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Is It Time To Bring Fox Back


erty13
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Gallacher's distribution tends to be poorer, but his shot-stopping is better. Fox tends to catch the ball more, making it safe from rebounds, etc. Fox is younger and so has more potential. As captain, Gallacher admitted he didn't know what went wrong in the game against Hearts. Fox is less vocal.

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Gallacher's distribution tends to be poorer, but his shot-stopping is better. Fox tends to catch the ball more, making it safe from rebounds, etc. Fox is younger and so has more potential. As captain, Gallacher admitted he didn't know what went wrong in the game against Hearts. Fox is less vocal.

 

So, to answer the OPs question?

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Gallchers save from the hearts header in the first half on Saturday was world class. I definitely think we've looked better at defending crosses since gallachers came in aswell, although the stats might not support that. I just think he gives the centre halfs a little more confidence than the fox did.

 

The only thing I would say about gallacher is his distribution. He almost always takes ages once he's taken a cross, giving the opposition time to re-group. Whenever fox took a cross, the full backs would be off and running straight away and more often than not they would get a decent throw and could start a counter attack. That was a pretty major factor in the way we played last season that has been, IMO, sorely missing recently.

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A bit of a gamble to change the keeper for the run in.

 

I don't think this is where the problems are just now.

 

Not saying Fox is a bad keeper or anything but i would be looking a bit further forward from the goalkeeper if any changes are to be made.

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Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Using it, I am staggered that we didn't start the season with a hugely experienced, former international goalkeeper.

 

Fox, an excellent shot stopper, had a fantastic defence to hide behind last season. He has absolutely no command over his box, doesn't communicate and is reluctant to come off his line.

 

So...no.

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It's definitely Gallacher for me. He does command his box more and has made some great saves. As to the distribution thing; it might not be his idea. Given McMillan has started a lot of games recently, it may well be due to the goals we leaked earlier in the season when SOD and Taylor-Sinclair were posted missing upfield. So the getting the ball to our full backs, has been jettisoned for the punt up the park.

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It's definitely Gallacher for me. He does command his box more and has made some great saves. As to the distribution thing; it might not be his idea. Given McMillan has started a lot of games recently, it may well be due to the goals we leaked earlier in the season when SOD and Taylor-Sinclair were posted missing upfield. So the getting the ball to our full backs, has been jettisoned for the punt up the park.

 

Agree,

Also, and I never thought I'd be saying this, but the absence of Balatoni in recent weeks has been huge. He seemed to be developing into a premiership Defender at last before injury.

Foxy will have a lot of work to do before he starts again.Really want to see him as our long term keeper but he really has to muscle up a lot more and be more physical in the box before he can make it in the top division.

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Agree,

Also, and I never thought I'd be saying this, but the absence of Balatoni in recent weeks has been huge. He seemed to be developing into a premiership Defender at last before injury.

 

 

Think that has been a massive factor. Gabby has the potential but a loan to a championship side might have been the best route for him this season

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Sorry for diverging from the main point of discussion, but Balatoni turns like a battleship, while Piccolo is much more proactive in dispossessing the opposition - as well as being very adept at heading the ball clear.

 

May be true but the defence at long last was looking solid with Mair and Balatoni in the middle and Balatoni is always a threat up the other end

Edited by Lindau
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Would keep Gallacher in but take away captaincy and give it to Mair , for positional reasons , cant see how a goalie can captain the team from between the sticks.

 

Gall is our most vocal player. This Thistle team, mainly due to age, is the quiestest I can remember. When I think back to Danny Lennon BMMMH Craigan's era, they were all vocal, even marko roberts. But this squad doesn't have many talkers.

 

 

I like Gallacher so I'd keep him in, he's been in good form, our recent goals against is absolutely nothing to do with him. I like big Gabby and see potential, but he's been a part of so many hidings this season it can't be coincidence. I do see potential though, but maybe we need someone else for the run in, these 5 games are vital we don't have the luxury of nurturing a centre back with our survival at stake.

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No matter how you look at it, Gabby represents a great big gaping hole in the middle of our defence.

It's no surprise our shocking defence returns when Piccolo came back into the team.

 

Sorry lads but this is a load of minced testicles.

 

Hearts goal 1: McMillan caught out of position to long crossed field ball, Doolan tries in vain to cover cross, Mair and Gallagher beaten at the front post. Not Gabbie's fault.

 

Hearts goal 2: Billy King left unmarked on our right as long ball comes in to the man Gabbie is marking, a player he's only marking because Mair is out of position and McMillan is still tracking back. Shot taken before Gabbie can reasonably be said to have time to close it down without exposing the 1-2 for a clear shot on goal. At best 1/4 culpable here if at all.

 

Hearts goal 3: Marks his man impeccably the whole time. Stevenson breaks in front of McMillan at the front post to head in. Not Gabbie's fault.

 

Hearts goal 4: Taylor-Sinclair loses the ball near the half-way line. Gabbie has to hold back to prevent the early ball in to Stevenson, who then tracks across towards Mair. Buaben tracks back as the player trying to prevent the cross coming in and Gabbie holds in case there is a front post ball that beats Buaben, to stop Stevenson getting there. Stevenson turns Mair and fires into the bottom corner. Not Gabbie's fault.

Edited by Woodstock Jag
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You're wrong about McMillan being at fault initially at the 1st goal WJ. Both centre backs had been drawn to the left of our box meaning McMillan had to come in and challenge for the cross. He was let down by no support from right midfield.

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You're wrong about McMillan being at fault initially at the 1st goal WJ. Both centre backs had been drawn to the left of our box meaning McMillan had to come in and challenge for the cross. He was let down by no support from right midfield.

 

I think you're missing my point, Will.

 

Gabbie is the left centre-back. Of course he should be covering the left of the box. The goal, given it came from a cross-field ball by Hammil from right next to the dugouts, was therefore not Gabbie's fault.

 

Whether McMillan or Mair was to blame is really somewhat besides the point. Mair may have legitimately been on the left-side to make up for the fact that most of the Hearts players were, at the time, nearer to that side, so he'll have been marking someone. Billy King was generally playing on our right by quite a distance and cutting in. As play transpired, McMillan was on the D and missed a header, when the smart move might have been not to go for it at all and to cover King as Doolan was not yet ready in defensive support. You can argue about whether Mair's positioning was correct to cover it in the first place, but that still doesn't make it Gabbie's fault.

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I'm not missing your point about Gabby. I'm not blaming him. I'm saying you're blaming McMillan at a point when it wasn't his fault. The ball was at a height where he could have got something on it. It's not really too evident in the highlights, but the Hearts player eases him away from the ball when it's in the air. You see McMillan protesting to the ref he was pushed. The biggest fault at the 1st goal was first Taylor, then particularly, Higgingbotham allowing Hamill to bypass them both easily and get an unpressurised cross into the box.

 

The more I think about it, the more I'm convinced the problem with all our defenders is that they are all too nice and not physical enough.

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