The Spartans Viaplay Cup Tie - 29th July

[partickthedog]

23 hours ago, partickthedog said:

Would really like to see James Lyon getting a start tomorrow.

Thankfully Kris Doolan read this post!

[Fawlty Towers]

3 minutes ago, Jimmy McD said:

Any profit we make from this we be needed to pay our Lecky bill for today, why did we have floodlights on for the full game??? 

I was thinking this myself - it was bright blue sky for the second half. I can only assume it is the ref who says he thinks they are needed but in this financial climate they need to exercise some common sense (I know but I said it anyway) but as it does not come out their nice match fee why bother?

If it was someone at the club who decided then it was a bad decision -  every pound is a prisoner.

[ChiThistle]

This team needs time to gel.  Alston getting cleared this morning, Adeloye joining this week, alternating young players in the starting 11….

I appreciate that Doolan is trying to build the plane while it’s in the air.

[Auld Jag]

We got the job done and qualify for the next round, that is all that can be said about today's performance. 

Great block in the first half from Milne to stop them going in front in the first half, not sure if Mitchell touched the ball onto the bar just before that. Best bit of ball control for me, was the ball boy who controlled a difficult  ball well at the JHS.

Was really surprised/shocked/nervous when i seen Graham take the ball for the pen, but he made a great job of it and although he didn't do much else in the game he did win it for us.

Big improvement required for our league opener at home to Raith Rovers next week.

[Dick Dastardly]

Airdrie and Ayr are seeded teams. What are the chances (I know technically 1 in 4, but I would guess that they have been earmarked for certain clubs)

[Grubber8468]

Lyons looks like he could be real deal… plays like billy gilmour a wee bit and looks really clever player. Fitzpatrick had one of those games and has the ability to look like he’s not trying too hard. Harry Milne looked as if he was really struggling physically for last 20 mins again which is a worry. Room for improvement undoubtedly 

[Barney Rubble]

1 hour ago, Jimmy McD said:

Any profit we make from this we be needed to pay our Lecky bill for today, why did we have floodlights on for the full game??? 

I believe the rule is that if a half starts with the floodlights on then it must remain that way for the entire half.

If that is the case, then it has to be assumed that today's referee asked for them to be turned on before the beginning of the game.

Not sure how that rule works in reverse. If a half starts with no floodlights and the conditions worsen, then the logic of that rule dictates that the half should be completed without floodlights.

[Barney Rubble]

Regarding the game, as Fawlty Towers says, objective achieved, so all due praise to the players and the management team for sticking to the task and getting us through. Doolan's team does seem to be developing a mental strength that wasn't in evidence before his appointment.

Thought today's performance followed a remarkably similar pattern to last week's whereby the opposition keeper was rarely tested in the first half and nothing much fell for us in the second half until outstanding ball control by Stevie Lawless from a not great Harry Milne cross set Zander McKenzie up to cross for a deft finish from James Lyon. Immediately after the goal we did exactly the same as last week - sat back and let the opposition back into the game rather than pass the ball about for a while to tire them out.

Their equaliser was a shocker. Needless goal kick from Mitchell to Milne which was impossible to control, and from the resultant throw, McKenzie was posted missing to allow an unperturbed cross to Henderson. No shut-outs in a group with two bottom league sides has to be a source of concern going into the serious business of the league next weekend.

Fair play to Brian Graham for taking responsibility at the penalty. Would have been easy to shirk that one to Aero, but he clearly wanted to get a monkey off his back and did so in some style.

Delighted to qualify from this group, even if we did so in a typically unpredictable fashion.

Edited July 30, 2023 by Barney Rubble

[stillresigned]

At the minute I’ll be happy if we finish in a play-off spot. I honestly, don’t think it’s fair on the manager or players to expect anything else this season. The Championship is infamous for being much of a muchness and I think our financial position at the moment will prevent us to a significant degree from competing at the top of the table. Certainly, if what I’ve seen to date is what we’ll see every week. Of course, that doesn’t mean I don’t want to win the League, but at the minute that looks decidedly unlikely.

