thistledave78 Posted August 17, 2013 Report Share Posted August 17, 2013 Great first half performance and couldve been a good few up at half time. Second half not quite as good and seemed to miss Welsh at the back. The quality of football was sheer class at times and the way players controlled the ball (including defenders) was sublime. On another night things might have gone in our favour and we wouldve had a comfortable victory and we should have had a penalty in the first and a foul before their goal but these things happen. At the start of the season id have taken 5 points from our first 3 games. With Hearts points deduction and the early collapse of Ross C along with St Mirren, Killie and Hibs poor teams I certainly dont think we will be involved in any relagation battle this season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ancipital Posted August 17, 2013 Report Share Posted August 17, 2013 It's worth pointing out that Dunfermline and Dundee had decent starts and still got relegated. 10th place would be a great achievement for us. Also Hull, Burnley, and Blackpool in recent EPL seasons went off like trains after being promoted and either only just stayed up or got relegated. We certainly won't be out of our depth based on the first 3 games and there's certainly loads to be positive about on the field but I agree that 10th would be fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferris Bueller Posted August 17, 2013 Report Share Posted August 17, 2013 I thought we were great and should have won about 6-0. Hearts were apalling and deserved nothing. It strikes me that this is a very poor league and unless Aberdeen or Caley are any good, we should be aiming to come top 3. Hopefully it'll be a decent contest outside of top spot. Have been a lot of goals so far and with one obvious exception, anyone can beat anyone. Along with Thistle's play, it could be an interesting season. Looking at the fixtures, we are playing beatable sides for the next two months. We don't face Celtic and Inverness CT (who are looking good - 3 wins out of 3 so far) until mid October so could have a bit of a foothold by then. Found this fairly interesting - Odds (decimal): On Sky Bet, Thistle are 2.63 to get a top 6 finish and at 11 (10/1) to finish bottom. Hearts are now 1.57 favourites to finish bottom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watties wallies Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 As the great John lambie always said Get the points on the board before Christmas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoda-jag Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 brilliant atmosphere and singing (even from the soon to be sevco 6089 fans whose kids will follow hibs), some sublime football from jags, as plenty others say, loss of welsh and hearts not sitting so deep second half changed game and swung pendullum from complete domination to nearer even stevens, but after finally getting the breakthrough, walking down firhill road 10 minutes later felt almost like a defeat. gutted, but still a mark of how we have progressed in last few years on the park. just goes to show we have to start getting percentages of ideal final delivery and sticking the ball in the net percentages up, or else we could lose more points than we gain. we'll still be fine though and can't see us being anywhere near bottom two come may. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pie Of The Month Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 It's worth pointing out that Dunfermline and Dundee had decent starts and still got relegated. 10th place would be a great achievement for us. Dundee did not have a decent start. They drew their first game then lost the next 3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert's Ghost Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 Dundee did not have a decent start. They drew their first game then lost the next 3. Then they won one, then they lost SIX in a row! Hardly a decent start. Not much better than Gerry Collins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinnyjag Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 I think potentially we could pick up more points away from home. Teams will be more inclined to come out and attack and that suits us in terms of us having a fairly solid defence and that we are superb on the counter attack. The next two games will be interesting, if we pick up a couple of points and play well we will glean even more confidence as a team. Does anyone know the points which St Mirren finished on last season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagscast Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 Does anyone know the points which St Mirren finished on last season? 41 points. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cup Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 41 points. I can't be bothered looking but I think 41 was higher than usual for a team in 11th place. 40 should see us miss the playoffs. 35 to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jagscast Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 I can't be bothered looking but I think 41 was higher than usual for a team in 11th place. 40 should see us miss the playoffs. 35 to go. 11th place points 41, 33, 33, 33, 37, 40, 36, 33, 34, 34, 32, 40, 35 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
topcat Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 A lot of you guys must have had some weekend if your "just in" from the Hearts game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cup Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 Just watched the goals. Poor defending for the Hearts goal. Balatoni and Fraser didn't cover themselves in glory at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lady-isobel-barnett Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 11th place points 41, 33, 33, 33, 37, 40, 36, 33, 34, 34, 32, 40, 35 Much as it grieves me to mention but the lack of yon lot the other side of the river will have had a bearing on the amount of points 11th place amass. St Mirren's 41 pts could well be fairly representative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpool Jags Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 (edited) Just watched it again there and we were definitely the more dominant side in the second half. Attacks-wise, I'd say we were something like 80-20 or better in the first period; in the second half we were still about 60-40. Frustrating as it was to come away with only a single