Brian Graham scores v Raith Rovers 09.11.2024

[Camallain]

 

[Jaggernaut]

Great cross and finish.

[partickthedog]

8 hours ago, Jaggernaut said:

Great cross and finish.

Yes indeed, and the whole move leading up to these very much worth looking at. Great team goal.

[Fearchar]

Unusualy for Brian Graham, he scored with a header (as he was lost by his marker). Despite his height, he is generally ineffective in the air - in contrast to Scott Robinson, who is much smaller but very effective in the air. The cross was excellent. If only the team put the ball into the danger area more often and didn't keep taking the ball to the corner and the byeline, where it's much less of a threat to the opposing goal.

[Jaggernaut]

1 hour ago, Fearchar said:

Unusualy for Brian Graham, he scored with a header (as he was lost by his marker). Despite his height, he is generally ineffective in the air - in contrast to Scott Robinson, who is much smaller but very effective in the air. The cross was excellent. If only the team put the ball into the danger area more often and didn't keep taking the ball to the corner and the byeline, where it's much less of a threat to the opposing goal.

It's quite impressive how often Robinson out-jumps guys who are considerably taller than him.

[Jaggernaut]

A final "gripe" from me from Saturday's game: I remember two occasions when if the ball had been with somebody with a bit of pace we might well have scored. Now I don't remember the order, but one of them involved Bannigan finding himself with the ball in midfield, with plenty of space in front of him and the opportunity to make a bee-line towards their goal. To be fair, he did go forward, but his lack of pace meant that what looked briefly like a real opportunity quickly fizzled out into another pedestrian, midfield, sideways passing phase of nothingness.

The other was in the second half when this time it was Graham who picked up a ball maybe 35 yards out and headed as fast as he could (but let's face it, that's not very fast). A defender quickly caught up with him and so, like many a selfish striker, he tried a shot from outside the penalty box (easily blocked), when a pass to his left to an unmarked Jag would probably have led to something better.

We know that when Fitzpatrick gets going on a run his pace is unquestionable, and Milne can get up a fair speed too. Chalmers and Megwa look like they have some pace waiting for more chances to be expressed. But overall, we are not a team that plays fast, attacking football; it's quite a contrast with what we loved watching not so long ago.

[partickthedog]

1 hour ago, Jaggernaut said:

A final "gripe" from me from Saturday's game: I remember two occasions when if the ball had been with somebody with a bit of pace we might well have scored. Now I don't remember the order, but one of them involved Bannigan finding himself with the ball in midfield, with plenty of space in front of him and the opportunity to make a bee-line towards their goal. To be fair, he did go forward, but his lack of pace meant that what looked briefly like a real opportunity quickly fizzled out into another pedestrian, midfield, sideways passing phase of nothingness.

The other was in the second half when this time it was Graham who picked up a ball maybe 35 yards out and headed as fast as he could (but let's face it, that's not very fast). A defender quickly caught up with him and so, like many a selfish striker, he tried a shot from outside the penalty box (easily blocked), when a pass to his left to an unmarked Jag would probably have led to something better.

We know that when Fitzpatrick gets going on a run his pace is unquestionable, and Milne can get up a fair speed too. Chalmers and Megwa look like they have some pace waiting for more chances to be expressed. But overall, we are not a team that plays fast, attacking football; it's quite a contrast with what we loved watching not so long ago.

Apart from those you have mentioned, Scott Tiffoney is the only other player with genuine pace I can recall playing for us in the past few seasons.

Stevie Lawless and Jack McMillan brought quick incisive football down the right side, but that was more to do with intelligent reading of each other's games and accurate passing at creative angles rather than blistering pace.

Otherwise I think we are going back to David Amoo and Muzzy Dumbuya (when fully fit).