[Lenziejag]

1 hour ago, Dick Dastardly said:

Airdrie and Ayr are seeded teams. What are the chances (I know technically 1 in 4, but I would guess that they have been earmarked for certain clubs)

Pretty sure I can’t have picked you up right. If Ayr and Airdrie are seeded they won’t be getting paired with Celtic or Rangers.

[Third Lanark]

1 hour ago, Dick Dastardly said:

Airdrie and Ayr are seeded teams. What are the chances (I know technically 1 in 4, but I would guess that they have been earmarked for certain clubs)

Neither Airdrie or Ayr will be easy games 

[Lenziejag]

2 minutes ago, Third Lanark said:

Neither Airdrie or Ayr will be easy games 

They should be the easiest of the other 6 given the others are Premiership teams.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

14 minutes ago, Third Lanark said:

Neither Airdrie or Ayr will be easy games 

We've just run riot against The Spartans, demolishing them 2-1. So why do you say that? 

[Dick Dastardly]

22 minutes ago, Lenziejag said:

Pretty sure I can’t have picked you up right. If Ayr and Airdrie are seeded they won’t be getting paired with Celtic or Rangers.

Good point. Well presented.

[JeanieD]

I suspect Stirling will be kept aside for one or other of the bigot twins.

As an aside the flakey nature of this tournament now means that Dundee now know exactly what they need to do to get into the next round, which does seem a little "Austria/Germany" (for our older readers).

[Lenziejag]

19 minutes ago, JeanieD said:

I suspect Stirling will be kept aside for one or other of the bigot twins.

As an aside the flakey nature of this tournament now means that Dundee now know exactly what they need to do to get into the next round, which does seem a little "Austria/Germany" (for our older readers).

Austria/Germany were both going to qualify by drawing. ICT have nothing to gain by allowing Dundee to get the result they need.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

7 minutes ago, Lenziejag said:

Austria/Germany were both going to qualify by drawing. ICT have nothing to gain by allowing Dundee to get the result they need.

A Mr Pedant says re yon infamous game West Germany actually beat Austria 1-0 

[Barney Rubble]

1 hour ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

A Mr Pedant says re yon infamous game West Germany arranged to beat Austria 1-0 

Sorted!

Horst Hrubesch will be allowed a free shot at goal in the tenth minute.

Edited July 29, 2023 by Barney Rubble

[laukat]

We were pretty poor yesterday. We played like the Alan Archibald 2018 team. Slow sideways, retaining possession at all costs but for little value, no pace and no-one willing to take a risk. We had load of the ball yesterday but in the first half didn't put a single shot on target.

Part of me wonders if we fear losing possession because we don't have a midfield able to regain possession quickly. 

Bannigan is really starting to annoy me. He can't tackle and can't play a forward pass. His trademark is to runs quickly forward with the ball at his feet, delays picking a quick risky pass in favour of a safe sideways pass to retain possession.

Williamson has potential but only if he figures out that his best position is at the CDM not as an 8 or a 10. Lyon was very hesitant in possession in the first half and he still looks like he needs to hit the gym and muscle up a bit otherwise he will just be too easily pushed off the ball. Alston was barely in the game but I'm not sure he's what we need.

At the back I thought Williams and Muirhead were decent. Milne still has a bit of rustiness but is getting there. MacKenzie is not a fullback and if we expect him to cover injuries in the league in that position we may well have a problem.

Right now we look a poor team and unless we get McMillan back, Robinson fit and sort out our midfield we will struggle for top 4. We desperately lack a dominant voice/leader in the centre of midfield.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

21 minutes ago, laukat said:

We were pretty poor yesterday. We played like the Alan Archibald 2018 team. Slow sideways, retaining possession at all costs but for little value, no pace and no-one willing to take a risk. We had load of the ball yesterday but in the first half didn't put a single shot on target.

Part of me wonders if we fear losing possession because we don't have a midfield able to regain possession quickly. 

