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Scottish Premiership Game 5: Kilmarnock (H) Saturday 09/09/17


Yabba's Turd
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3 home wins a row and with 3 of next 4 home we need to get more points on board. After that we have 7/9 away so will be tough. Great seeing competition for places and I know Rose not getting much praise but give him a chance. Robbo must have doing a role that is important to the team. At start of season the amount of folk wanting rid of bowman was crazy and look how he is playing now. I just hope Tait has a Stormer next home game or that guy in East stand will go crazy again!!

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I was bent over laughing at that. It was like a scene in a movie where one guy shows off all his flash Kung Fu moves and after 2 minutes of watching this the other guy blasts him in the face with his pistol.

 

http://youtube.com/vdnA-ESWcPs?t=1m58s

 

I tried to embed with on either side, can a mod advise how we embed youtube clips?

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It was an excellent performance for the 30 odd minutes we had the McHugh, Campbell and Bigirama midfield. It might be the case that this season the formation and team selection will have to change depending on the opposition and we might not have 11 first pick starters but a core of Carson, Kipre, Hartley, Tait, McHugh, Campbell, Cadden and Moult and guys who come in and out.

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First post so go easy on me

On entering the ground my first impression was of the properly structured and organised warm up that Keith was conducting. No aimless kicking the ball back and forward which achieves very little.

If it wasn't for Alan Campbell my man of the match would be Hartley. Form the first minute he was organising the guys around him. He is very composed in all he does. Maybe it's too early but if he wants to play for us he should be offered a permanent contract asap. Campbell is immense. Should be the first name on the team sheet. Why is he not in the Scotland u21 squad? Completely outplayed Wilson of Kilmarnock who is in the squad.

Cedric is intimidating in the best possible way. If his strong fair challenge was a booking then the game has gone mad.

Tait has adapted well to playing on the left. However he may have to be left out when Frear is fit. Cadden has to play further up the park. He is not as dangerous when he has to carry the ball so far. Grimshaw to go in there?

Moult and Bowman are developing a partnership that will terrorise defences. Attitude of both is first class.

Last thought. Bobby Madden is hopeless but he's not the only one.

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It was an excellent performance for the 30 odd minutes we had the McHugh, Campbell and Bigirama midfield. It might be the case that this season the formation and team selection will have to change depending on the opposition and we might not have 11 first pick starters but a core of Carson, Kipre, Hartley, Tait, McHugh, Campbell, Cadden and Moult and guys who come in and out.

 

Bowman?

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Good to see us come out with amended tactics in the second half and completely take control of the game twice this season.

 

Credit to Robinson/Lasley.

 

Interesting to hear Robinson comment after the game that Bigi was challenged to up his intensity to get into team. The trio of Campbell, McHugh and Bigi should start next week now.

 

I'd be keen to keep Tait in the team as well even when Frear returns, not sure how that would look though.

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There was a real positivity in the air at Fir Park on Saturday, something thats been sadly lacking for the last few years.

 

Maybe its the slight increase in crowds, I say slight but this fixture last season would have been doing well to attract 3600, never mind 4600 of which I can only guess maybe 400 or 500 were from Killie? While I get that we are virtually giving kids season tickets away, which will have a huge impact on that increase, the fact that we are getting bums on seats can be nothing other than a good thing.

 

Maybe its the Well Society-factor, much like when a business is up for sale, things go on the back burner, standards slip, money isn't invested etc etc, and for the past however many years, we've had the shadow of instability hanging over the Club, between Boyle, Hutchinson and the Well Society. Things seem to be progressing off the park, the people in control of the reins actually want to be there (unlike Boyle and Hutchinson), and there is clear evidence of investment on and off the field. Would we have folded and sold Moult to Aberdeen in years gone past for example?

 

Maybe its the new manager, I was far from convinced that he was the man to takeover (his reputation for me was completely sullied by his association with Baraclough), however he started to win me over in a few of the games near the end of last season when he showed a willingness to make changes at stages of the game, where other managers would attempt to persevere. When he was appointed, I said that he talked a good game but so did Baraclough, but right now hes actually impressing me more and more each week, he says the right things, he has rid us of our dross and dead wood, in one transfer window, and he has managed to put a squad together that on paper is as strong as I can remember us having in recent years. In McCalls time in charge, when we were competing at the top of the league, we had a strong 13 or 14 players, backed up by folk like Craig Reid. On Saturday we had the strongest bench I can remember, and we had guys like McLean, Plummer and the Lithuanian fella not even stripped and 3 or 4 youngsters out on loan at various clubs.

 

Maybe its a combination of everything, and that for once everyone is pulling in the same direction. The board have backed the manager financially (the squad size proves that) and the support seems to be responding to what we are seeing on the park.

