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[macca]

I think i will be selective with my away games from now till the end of the season,after recent trips to Perth,Cowdenbeath and then Greenock last night,I feel i`m throwing money away watching some really dire games, our away form is terrible.Last night and Perth in particular we never even created a goalscoring chance against two very ordinary teams.

[Jaggernaut]

Ah, the predictable hysteria on here after a defeat. Haven't you realised that this is our first League defeat since November? Where were you when we were beating the likes of Falkirk and Dunfermline comfortably? Some people are never happy unless they're moaning at something. Can you not just accept the defeat and move on without diving in with two feet, moaning and groaning about how terrible we are. It may surprise you, but in reality, we have a much smaller budget than most of our League rivals and we are in no real danger of being relegated.

 

I honestly do not understand why anyone would support Thistle if they cannot take an unsurprising defeat on the chin. It's not like last night was a totally shocking and disgraceful defeat.

 

A sense of perspective please. I'm absolutely sick of the negative drivel on here.

I think it's the unsurprising aspect of the inability to win away games that is cheesing people off. We've won only one match in 11 away matches this season. We won no more than a small handful last season. We've already failed to beat Morton in two previous attempts this season. We've already failed to beat Ross County in two previous attempts in Dingwall this season. Another defeat there on Saturday will, of course and unfortunately, be unsurprising. It's the overwhelming lack of "surprise" wins away from home under McCall that is finally driving me to stop going to away matches. Even the Bunnet didn't manage that.

[Tom Stronach]

I think it's the unsurprising aspect of the inability to win away games that is cheesing people off. We've won only one match in 11 away matches this season. We won no more than a small handful last season. We've already failed to beat Morton in two previous attempts this season. We've already failed to beat Ross County in two previous attempts in Dingwall this season.

 

Our one away win of the season was in Dingwall.

[1 John Lambie]

Yes it's our 1st defeat since November, but that doesn't excuse that we were utter shite last night. McCall says as much in his after match reaction. We should be higher up the league, we should have won games that we drew etc, but we didn't, sadly.

 

 

As for the subs, Cairney should be dropped for a while, his 1st touch his awful & he's been off the boil for ages. Bringing Donnelly on is fine, a striker for a midfielder when we need a goal. But play 3 up front, not putting Grehan at left wing. I'd rather lose 2-0, trying to actually score a goal, than sticking our target man out on the wing.

 

 

Missed their penalty, but the ref was shocking & looked a clear penalty on Grehan.

[Third Lanark]

delighted that the bulk of that mob secured new deals....naaaaaaaaaaaaat.

The new deals have been given to Fox, Bannigan, Campbell, Doolan, Erskine, Kinniburgh and Fraser, you could argue that a lot who are not signed up for next season which is a lot of the team still have played far worse than those signed up and the majority o fthose players not signed up have more experience and should arguably have been better. Indeed Fox and Doolan in particular have done pretty well this season even if they did not play well last night.

 

Cairney and Grehan are on deals for next season but they are not new and I think the vast majority of us were more than happy that Cairney was signed up at the time(though we can change our minds now possibly)

[Dark Passenger]

The inspiring victories against Stirling, Falkirk and Dunfermline are exceptions, rather than the norm. Our unbeaten run was largely made up of bore draws. The budget excuse is old hat now. Most teams are on a level financial footing. Look at Raith; a team made up of relative unkowns, including a few who have been with the club since it's time in the second division. One that's captained by a player almost universally derided by Thistle fans. Organisation and graft can be found at the heart of their success, not cash. Any money that's come their way has been spent wisely, though.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

The inspiring victories against Stirling, Falkirk and Dunfermline are exceptions, rather than the norm. Our unbeaten run was largely made up of bore draws. The budget excuse is old hat now. Most teams are on a level financial footing. Look at Raith; a team made up of relative unkowns, including a few who have been with the club since it's time in the second division. One that's captained by a player almost universally derided by Thistle fans. Organisation and graft can be found at the heart of their success, not cash. Any money that's come their way has been spent wisely, though.

I did think he was an uninspiring captain for us but never derided him as a player. I did tho' find it strange that he was a far better player for us in the SPL than he was in Div 2. Maybe he's a guy that needs competent players around him. The fact he managed the step back up from Div 2 to the SPL with ease kinda backs that up.