Bannigan is really starting to annoy me. He can't tackle and can't play a forward pass. His trademark is to runs quickly forward with the ball at his feet, delays picking a quick risky pass in favour of a safe sideways pass to retain possession.

Williamson has potential but only if he figures out that his best position is at the CDM not as an 8 or a 10. Lyon was very hesitant in possession in the first half and he still looks like he needs to hit the gym and muscle up a bit otherwise he will just be too easily pushed off the ball. Alston was barely in the game but I'm not sure he's what we need.

At the back I thought Williams and Muirhead were decent. Milne still has a bit of rustiness but is getting there. MacKenzie is not a fullback and if we expect him to cover injuries in the league in that position we may well have a problem.

Right now we look a poor team and unless we get McMillan back, Robinson fit and sort out our midfield we will struggle for top 4. We desperately lack a dominant voice/leader in the centre of midfield.

We haven't replaced Docherty, who I never thought of as an out and out ball winner. Part of the reason he was often partnered last season in defensive mid.

Maybe getting into semantics, so apologies, but whilst I share opinions re MacKenzie at fullback, there's no reason why he won't develop into a capable player in that position. The lad hasn't yet turned eighteen so with respect I doubt anyone on here has the ability to claim Zander will never make a decent fullback. Happen to believe that it's been good for the lad to be playing out of position but that's another thing. I would tho' worry if injuries and/or lack of a signing forced us to play Zander at fullback over a sustained period in the coming months. Cover for one or two games is imo of minimal concern. Perhaps even the addition of a defensive mid would help?

 

  

[dl1971]

So won 2, drew 2, undefeated and top group. Through to next round. I'll take that. At this stage of the season performances will always be patchy. Look at St Johnstone for example....no one ( not even those on this forum ) can predict whether we will win the league, play offs, mid table or stone last ). Yet predictions come thick and fast, based on very little, bar personal bias.  I think we might surprise quite a few this year as whisper it....the squad is coming together. Onwards. 

[laukat]

1 minute ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

We haven't replaced Docherty, who I never thought of as an out and out ball winner. Part of the reason he was often partnered last season in defensive mid.

Maybe getting into semantics, so apologies, but whilst I share opinions re MacKenzie at fullback, there's no reason why he won't develop into a capable player in that position. The lad hasn't yet turned eighteen so with respect I doubt anyone on here has the ability to claim Zander will never make a decent fullback. Happen to believe that it's been good for the lad to be playing out of position but that's another thing. I would tho' worry if injuries and/or lack of a signing forced us to play Zander at fullback over a sustained period in the coming months. Cover for one or two games is imo of minimal concern. Perhaps even the addition of a defensive mid would help?

 

  

I would agree that Docherty isn't an out an out ball winner. He's better at winning the ball than anything we currently have. However his positional sense was very good and his ability to win freekicks or indeed concede free-kicks to break up attacks were very good.  What we currently miss the most is his organisational skills and ability to talk players through games. For all the experience Bannigan has he still doesn't offer much communication on the park.

Personally I think Zander is a winger. I think he will be part of the squad this season but I see him as cover for Lawless and Fitzpatrick not for McMillan and Milne. His last few games at fullback have came from necessity and I'm not convinced it helped him. At fullback there's more of a need to play safer passes when in possession whereas as a winger its about taking risks. Zander wasn't helped yesterday by Muirhead wanting to hold onto the ball rather than quickly playing it wide to him when we had possession. 

[lady-isobel-barnett]

1 hour ago, laukat said:

Personally I think Zander is a winger. 

One thing we probably can agree on, assuming we value Ajax/Dutch player development, is that Zander, as a winger, will have benefited from his experience as a fullback. Just knowing the problems alone of playing in an alien position at such an age will do him good.

[Garscube Road End 2]

18 hours ago, lady-isobel-barnett said:

We've just run riot against The Spartans, demolishing them 2-1. So why do you say that? 

And there were 300 of them. Fantastic from The Jags.

[Albert's Ghost]

21 minutes ago, Garscube Road End 2 said:

And there were 300 of them. Fantastic from The Jags.

Not all paying customers sadly.