an important goal...Mullen seems an unnecessary signing.

The main concern remains from last season...our midfield don't really influence the game enough...they don't win tackles or play through defences. I remember when Bannigan could completely run games in the top league but injury has taken its toll. Docherty is ok but not particularly good at anything and lacks composure on  the ball. We seem to have lots of options in defence, wide players and strikers but only two for the midfield engine room. We have a few good footballers in the squad who would benefit from a strong ball-winner in midfield.

Good to see grass making an appearance at Firhill again

 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2022 by Winter of '63

[Barney Rubble]

3 hours ago, Jaggernaut said:

This is a negatively minded team. The first thought every time is pass it square or (even better) pass it back. That way we keep control. But eh, control is with the other team, who have already scored. A simple, well-organized team as opponents takes the fight out of us. Their 148 supporters must be delighted.

Can it change before the end of this match?

 And you have the cheek to call fellow Jags posters negative?

Games like today happen - a freak goal lost. That's the beauty of football. the players are human and occasionally make bad decisions.

We responded well, and yes for a while I thought we were determined not to score today, but the one time the cross into the box was varied to the near post, Big Beautiful Brian Graham was alive to it. That goal will be on the highlights of the season DVD - it was a belter of a finish.

We could even have won it with Tiff's last kick of the ball, however not to be.

Thought the Hamilton keeper was outstanding, For us, Ross Docherty is a very, very underrated player. Time he was afforded more appreciation.

[Hopeless Unbeliever]

I honestly wonder how some people cope as Thistle fans if they think that was a dreadful performance today. Hamilton are a decent side at this level and made the game difficult but we were well on top when they scored. While it is a freak goal Mitchell should have a) waited for the ball and collected it b) not booted it 2 yards off the ground into his own player.

Second half I thought we picked up well considering and could have won the game in the end. We have real depth in the squad from an attacking point of view and also the ability to change the shape which we lacked last season. Thought McMillan was excellent again although it's obvious he feels more at home as a full back, Lawless is already proving doubters wrong and Brian Graham continues to look as good as he ever has at 34. Always room for improvement but it feels like there's plenty to be positive about there.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

Agree with Barney. Nothing really to get too despondent about today.  

 

 

btw Testing my memory here, but I think an Accies goalie lost a similar goal at Firhill (same end) to the one Mitchell lost today. Maybe just about 10 year ago. Anyone mind?

Edited August 6, 2022 by lady-isobel-barnett

[dl1971]

Good to see many balanced and pragmatic comments about the game today. Overall we have started the season well. Long way to go. 

[Thistle88]

From what most people have said I must be expecting too much, I’m rarely overly negative. I just thought we were really poor today. I don’t expect us to play like Barca or nothing it was how cheaply we gave the ball away that done my head in.

[scotty]

There's two things I'd like to see. Better running off the ball to cut out all this side and backward passing. Someone playing closer to Brian Graham. There's no point in him being a lone striker as was seen when his goal did finally come.

In my mind there's something needs changing in the way the team is coached.

[ChiThistle]

16 minutes ago, Thistle88 said:

From what most people have said I must be expecting too much, I’m rarely overly negative. I just thought we were really poor today. I don’t expect us to play like Barca or nothing it was how cheaply we gave the ball away that done my head in.

This for me.  I don’t mind patient football, but so many times it was just agonizing to see so many times players were out of sync with each other on 1-2’s or passes down the flank.  I thought it was bad last week but it was somehow worse today.

We’ve a great start to the season but we won’t get out of the Championship continually playing like we’ve just met each other.

[Stephen1876]

42 minutes ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

Agree with Barney. Nothing really to get too despondent about today.  

 

 

btw Testing my memory here, but I think an Accies goalie lost a similar goal at Firhill (same end) to the one Mitchell lost today. Maybe just about 10 year ago. Anyone mind?

Good memory - Steven Craig’s first goal for the club - can’t remember who the Accies keeper was that day