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I agree. And the more frustrated Stam got the deeper he got. No surprise given the lack of quality coming from out wide or through the middle. Often in space and looking for the ball, but ignored. Wilson is just terrified to make a mistake so plays backwards more often than not. I lost count of the number of times he had acres of space in front of him but chickened out. Confidence seems totally shot. Although willing, Sparrow just cannot be relied upon. Defensively both are weak so not sure why they start. The only cutback that created a worthwhile chance first half was sclaffed wide by Maswanhise. Pity it did not fall to Stam as that might have got him up and running. I'm guessing Maswanhise will delight and frustrate us in equal portions throughout the season. My first game this season and I was looking forward to the bright new world I've been reading about. But, even allowing for the weather and the pitch, I was underwhelmed. Facing a team two divisions below us, who were goalless and thumped in their previous game, and who had only brought in 40% of their matchday quad the day before, I expected more. Not miracles but more. Sure we had lots of the ball but what's the point if you go nowhere with it? Eventually resorting to long distance shots that are easily blocked or saved. And I get that it's early days and Askou is still experimenting with players coming to terms with what he expects of them. I thought many looked hesitant and more often than not took the easy option. With the result that we spent most of the game overplaying in midfield. And we got off the hook when their player made a complete hash of their chance to equalise late on from a throw in that seemed to bamboozle our defence. Positives? It's a better watch than SK delivered. We won and kept a clean sheet with what looked like a second choice back four. Balmer and SOD did ok although under little pressure. Stenny's big striker did make it uncomfortable at times but with little threat. SOD scoring...just. Connolly also coped well with everything he was asked to deal with. Of the new recruits, I thought Fadinger looked busy and keen to get involved, trying move us forward. We missed him when he went off. The fans backed the team to the end and SOD appeared to have an abuse free match. On to Morton who will provide a much sterner test. Improvement needed if we are to progress from the group. Looking forward to see how we perform against a team that might actually set out to win a match. Imrie will certainly have them fired up for a game they have to win. Cannot see them playing for penalties as far to much of a lottery. Hopefully we get a decent turnout who get right behind the team.

Agreed. I think Slattery would be better playing just behind a front two. Our midfield is too lightweight and will be easily bullied out of games in the league. I think we badly need a ball-winner to stiffen the midfield up and give it some bite.

The coaching has also improved in all levels of the game. The lower league teams are playing tactics you would never have seen 20 or 30 years ago.

The man the legend

I notice that too in the WOSL games I take in. With the explosion in gymnasiums and personal trainers and some of the bigger teams being into sports science in a big way the level is definitely improving in the lower leagues.

Was talking to a bloke at work( st mirren fan) he mentioned that part time players seem a lot fitter than back in the day and don't tire as quickly...bloody frustrating 🙄

I would say partly that and partly smaller teams are getting better coached and lower league managers are getting more tactically aware about how to set out their teams to frustrate the big boys.

From what I have witnessed from yesterday is AP was actually making decent runs into the box and in the box for the ball but the crossing and passing to him was utterly terrible. Really need to get working on this final ball it's pretty non existent right now.

There is only one way to shut the critics up and that's to turn in good performances...I don't get on anyone's back but he has been poor at times, since the get go if I'm honest....but here's hoping this is a new dawn.

Are you a betting man? You would be bankrupt by now tbf.

But the opposition didn't score or look like scoring. I mind the days when lower league teams would come out and have a go...more savvy now , but doesn't make for a great spectacle. Much the same as we do v Celtic.

I get what you're saying about modern possession based football, man city , I don't find easy yo watch. That being said, when its your own team doing it, it's ok to watch, if we can keep it like that v top teams, bring it on. Liverpool have the right balance but we can't compete with that.

I've probably said this a thousand times so excuse me but Slattery cannot play as a general midfielder. He could potentially be effective as an attacking midfielder, maybe in a 3-4-1-2 or something like that. But if you are putting him a four across the middle just no.

I think that just shows the decline in our top level. There used to be cup shocks. Now there aren't really because lower league clubs beat top level clubs all the time in both cup competitions. Non league clubs have beaten Top 5 clubs on multiple occasions in recent years. Our game at the top level has gone into massive decline, and no offense, but you are old enough to know that. 😆

According to the manager we'll hopefully have a few more faces by the start of the season. This team hopefully isn't the finished article

I want to like Slattery as he does have 'something' as we saw the other night but disappears too often. Watt and Fadinger it's too early to say but they look lightweight and could be overrun easily especially when it comes to League fixtures.

What do you make of the potential midfield trio of Watt, Slattery, and Fadinger? I thought there were signs of a promising partnership starting to develop against Peterhead. I’d expect to see the same three start again against Morton.

Indeed it did, especially combined with the long sleeved base layer.

On that I think most of our corners seemed to be outswingers which gives the defence time to judge the flight of the ball and the goalie doesn't come under the same pressure.The few inswingers seemed to be aimed at the far post for Balmer to make a late run. A few more inswingers right on top of the goalie to see what he's made of on Tuesday please.

It definitely is because the team simply isn't good enough to expect anything better. There is very little football in that squad and we are badly lacking in defence and up front. Looking at the opening round of fixtures it's hard to see us getting much, if anything. We will lose to Rangers, lose to St.Mirren and Hearts and then we have Kettlewell's Killie Pies at home in which, on paper at least, is already "must win" for us.

Had he ever done it before he signed for us? And he certainly hasn't come close to repeating it since he left. Van Veen had the season of his life for us in 22/23 and that was the exception to the rule for both him and us as a club to have a 25 goal + striker. It was once in a blue moon stuff.

I completely agree. You can throw in the usual excuses too: plastic pitches, it being too hot or too wet. As if the opposition aren’t dealing with the exact same conditions.

Van Veen did it

The manager is trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. He has inherited a poor squad of players and is trying to get them to play in a way which the majority are inherently incapable of. Its going to be a long hard slog of a season!

25 plus goals a season, yeah plenty of them going about,ready to sign for the mighty well.