[partick monkey]

I'm I alone in thinking that although we played very poorly, some credit must be given to yhe way Morton contained us after the referee cheated us by awarding them the penalty?

They didn't give us half a second on the ball and yes they did kick usoff the ball a lot, they took good advantage of the fact the ref was honking and giving us f**k all. They didn't create much but then again they didn't need to.

Why can't we play like that when we're a goal up?

[Southside Jag]

I'm I alone in thinking that although we played very poorly, some credit must be given to yhe way Morton contained us after the referee cheated us by awarding them the penalty?

They didn't give us half a second on the ball and yes they did kick usoff the ball a lot, they took good advantage of the fact the ref was honking and giving us f**k all. They didn't create much but then again they didn't need to.

Why can't we play like that when we're a goal up?

I think that is more to do with how easily contained we are, particularly away from home. In most games we are second to every loose ball, we stand off players all over the park. We have no pace anywhere in the team, and it kills us. We have to sit deep leaving the forwards isolated.

 

Defensively look at the gap between Boyle and the other teams' wide player almost all the time. He has no hope of stopping the cross. There were countless loose balls around the midfield too last night and almost all were picked up by Morton players. Sometimes we must be a joy to play against.

 

I highlighted the bit in bold because I think that is our main problem. For some reason we can't pressure teams the way Morton and even Cowdenbeath do. You don't have to be a good player to run about making life difficult for the man in possession of the ball, you just have to be willing. I think that's where this group of players lets themselves down. Sometimes on the ball going forward we look decent. Off the ball we are dreadful, Morton took a corner last night when around five Thistle players in the box weren't looking.

 

In answer to an earlier post, it wasn't just last night, all too often this is the case.

[weeyin]

Agreed. Id add that i thought Hodge would just scrape pass marks as well. Thought he was the only one to try and put his foot on the ball and try and at least find a pass.

 

Total inept performance overall and worryingly like the start of the season.

 

Id drop Cairney for the rest of the season and tell him his only chance to play for us again is to get properly fit. Perhaps a change of lifestyle is in order?

 

 

 

Do we know whats wrong with his lifestyle, just out of curiosity?? and if there is a problem should the club be addressing this??

[The Devil's Point]

The inspiring victories against Stirling, Falkirk and Dunfermline are exceptions, rather than the norm. Our unbeaten run was largely made up of bore draws. The budget excuse is old hat now. Most teams are on a level financial footing. Look at Raith; a team made up of relative unkowns, including a few who have been with the club since it's time in the second division. One that's captained by a player almost universally derided by Thistle fans. Organisation and graft can be found at the heart of their success, not cash. Any money that's come their way has been spent wisely, though.

 

To be fair though we have scored eight goals in the last two home games and four in the last three aways (3-3 at Dumfries was surely not a bore draw?). There was a major improvement for a while there, so I'm with Tom Stronach on the "its only one game" point. I thought the performance against Dunfermline at Firhill a couple of weeks ago showed plenty of organisation and graft.

 

This season was never going to be a Championship season. Dundee would probably of ended up winning it if they hadn't, rightly, been deducted the points. Even without that, I still suspect Falkirk and Dunfermline are better resourced than us (even if only paid for by debt).

 

Anyway, good luck with your dark passage.

[Willjag]

Are all the players now fully recovered from the bug that was spread round the team over the last few games?

[stillresigned]

Not really acceptable would have been better staying in and writing my essay(maybe?). I'm definitely not going to any more away games this season. To be honest only went 'cause nephew got comp tickets. If the powers that be ever want to find out why people are not going to football matches I heartily suggest making them watch this sort of rubbish for 90 mins in a old fashioned deck chair in the back garden on a pissing wet night in February. To be honest the product is just not there I'm afraid.I'll not bother to describe the wonderful state of the art facilities at Crappielown 'cos they aint any. Even less would I care to hazard a forecast of how bad we're going to be next year!

[Dark Passenger]

To be fair though we have scored eight goals in the last two home games and four in the last three aways (3-3 at Dumfries was surely not a bore draw?). There was a major improvement for a while there, so I'm with Tom Stronach on the "its only one game" point. I thought the performance against Dunfermline at Firhill a couple of weeks ago showed plenty of organisation and graft.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not looking for the nearest onrushing bus just yet. My point is that we've been mediocre to poor for most of the season, including, for the most part, the run of 'good' results. Hence why I haven't felt too despondent after a defeat and too euphoric after a victory.

