Scottish Premiership Game 9: Accies (A) Saturday 14/10/17

[FJ-94]

What I took from hammell's cup appearance was that his delivery is a real threat still, so it could be a good shout sticking him in for the game. Reckon it will still be dunne though.

[milo]

Difficult to criticise Robinson for what hes done so far but playing Dunne before Hammell is a head scratcher.

[FirParkCornerExile]

Awful Awful game, I have never seen a decent game there. The ball in the air most of the time. Big difference wed have lost that game in last few seasons. Dunne was dreadful, I thought McHugh was very ropy. Surprised the manager didnt make his subs earlier but end of the day dont give a flying fuck... on that surface all that matters is the result and we got it. Well done to everyone.

[Electric Blues]

...is bringing Hammell back next week for his experience a better option? I know he has his limitations too nowadays, but Dunnes' frailties and suspect distribution could be badly exposed by better forwards than Accies'.

 

I wondered about this myself as the second half wore on. Every passing minute without that particular substitution made it look more likely that he was being saved for Hampden. After his contribution in the quarter-final it wouldn't surprise me to see him start next week.

[Desp]

I think Dunne has done ok since coming in, and his pace is certainly an asset.

 

However, he had a shocker today. Rangers would take full advantage if he has any kind of brain fart next week. I'd certainly look to bring in Hammell.

[swami]

A win against our local rivals that puts us into fourth and you're on here whining about a miss?!

To be fair, it was some miss.

[Ya Bezzer!]

You can only take 3 points from a league match and we did that. We were the better team but in truth it was a scrappy, ugly, low quality match of football, perhaps that's why they were so slow to get the flood lights on.

 

We started brightly and had numerous chances but when Accies scored against the run of play it badly effected us and it wasn't looking too good for us. Our goal was similar to Accies, poor defending followed by an excellent finish.

 

We created more chances but the truth was we didn't look especially convincing defensively, especially on the left with Dunne having fresh air swipes, falling over, giving away fouls, giving the ball away and so forth. It's glaringly obvious he's the weak link in the team right now and opposition managers will surely be fashioning game plans with that in mind.

 

At the other end of the scale Hartley is probably the biggest threat we've had from a centre back since the Mitchell van der Gaag days when he bagged, off the top of my head, 7, in a season. Would be a huge coup if we could keep him at Fir Park longer and the difference between him and Heneghan is night and day.

 

Most of the rest of the half we were dominant without really being that inspiring and a period of Accies pressure in the last ten minutes or so was actually welcome as it brought some edge back to the game. Bowman was excellent today, but he should have made it 3-1 late in the game at a time when the game was not yet safe, luckily it didn't matter in the end.

 

Overall we did well to win the match, especially coming back from 1-0 down but it was a poor match played in near silence much of the time. There were mitigating circumstances - the worst surface in the league and perhaps a few, both on the pitch and in the stands, with eyes on next week, however we will need to make a big improvement in performance next week if we want to get to a final.

 

Stand outs were Carson, Hartley, Campbell and Bowman.

[Ya Bezzer!]

Difficult to criticise Robinson for what hes done so far but playing Dunne before Hammell is a head scratcher.

 

It's pretty simply - because we are playing a 3-5-2.

 

He obviously wants tall, athletic players in the back line, which is fine if they can also play football.

 

Bringing in Hammell in a 4 at the back would be, you'd have to reckon, a pretty straight forward decision but I get why you might be more reluctant in the system we are currently playing. That said, our best performance of the season was with Hammell in the side.

 

Even if doubts are creeping into Robinson's head I can't see him not starting Dunne on the huge pitch at Hampden. He'll be wanting a level of mobility that Hammell can't provide at this stage in his career.

[DEWELL]

Fab win on a crap surface. Sooner they get relegated the better. Agree with the Hammell comments. I'm not convinced about Dunne yet either.

[steelboy]

Hopefully Accies finish bottom and we can get shot of that pitch.

 

Craig Thompson is by far the worst referee in the country and genuinely seems to hate us. The two non decisions with Tanner and Gogic were unbelievable.

[steelboy]

That's what I heard. Wonder if it means Hartley would walk away from his current contract. Would be a great statement, you would imagine he gets paid more than we could offer. The lure of creating a platform for the future isn't there for him, he must just love playing the game.

 

Blackpool don't pay big wages so i'd be surprised if we couldn't afford him.

[texanwellfan]

Now does'nt that look nice :-) combine that with league cup semi next week. I don't think very many, if any at all, saw us being in this potition in October.

