Jump to content

Home and Away part 3


Auld Jag
 Share

Recommended Posts

15 hours ago, Stephen1876 said:

Likewise - it’s a truly amazing effort and I always look forward to reading the update after any game 

Seconding that (and indeed thirding that as Lenziejag had commented similarly). The updates often anticipate and answer questions even before I have asked them. After the Queens Park matches I can recall mulling over in my mind that there had been a lot of goals scored over the 6 games this season and that might be some sort of record.

I vaguely thought of posting and asking the question, but before I had got near the keyboard, in came the update with all the relevant information.

To the Thistle Archive. Bravo Bravissimo Very Well Done!

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/22/2023 at 12:48 AM, Auld Jag said:

Just watched 'The Perfect Catch' on film 4 today. Well worth a watch, based on Nick Hornby's 'Fever Pitch'. Most fans of any sporting team could relate to the story imo.

I picked up Fever Pitch in a 2nd hand shop in Kyoto for around one quid last year. I started reading it in a skeptical frame of mind (not sure why), but thoroughly enjoyed it, and definitely recommend it (although younger readers might not be familiar with many of the players and the references). Anybody who followed their team, joined in the songs, got "involved" in any way with other teams' supporters, and/or who drifted in and out of supporting their team due to personal circumstances will identify with many of the situations he describes, and he does it with a good sense of humour. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Feeling very apprehensive about tonight. Ayr have nothing to lose and we have everything. One early goal for Ayr or a red card or injury could turn the game on its head.

First goal is going to be vital. We need to continue to defend well and battle in midfield. Harsh on  Fitz, but if Banzo is available I'd bring him back for a bit of additional dig.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Dick Dastardly said:

Feeling very apprehensive about tonight. Ayr have nothing to lose and we have everything. One early goal for Ayr or a red card or injury could turn the game on its head.

First goal is going to be vital. We need to continue to defend well and battle in midfield. Harsh on  Fitz, but if Banzo is available I'd bring him back for a bit of additional dig.

Agree , if Banzo is fit he should play to shore up midfield, I would put Fitzpatrick  on when the game opens out a bit .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, jlsarmy said:

Agree , if Banzo is fit he should play to shore up midfield, I would put Fitzpatrick  on when the game opens out a bit .

Think if we play defensively we’ll struggle & nerves could play a part.

If Ayr fancy going toe to toe with us, bring it on. Have to say I feel with this Thistle team, attack is very much the best form of defence. 
 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wouldn't be surprised either way re Bannigan. It could be that Dools goes with the same starting eleven not so much for tactical reasons but more because Banzo isn't 100% fit. Anyway I'd suggest that player fitness will be just as big an issue as whether to break up a winning team or not. 

Last time down at Somerset Kris made two tactical substitutions of a defensive nature to protect a one goal lead. We don't have the option of a third centreback and a tackling midfielder (McAvoy & Hodson) this time. So I'd suggest to protect any lead we need to retain the ball rather than get behind it. Put another way I'm not too sure we're the greatest at seeing a game out and are often guilty of defending too deep. Banzo being comfortable on the ball could be valuable re upping our possession when on top. Don't think my blood pressure could stand more last gasp deep defending but I'm more than hopeful we'll have the game won beforehand.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ayr United TV doesn't seem to be offering a live stream, nor does pttv, even though they did so last week despite BBC's live coverage.

Just on the off-chance: any exiles out there know of any way of watching the game live, without having to download software or attach hardware?

If not, I'll just have to sleep it out.... 'til the morning comes (to quote Neil Young).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Doolan's pre-match interview didn't suggest Bannigan was 100% so I would have thought best not to risk him and if possible give him a few minutes at the end to get him ready for what will hopefully be the final. Hodson is fully fit but I can't see him starting. So looks like the same starting 11 as last Friday.

Game plan could be interesting tonight. In the second leg of the QP tie we went on the attack to put the tie to bed by halftime and it worked well against a QP team that was rocking from the first leg and who's plan seem be hoping to keep it tight and nick a win.

Under Doolan no team has scored more than 1 against us without reply and no team has scored more than 3 which means Ayr are really going to have to go some to score enough and keep us out.

So I don't see Ayr have any option other than to go at us from the first minute and hope for a high intensity, quick moving game that they can outscore us in. Akinyemi may well start for them but you have to wonder how fit he really is given his last game was 3 weeks ago.