 

I'm not going to get carried away by a 2-0 home win against a very mediocre Kilmarnock side, but one thing is for sure I think we can sleep easy knowing that we won't be involved in a relegation battle this season. We were better than them all over the park, Carson is an absolute find, comfortable in the air, commanding, he takes the heat out of situations that Samson poured petrol on last year, hes an organiser and is comfortable with the ball at his feet. We all know what Kipre has to offer, he is a fucking machine and I've no qualms about saying that I'd shite out of a 50/50 with the big fella, again though he is composed on the ball, its not all physical...at 20 years old, hes just going to get better and better. Hartley on first glimpse, may well be an upgrade on Heneghan (which is downright good squad and budgeting management if that turns out to be the case), again much like Carson he was vocal, he was organising, he looked comfortable on the air and on the deck, I just wonder what the Blackpool situation is all about, and whether or not we have the ability to make the short-term deal, long-term. Dunne had a poor 1st half, but we've got to take Robinsons word on his illness situation.

 

If I have one concern about the squad, its our lack of cover for Frear. Tait is a good footballer, he gives 100% every week, and he definitely contributed at the weekend, but we miss the balance of having a left-sided player there. Someone suggested that Cadden isn't as effective playing right wing-back as he is further forward, or tucked in the middle. For me, its his best position, he has the energy and drive to get up and down the park, while I dont believe that he has the football-brain for central midfield. How often did Killie get any sort of joy down their left hand side on Saturday? Not much, and thats why I like Cadden in there, defensively he is sound and his energy allows him to impact further up the park when the chance arises.

 

We are absolutely spoilt for choice in the middle of the park...McHugh, Rose, Bigirimana, McLean, Tanner, Cadden and Campbell all fighting for three spaces in there, so I'm not suprised to hear that we were trying to get young Turnbull out on loan, because he has virtually no chance of any meaningful game time this season, which I suppose is a bit of a concern going forward, as these young lads need to have that 1st team carrot dangled in front of them. I thought Rose had a decent game, he keeps eveything simple...sometimes too simple though, the ball is like the proverbial hot tattie with him most of the time, he looks to get rid of the ball as soon as he can. McHugh and particularly Campbell were superb and on Saturdays evidence have 2 out of the 3 spaces tied down, with Bigirimana coming on and looking busy and effective going forward.

 

Up front, is it just me or is anyone else slightly pissed off with Moults constant griping at referees and falling down at the slightest touch? Hes also doing too much drifting for my liking, ending up behind the midfield or out wide. Bowman is getting better by the week, and looks like he is shaking the Jacob Blyth-touch off. He was unfairly dealt with last season and I've a feeling that he'll contribute a lot this time around...a hard worker, physically strong, decent touch, decent burst of pace and decent in the air, an all rounder that will compliment Louis over the course of the year.

 

On the whole, the squad looks competitive from a numbers point of view, there are only a handful of players guaranteed a starting berth, which is positive. We are physically imposing, the number of players who are 6 feet plus is unprecedented, and while height isnt the be-all-and-end-all, its certainly a good characteristic to have. We have a reasonable blend of youth and experience, while the team is made up guys who appear to want to be here and are putting the effort in like they do.

 

Last word on Killie...before the game I thought they looked strong on paper. Decent goalkeeper, with Greer and Findlay at the back, Wilson who I like the look of in the middle of the park, Smith, Thomas and Erwin. On the bench they had a guy in Jordan Jones who took us to the cleaners last season as well. But, my God they were very poor, that poor that you'd be worried if you supported them even at this early stage of the campaign.

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First post so go easy on me

On entering the ground my first impression was of the properly structured and organised warm up that Keith was conducting. No aimless kicking the ball back and forward which achieves very little.

If it wasn't for Alan Campbell my man of the match would be Hartley. Form the first minute he was organising the guys around him. He is very composed in all he does. Maybe it's too early but if he wants to play for us he should be offered a permanent contract asap. Campbell is immense. Should be the first name on the team sheet. Why is he not in the Scotland u21 squad? Completely outplayed Wilson of Kilmarnock who is in the squad.

Cedric is intimidating in the best possible way. If his strong fair challenge was a booking then the game has gone mad.

Tait has adapted well to playing on the left. However he may have to be left out when Frear is fit. Cadden has to play further up the park. He is not as dangerous when he has to carry the ball so far. Grimshaw to go in there?

Moult and Bowman are developing a partnership that will terrorise defences. Attitude of both is first class.

Last thought. Bobby Madden is hopeless but he's not the only one.

according to flow on Twitter, Campbell was on standby for the u21s.
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