Home to Hamilton Academical - Saturday 6 August

[jaggy]

While we weren’t great today at times we were the only team trying to win the game and on another day could have scored 3 or 4. Fitzpatrick was my mom, constantly tried to go forward & beat opponents.

 Their game plan seemed to be to chase us down & stop us playing. 

No idea what Mitchell was playing at, he had a few strange kicks last week as well. 
 

 

[ChiThistle]

1 hour ago, jaggy said:

Fitzpatrick was my mom

 

 

Brian Graham’s my da  

[Joe Craig’s tache]

5 hours ago, Jaggernaut said:

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

The zero refers to games lost, if you’re going to complain at least read the post you’re complaining about.

[Thistle88]

1 hour ago, Joe Craig’s tache said:

The zero refers to games lost, if you’re going to complain at least read the post you’re complaining about.

I’ll complain especially about the 2 interviews from McCall and Holt. Utter pish they are talking !

[exiledjag]

5 hours ago, Winter of '63 said:

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

 

 

 

Slow build up and frequent across and back pasin  will remain a feature of our play until we play Turner in Central midfield with Docherty and a strong ball winning holding miçdfielder.

Bannigan should be played from the bench.

[javeajag]

Before the season started 4 points from these two fixtures would have been considered a solid start and it is.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

.....and I think (hope) the win then draw better than than a draw then win.

[westertonjagfan]

9 hours ago, exiledjag said:

Slow build up and frequent across and back pasin  will remain a feature of our play until we play Turner in Central midfield with Docherty and a strong ball winning holding miçdfielder.

Bannigan should be played from the bench.

Have to agree with this. Our midfield really lacks a strong ball winner. Doc and Turner are very mobile and we lack a powerful midfielder to boss that area and allow Turner in particular to run at the defence and link up with Lawless, Fitzy and Graham.

[westertonjagfan]

Talking about grumblers...behind me on my left, I have a guy who spends the game saying "Shocking, shocking McCall" and on my right I have a guy who says "Jesus Wept" every couple of minutes. They both cheer any time a Jags player who isn't having his best day is substituted.

 

Pair of absolute tossers. 

[Yellow & Redneck]

We are more creative when Turner is allowed some freedom in the middle of the park. Hopefully McCall can get another defender in this week and that will stop us having to shoehorn players in. 

As for Sneddon, I don't know what the poor guy has done wrong. I know from talking to some ex-players that McCall is well known for "picking favourites," and if you're not one of them, you're effectively bombed out. If it wasn't for Firth being injured last season, Sneddon would have been given far less game time. 

[Duke Gekantawa]

Sneddon’s situation is beginning to remind me of Kenny Arthur’s about 20 years ago. Never quite winning the confidence of the manager, but seeing off each “replacement”in turn. We’ll see how it goes for him this time. Of course, KA is in the hall of fame, so no reason to write off Sneddon yet.

[Muscat Jag]

23 hours ago, Jaggernaut said:

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

At least it wasn't from a corner

[Albert's Ghost]

My first visit to Firhill since lockdown, and OMG.  Just been watching again on jagzone.  Usually an OG comes as a result of oppo pressure - this one had none of that.  Mitchell hit it with such ferocity., on such a low trajectory,  that leads me to think he maybe saw Fulton off his line and a chance for glory.  Well, not exactly glory in the end, but he'll go down in history for that.  Amazingly bad luck TBF.  Feel sorry for McMillan - must have hurt, in every way.

[Third Lanark]

5 hours ago, Yellow & Redneck said:

We are more creative when Turner is allowed some freedom in the middle of the park. Hopefully McCall can get another defender in this week and that will stop us having to shoehorn players in. 

As for Sneddon, I don't know what the poor guy has done wrong. I know from talking to some ex-players that McCall is well known for "picking favourites," and if you're not one of them, you're effectively bombed out. If it wasn't for Firth being injured last season, Sneddon would have been given far less game time. 

You do remember surely that Sneddon has had howlers as well as recently as the playoffs 

[sandy]

I have refrained from posting about the result till now. While it takes us top of the table (just), I don’t think a 1-1 draw at home when we had something like 70% possession is good enough. 

Sneddon should have been playing, Turner should have been centre midfield. Just cos we won the first game 3-2 doesn’t make preserving the same formation correct. The management team need to be more astute and adapt tactics to fit the situation. 

If we were short of defenders, I’d have stuck Banzo in the back 4 and give Turner the freedom to create. 

[elevenone]

9 minutes ago, sandy said:

I have refrained from posting about the result till now. While it takes us top of the table (just), I don’t think a 1-1 draw at home when we had something like 70% possession is good enough. 

Sneddon should have been playing, Turner should have been centre midfield. Just cos we won the first game 3-2 doesn’t make preserving the same formation correct. The management team need to be more astute and adapt tactics to fit the situation. 