 

Great result today, here' s hoping for an even better one next week COYW !!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Home Away Total Team P W D L F A W D L F A W D L F A GD Pts 1 Celtic 9 3 2 0 12 4 4 0 0 9 1 7 2 0 21 5 16 23 2 Aberdeen 9 3 1 0 8 2 4 1 0 8 4 7 2 0 16 6 10 23 3 Rangers 9 1 1 2 6 6 4 1 0 14 5 5 2 2 20 11 9 17 4 Motherwell 9 4 0 2 10 4 1 1 1 5 7 5 1 3 15 11 4 16 5 St Johnstone 9 3 1 1 8 6 1 1 2 5 8 4 2 3 13 14 -1 14 6 Hibernian 9 1 1 2 6 7 2 3 0 8 6 3 4 2 14 13 1 13 7 Hearts 9 0 1 0 0 0 3 2 3 9 11 3 3 3 9 11 -2 12 8 Dundee 9 2 1 1 7 6 0 1 4 3 11 2 2 5 10 17 -7 8 9 Hamilton Accies 9 1 0 4 7 12 1 1 2 6 7 2 1 6 13 19 -6 7 10 Ross County 9 0 1 4 4 9 2 0 2 4 7 2 1 6 8 16 -8 7 11 Kilmarnock 9 0 2 4 4 10 1 1 1 3 3 1 3 5 7 13 -6 6 12 Partick Thistle 9 0 2 3 6 10 0 1 3 2 8 0 3 6 8 18 -10 3

 

Well shite! it looked much better before I hit post.

[Clackscat]

You can only take 3 points from a league match and we did that. We were the better team but in truth it was a scrappy, ugly, low quality match of football, perhaps that's why they were so slow to get the flood lights on.

 

We started brightly and had numerous chances but when Accies scored against the run of play it badly effected us and it wasn't looking too good for us. Our goal was similar to Accies, poor defending followed by an excellent finish.

 

We created more chances but the truth was we didn't look especially convincing defensively, especially on the left with Dunne having fresh air swipes, falling over, giving away fouls, giving the ball away and so forth. It's glaringly obvious he's the weak link in the team right now and opposition managers will surely be fashioning game plans with that in mind.

 

At the other end of the scale Hartley is probably the biggest threat we've had from a centre back since the Mitchell van der Gaag days when he bagged, off the top of my head, 7, in a season. Would be a huge coup if we could keep him at Fir Park longer and the difference between him and Heneghan is night and day.

 

Most of the rest of the half we were dominant without really being that inspiring and a period of Accies pressure in the last ten minutes or so was actually welcome as it brought some edge back to the game. Bowman was excellent today, but he should have made it 3-1 late in the game at a time when the game was not yet safe, luckily it didn't matter in the end.

 

Overall we did well to win the match, especially coming back from 1-0 down but it was a poor match played in near silence much of the time. There were mitigating circumstances - the worst surface in the league and perhaps a few, both on the pitch and in the stands, with eyes on next week, however we will need to make a big improvement in performance next week if we want to get to a final.

 

Stand outs were Carson, Hartley, Campbell and Bowman.

Would agree with most of that although didn't think young Campbell had a particularily good game by his high standards. Was my first look at Carson close quarters and imo he is the real deal, just exudes confidence and decisiveness.

No doubt in my mind last years team would have lost that game.

 

On another point the sooner that horrible mob and their horrible pitch and their awful style of football are out the SPL the better

 

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[Clackscat]

Fab win on a crap surface. Sooner they get relegated the better. Agree with the Hammell comments. I'm not convinced about Dunne yet either.

I noticed after the game Robbo walking with him as if trying to gee him up, think the big fella is lacking confidence. Noticed also that immediately after another first half mistake Hammy was sent for a warm up plus also got a more intensive 1 to 1 warm up at ht, we were convinced he was coming on.

 

This is my only worry at moment, not sure if Hammy has the legs for Hampden but thought he was terrific v Adeen and as a second half sub v Hearts?. He has played in a 3 at back before.

 

Tough call

 

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[Happy Dosser]

I thought Hammell had an excellent game against The Dons in the cup, both his linking play up the left and his whipped-in crosses. He also looked thinner and fitter than last season, so he still has qualities. Of course, Dunne may have been spooked by the worst surface in the Multiverse at NDP but I wouldn't mind Stevie playing at Hampden.

 

Another game won today we would have lost year, so very happy. We have new players (and a manager) who won't give a flying fig for Sunday's opposition, a huge change from the "We are not worthy" attitude of Messrs McCall and McGhee, beaten before we even start.

 

Can't see Hartley holding back for a minute (or Campbell, Kipre, Bowman, etc).

 

Unfortunately, the Home Secretary has booked a holiday in Dubrovnik this week and I will only get back about half-time.

 

COYW!

[Villageman]

Truly was an awful game.I'm sure I picked up SR comment on Radio Scotland interview on the way home as "There is never much football played at this place". Was he referring to the pitch, Hamiltons anti fooball or both.