With in mind we really need to slow the game down, frustrate them and not give them any sort of foothold in the first 60 minutes. If we are still 3 ahead at that point I'm not sure Ayr have a plan B or players on the bench able to change the pattern of the game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, laukat said:

 

With in mind we really need to slow the game down, frustrate them and not give them any sort of foothold in the first 60 minutes. If we are still 3 ahead at that point I'm not sure Ayr have a plan B or players on the bench able to change the pattern of the game.

Slowing the game down.... from the start? In other words, side to side and backwards passing that serves no other purpose than to slow the game down? That might be fine for the last 15 min or so if we're still at least a couple of goals up, but from the start, I think it's inviting trouble that we could end up regretting. Score another couple as soon as possible and the tie is over.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, laukat said:

Doolan's pre-match interview didn't suggest Bannigan was 100% so I would have thought best not to risk him and if possible give him a few minutes at the end to get him ready for what will hopefully be the final. Hodson is fully fit but I can't see him starting. So looks like the same starting 11 as last Friday.

Game plan could be interesting tonight. In the second leg of the QP tie we went on the attack to put the tie to bed by halftime and it worked well against a QP team that was rocking from the first leg and who's plan seem be hoping to keep it tight and nick a win.

Under Doolan no team has scored more than 1 against us without reply and no team has scored more than 3 which means Ayr are really going to have to go some to score enough and keep us out.

So I don't see Ayr have any option other than to go at us from the first minute and hope for a high intensity, quick moving game that they can outscore us in. Akinyemi may well start for them but you have to wonder how fit he really is given his last game was 3 weeks ago.

With in mind we really need to slow the game down, frustrate them and not give them any sort of foothold in the first 60 minutes. If we are still 3 ahead at that point I'm not sure Ayr have a plan B or players on the bench able to change the pattern of the game.

Didn’t QP score twice to take it from 3-1 to 3-3 at Firhill ? All 3 playoff matches have kind of followed a pattern. We have been under pressure to start with, Mitchell has had to make a save. We score and then go on to take control of the game.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, laukat said:

With in mind we really need to slow the game down, frustrate them and not give them any sort of foothold in the first 60 minutes. If we are still 3 ahead at that point I'm not sure Ayr have a plan B or players on the bench able to change the pattern of the game.

Sounds like an unwanted regression to the McCall era.

Ayr have to go for it, which plays into the fast counter-attacking style we have been so successful with lately, and which has got us into this position.  The midfield have recently shown that they fight for every ball, and have the ability to break quickly - ideal for tonight.  Playing an unfit Bannigan would slow the pace and be a mistake.

Same team tonight please Mr Doolan.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As some others have said, we are best when going forward and playing to win. Sitting back and letting Ayr come onto us is asking for trouble. 

The one advantage of playing Banzo would be to allow Turner forward to play in behind Graham. 

Edited by sandy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Jaggernaut said:

Slowing the game down.... from the start? In other words, side to side and backwards passing that serves no other purpose than to slow the game down? That might be fine for the last 15 min or so if we're still at least a couple of goals up, but from the start, I think it's inviting trouble that we could end up regretting. Score another couple as soon as possible and the tie is over.

I know where you're coming from. But what I never understand is the collation between lateral/back passing and slow play. Not many complained when we won the league last time. No shortage of sideway passing back then. But there were also very few complaints about the speed it was carried out at. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

I know where you're coming from. But what I never understand is the collation between lateral/back passing and slow play. Not many complained when we won the league last time. No shortage of sideway passing back then. But there were also very few complaints about the speed it was carried out at. 

Brighton do plenty of it but are great to watch.

They do it with speed and to draw the opposition to places they don't want to be.

Passing along the back to end up with no positional advantage, might kill a few seconds but rarely leads to an attacking threat and might end up putting you under the cosh.

So agree that speed is part of the answer. The other, more difficult thing to do, is to probe forwards and back and not just side to side. Not many teams can do the second part, as they buckle under the press and just aren't good enough to do it.

We're pretty decent at drawing teams out and getting in behind but seem to do it further up the park, where there's less risk. Very few teams (like Brighton), can do it in their own penalty box.

No need to gamble, so stay solid at the back and play like we have been in recent weeks further up the park.

It's been good to watch and seems to suit our present team.

The nerves are kicking in, which is probably why I just wrote a load of p1sh.

Up The Jags.

  • Haha 2
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...