If we were short of defenders, I’d have stuck Banzo in the back 4 and give Turner the freedom to create. 

yep agree fully.  sneddon is no 1, lets stop tinkering otherwise and turner always in centre mid and on set pieces.

[dl1971]

6 hours ago, Yellow & Redneck said:

We are more creative when Turner is allowed some freedom in the middle of the park. Hopefully McCall can get another defender in this week and that will stop us having to shoehorn players in. 

As for Sneddon, I don't know what the poor guy has done wrong. I know from talking to some ex-players that McCall is well known for "picking favourites," and if you're not one of them, you're effectively bombed out. If it wasn't for Firth being injured last season, Sneddon would have been given far less game time. 

I think you will find all managers pick their favourite players because strangely enough they happen to be the best players. Any manager who doesn't do that won't be a manager very long.....

[stillresigned]

After ruminating on this game for 24 hours or so: I’m not so annoyed as I was at the end of 90 minutes yesterday. It really depends on how the rest of the season goes, how we’ll judge yesterdays match. At the end of the day we’re top of the table and if we take our chances in the weeks and months to come then I think we’ll do all right this season. The only major concerns that I have is that I’m not too sure that McCall has a distinct style of play or like in the past . However, like all else time will tell.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

I was wondering during the first half why Mitchell was being preferred to Sneddon. If indeed that's really true, or it's just a case of who wears the jersey. Meaning Mitchell stays in goals till injured or has an overall dodgy performance. Sneddon then takes over and remains in goal till similar occurs. Whatever, I did notice that Mitchell's distribution out of defence is a tad quicker and thus more effective than Sneddon's last season. It's also the default route we're now using rather than the too often  aimless punt up the ground. That of course may have a lot to do with both personnel and tactics. Ironic then that what he'll be remembered for in this game is one wild kick.

I hope then when Sneddon returns he at least maintains Mitchell's level of distribution thru defence. That was an integral part of our success ten year ago. Similarly to then we've now got full backs and at least two of our centreback contingent that are comfortable going forward with the ball. Plus we're playing with an attacking midfield so we really should use them. I'm not saying we won't go to a more rigid formation maybe playing with two up front, but even then the big punt out of defence shouldn't once again become the norm.

[Jaggernaut]

20 hours ago, Duke Gekantawa said:

Sneddon’s situation is beginning to remind me of Kenny Arthur’s about 20 years ago. Never quite winning the confidence of the manager, but seeing off each “replacement”in turn. We’ll see how it goes for him this time. Of course, KA is in the hall of fame, so no reason to write off Sneddon yet.

It even happened to Roughie, but it was always clear that he was THEE MAN !!

[Jaggernaut]

2 hours ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

I was wondering during the first half why Mitchell was being preferred to Sneddon. If indeed that's really true, or it's just a case of who wears the jersey. Meaning Mitchell stays in goals till injured or has an overall dodgy performance. Sneddon then takes over and remains in goal till similar occurs. Whatever, I did notice that Mitchell's distribution out of defence is a tad quicker and thus more effective than Sneddon's last season. It's also the default route we're now using rather than the too often  aimless punt up the ground. That of course may have a lot to do with both personnel and tactics. Ironic then that what he'll be remembered for in this game is one wild kick.

I hope then when Sneddon returns he at least maintains Mitchell's level of distribution thru defence. That was an integral part of our success ten year ago. Similarly to then we've now got full backs and at least two of our centreback contingent that are comfortable going forward with the ball. Plus we're playing with an attacking midfield so we really should use them. I'm not saying we won't go to a more rigid formation maybe playing with two up front, but even then the big punt out of defence shouldn't once again become the norm.

I'd go along with that. I find it odd that Mitchell has started ahead of Sneddon in the league, but he seems to be competent enough. The OG on Saturday was a one in a thousand incident, and even so, I'm sure that next time he'll simply get the ball clear in the most convenient direction rather than try to clear it right up the park. It would seen wrong to drop him for that alone, but then again if it's a case of each goalie getting a run of games until one slight but costly error occurs, then so be it (though I'm not sure that would be best for either one's confidence).

[robphil]

Mitchell also misjudged a cross which - fortunately - came back off the crossbar, if I saw the incident correctly 

[Jaggernaut]

2 minutes ago, robphil said:

Mitchell also misjudged a cross which - fortunately - came back off the crossbar, if I saw the incident correctly 

I mut have missed that due to a "refreshment replenishment temporary absence."

But that does it: JAMIE BACK NOW!

[robphil]

7 minutes ago, Jaggernaut said:

I mut have missed that due to a "refreshment replenishment temporary absence."

But that does it: JAMIE BACK NOW!

I enjoyed an enthusiastic post-match  'refreshment replenishment ' in Ashton lane...

[G SUS]

2 hours ago, robphil said:

Mitchell also misjudged a cross which - fortunately - came back off the crossbar, if I saw the incident correctly 

The ball went out of play before striking the bar so not really sure how you can say it was misjudged.