[weeyin]

The pitch mostly - at least based on similar comments in the past. His view (which most of us share) is that the nature of the pitch means it's difficult to keep the ball under control and pass it on the ground.

 

I watched us warm up the last time I was at NDP, and on multiple occasions our players were passing the ball along the ground and it would still bounce up into the air. It's like uneven concrete.

 

Seems that Accies just never invested the money to actually take care of it.Or maybe somebody told them that you don't need to look after plastic.

 

Like I mentioned earlier in the thread, I was watching Alloa (albeit on the telly) during last season's play-offs and their plastic looked 10 times better. Still not ideal, but certainly a much more consistent, and lower, bounce.

[ohwulliewullie]

I'll try and make the case for the defence for Charles Dunne. He's decent in the air and lightening fast. His pace gets him (and others) out of a problem. If he could control and pass a ball like Stevie Hammell, he wouldn't be playing for us. Likewise... if Stevie was as big and athletic as Charles, he wouldn't have played so many games for us either. Last season I watched a number of teams target Hammell with long diagonal balls, especially when Frear was next to him on the left. That just doesn't happen with Dunne. I love Stevie Hammell, but in a 3-5-2 at Hampden against Sevco, it's Dunne for me... with clear instructions to keep it simple and (if necessary) launch the ball as far as possible, if there are no easy options on.

[ropy]

Now does'nt that look nice :-) combine that with league cup semi next week. I don't think very many, if any at all, saw us being in this potition in October.

 

Great result today, here' s hoping for an even better one next week COYW !!!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Home Away Total Team P W D L F A W D L F A W D L F A GD Pts 1 Celtic 9 3 2 0 12 4 4 0 0 9 1 7 2 0 21 5 16 23 2 Aberdeen 9 3 1 0 8 2 4 1 0 8 4 7 2 0 16 6 10 23 3 Rangers 9 1 1 2 6 6 4 1 0 14 5 5 2 2 20 11 9 17 4 Motherwell 9 4 0 2 10 4 1 1 1 5 7 5 1 3 15 11 4 16 5 St Johnstone 9 3 1 1 8 6 1 1 2 5 8 4 2 3 13 14 -1 14 6 Hibernian 9 1 1 2 6 7 2 3 0 8 6 3 4 2 14 13 1 13 7 Hearts 9 0 1 0 0 0 3 2 3 9 11 3 3 3 9 11 -2 12 8 Dundee 9 2 1 1 7 6 0 1 4 3 11 2 2 5 10 17 -7 8 9 Hamilton Accies 9 1 0 4 7 12 1 1 2 6 7 2 1 6 13 19 -6 7 10 Ross County 9 0 1 4 4 9 2 0 2 4 7 2 1 6 8 16 -8 7 11 Kilmarnock 9 0 2 4 4 10 1 1 1 3 3 1 3 5 7 13 -6 6 12 Partick Thistle 9 0 2 3 6 10 0 1 3 2 8 0 3 6 8 18 -10 3

 

Well shite! it looked much better before I hit post.

Is it a code? Or Braille?

[CoF]

If he could control and pass a ball like Stevie Hammell, he wouldn't be playing for us.

 

I don't think anyone is expecting that. The absolute basics of not tripping up over the ball / own feet would be a good start.

[ropy]

I think we made it hard for ourselves today. We didn't try and play it along the ground. Too many balls were lobbed forward or were skied clearances. We won a few of the balls that went forward but I thought if we had gone down the outside more, like we did when Frear came on, it would have been more profitable. It looked like the attitude was get the ball forward, get the points and get out of town. And, to be fair, it worked.

[texanwellfan]

Is it a code? Or Braille?

 

sorry, Im technically challenged when it comes to putting stuff on here.

[Clackscat]

I think we made it hard for ourselves today. We didn't try and play it along the ground. Too many balls were lobbed forward or were skied clearances. We won a few of the balls that went forward but I thought if we had gone down the outside more, like we did when Frear came on, it would have been more profitable. It looked like the attitude was get the ball forward, get the points and get out of town. And, to be fair, it worked.

You cannot play the ball on the ground on that apology for a pitch so it was horses for courses and glad to see we can adjust to different curcumstances but jeeez it wasn't pretty

 

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[ropy]

 

sorry, Im technically challenged when it comes to putting stuff on here.

To be fair, I never try, I just hope someone else will link to anything I am talking about

[MelvinBragg]

Pretty much everything I was going to say has been covered. Poor game on an awful pitch, a game we would have lost last season. We didn't play well but managed to get the win, sign of a team with a bit of character.

 

What I would say is that were I a Partick Thistle fan, I wouldn't be too worried. As bad as Thistle were at Fir Park a fortnight ago, that Accies team was a different level of shite. I know they're missing players but that looks an abysmal team. We only won 2-1 but we missed a few good chances to put that game to bed...