[Jeehon]

Do we know whats wrong with his lifestyle, just out of curiosity?? and if there is a problem should the club be addressing this??

 

Apparently he eats loads of junk food and drinks a fair bit

 

PS.It's the same scenario every season. We ain't going, we ain't going down, live with it.

Edited February 24, 2011 by Jeehon

[lady-isobel-barnett]

Apparently he eats loads of junk food and drinks a fair bit

You should drop the "apparently" for an "allegedly". Better still just post what you actually know to be true.

[Tom Stronach]

Apparently he eats loads of junk food and drinks a fair bit

 

PS.It's the same scenario every season. We ain't going, we ain't going down, live with it.

 

That certainly wouldn't surprise me. He had a bit of a gut on him earlier on in the season. Personally, I'd punt him at the end of the season. He had half a good season last season, but since them he has been nothing more than a passenger. A player in his position should never be anonymous in as many games as he has been. His miss against St Johnstone the other week was embarrassingly bad as well.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

That certainly wouldn't surprise me. He had a bit of a gut on him earlier on in the season. Personally, I'd punt him at the end of the season. He had half a good season last season, but since them he has been nothing more than a passenger. A player in his position should never be anonymous in as many games as he has been. His miss against St Johnstone the other week was embarrassingly bad as well.

Why are you quoting Jeehon? Quite clearly as he hasn't replied to my previous post what he posted should meanwhile be taken as complete conjecture.

Btw I'm not one who could give a toss about your juvenile & odious avatar. Regardless of that you tend to make sensible points. So why quote someone who on face value is just either passing on gossip or making things up?

[weeyin]

You should drop the "apparently" for an "allegedly". Better still just post what you actually know to be true.

 

 

I agree that was why I was asking if there were any facts about his lifestyle or was it all assumptions because he is a young guy etc. He does appear to have had a dip in form, wondered if it was lifesytle or health. Suppose we will never really know.

[The Earl of Hathaway]

I agree that was why I was asking if there were any facts about his lifestyle or was it all assumptions because he is a young guy etc. He does appear to have had a dip in form, wondered if it was lifesytle or health. Suppose we will never really know.

Maybe he's just not that good a footballer, or at least one that appears to me to be unwilling to make up what he lacks in talent by sheer hard work? Just my opinion.

[Ruchillnomore]

I seriously dont think that you can fault him for effort. I honestly believe he is the easy scapegoat in the midfield. There are many more in that midfield who should shoulder just as much of the blame. I would rather have him in the team than Hodge. As for his lifestyle in Paisley it is no different probably from any other person his age in our or any other team. He is a genuine lad that if he is carrying too much weight or is out too much then that to me would say more about the coaching staff monitoring fitness levels throughout the season than the player himself.

[Tom Stronach]

Why are you quoting Jeehon? Quite clearly as he hasn't replied to my previous post what he posted should meanwhile be taken as complete conjecture.

Btw I'm not one who could give a toss about your juvenile & odious avatar. Regardless of that you tend to make sensible points. So why quote someone who on face value is just either passing on gossip or making things up?

 

I was in no way saying that I believe what Jeehon has said is fact. I was merely offering my opinion that Cairney has been looking a little overweight for a professional athlete and poor lifestyle choices such as eating junk food and drinking too much alcohol could be a contributing factor, but I suppose it could just as easily be, that he has been working hard on weight training in the gym.

[lady-isobel-barnett]

I was in no way saying that I believe what Jeehon has said is fact. I was merely offering my opinion that Cairney has been looking a little overweight for a professional athlete and poor lifestyle choices such as eating junk food and drinking too much alcohol could be a contributing factor,

That's all true but you see how things can go from something completely unsubstantiated thru a could be to an it's common knowledge.

 

Cairney does look a little overweight and doen't appear to have the engine he had during the earlier part of last season. Up at Cowdenbeath I thought Cairney looked a shade unwell when he came on in the 2nd half. Maybe he still hadn't fully recovered from the recent flu bug or of course it could be down to a couple of out of date cans of Guinness on the team bus or a dodgy Central Pk half time pie.