point, I'm confident we'll be less dominant in other games and take all 3 points. This team is a bit special: our two marauding full backs give us so many outlets and complement our passing style to the point where the opposition is bamboozled and can't work out who and where to mark; the movement off the ball of eg Welsh, Lawless and Craigen is opening up space after space for Doolan to choose his options on where and when to make his runs. I genuinely believe we're a smidgin off being a really formidable side capable of taking anybody in this league on home or away, Tims possibly excepted. We'll have off days of course - we're Thistle after all and Thistle sides rarely perform consistently brilliantly at all times; but the building blocks are virtually all in place and Archie has created a strong, fit and hungry side who all play for the jersey. Completion for starting spots will intensify over the coming weeks. Archie is a meritocrat: anybody forcing their way off the bench and into the starting eleven will be rewarded for their efforts on the park and not out of blind loyalty. We've got a very strong squad who have depth of cover and are well adapted for football at Premiership level. We will need some luck of course, but if there's any truth in the adage that you make your own luck then we shouldn't have much to worry about on that front. Football at Firhill right now has got this old rascal tingling with excitement and childish butterflies. Oh Thistle we love you. Edited August 18, 2013 by Blackpool Jags 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jagtastic Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 I genuinely believe we're a smidgin off being a really formidable side capable of taking anybody in this league on home or away, Tims possibly excepted. I reckon we'll do those fannies at least once this season. I'd love it to be the new year game :-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uberteeb Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 Any word on Welshdog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Cup Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 If you think we missed a lot of chances check out the PSG game against Ajaccio tonight. Shots on target. PSG 34 - 1 Ajaccio Final score 1-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bunny Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 Just watched it again there and we were definitely the more dominant side in the second half. Attacks-wise, I'd say we were something like 80-20 or better in the first period; in the second half we were still about 60-40. Point made on TV tonight after Chelsea v Hull game. Chelsea had something like 54% to Hull's 48%. Point was made that most of Hull's possession was in their own half while Chelsea's was mostly round and about Hull's penalty area. In other words it's not just possession (though that's important, keep the opposition from doing anything) but quality of possession and what you do with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Passenger Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 The difference being we do drive forward and create chances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackpool Jags Posted August 18, 2013 Report Share Posted August 18, 2013 Point made on TV tonight after Chelsea v Hull game. Chelsea had something like 54% to Hull's 48%. Point was made that most of Hull's possession was in their own half while Chelsea's was mostly round and about Hull's penalty area. In other words it's not just possession (though that's important, keep the opposition from doing anything) but quality of possession and what you do with it. Agreed. I was trying (clumsily) to make the distinction between simple possession - which I agree isn't always much more than tapping it around - and actual attacks. I felt we were so often going at them, in a variety of different ways, rather than the slow chess method of boringly keeping possession and waiting to pounce on a positioning error by the opposition. It's that style which pleases me so much about our game plan: always looking to build direct opportunities through passing, speed of thought and all round cohesion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinny Posted August 19, 2013 Report Share Posted August 19, 2013 Agree with soulful jag as I also felt Fraser had been fouled in the run up to their goal. Perhaps if it had been one large foul rather than two small ones it might have been given. However I wonder if this points to a slight weakness in the team. Against Dundee United we were often caught in possession in the midfield and on that day United failed to punish us. As we look to pass out from the back we will get caught on occasion, and on this occasion our midfield were bombing up on a fast break. With hindsight we can all say Osbourne should have been brought on, however until that point Hearts had caused us very few problems so until the equaliser I don't think we would have argued for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinny Posted August 19, 2013 Report Share Posted August 19, 2013 Chelsea had something like 54% to Hull's 48%. something like 54% to Hull's 48%. 54% to Hull's 48%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Bunny Posted August 19, 2013 Report Share Posted August 19, 2013 Don't you know players are supposed to give 110% these days - why shouldn't if be the same with possession. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uberteeb Posted August 19, 2013 Report Share Posted August 19, 2013 Agree with soulful jag as I also felt Fraser had been fouled in the run up to their goal. Perhaps if it had been one large foul rather than two small ones it might have been given. However I wonder if this points to a slight weakness in the team. Against Dundee United we were often caught in possession in the midfield and on that day United failed to punish us. As we look to pass out from the back we will get caught on occasion, and on this occasion our midfield were bombing up on a fast break. With hindsight we can all say Osbourne should have been brought on, however until that point Hearts had caused us very few problems so until the equaliser I don't think we would have argued for it. Is that not just an inevitable consequence of playing better teams? Both Dundee United and Hearts, particularly Dundee United, were on top of our guys much much quickly than anyone we would play last season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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