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Scottish Premiership Game 20: Rangers (A) 27/12/17 19:45


Andy_P
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Going by the brief highlights I watched on the BBC our strikers appear to lack belief in front of goal. They appear to have consigned themselves to missing the target before they have even connected with the ball. That’s one thing we will miss about Moult is his belief that he will always score. I really hope Robinson has an ace transfer target up his sleeve, if not we could be in trouble going into the second half of the season.

I had the (obviously wrong) impression the club was going to run down Moult's contract because it recognised he would not only almost guarantee safety from a relegation scrap but would make a fifth or sixth spot possible, along with perhaps a good cup run. Once we give Wrexham their cut, will the remainder be much removed from the proceeds from the above scenarios?

 

I find it hard to see a replacement hitting the ground running and replacing Louis' goals easily. A difficult second half of the season seems more likely, with lots of anxious home games and regular looking over our shoulders, something I would never have considered immediately after out LC defeat of Aberdeen.

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I would never have considered immediately after out LC defeat of Aberdeen.

I think a lot of us, myself included got a bit carried away with the Aberdeen perfirnance. We basically set out that night the same as we do in every game, try to drag the other team into a shit fest for 50-60 minutes, and hope to sneak something. It worked a treat v Aberdeen due to a combination of Louis Moult and their keeper throwing in 2 goals, then we looked amazing. Its fine margins, but if their keeper doesnt throw in either of the goals its a very different game. We didnt take our chances last night at the start and end of the 1st half, and lack the quality to step it up and try and win. The less said of our plan at firhill the better!

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Well I finally dared to watch the highlights of last night and a few things sprung to mind.

 

3 missed chances, most glaring the first from Tanner after a hopeful Kipre punt and a nice head flick from Fisher, the second effort from Tanner was far from a sitter but beautifully set up by a delightful Tait flick, the third effort came from Big under pressure deep left side played back to Carson who set up Tait for a great ball to Tanner who did really well to get a cross in, tbf Fisher is under pressure but should have scored. Two of the chances came from good football so we CAN play, but when you do you have to take chances.

 

Defensive clusterf**ks for both goals and Dunne who I have defended on here and who I think has played well last 2 games culpable in both, what on earth he was doing at first goal is beyond me leaving Wilson to chase the first cross when others were in a better position to deal with it then subsequently nowhere near Wilson for the second phase, and not coming out at the second goal and leaving Morelos onside.

 

I understand Robbo's comment about its what you do in both boxes that count, however if you don't have a functioning midfield then your back line is constantly under pressure and will eventually crack, while your forwards are feeding off scraps and spending a lot of time chasing, and therefore snatching at the few chances they get. Our midfield has no one who can effectively go 'box to box'. I think Rose is the one player who physically can do it, but is just not good enough on the ball when he does.

 

Tanner has impressed recently but needs to play 'in the hole' off a front 2, not as a second striker, and frankly we haven't got 2 strikers good enough.

 

We have had a lot of 'bad breaks' since the final but I find myself wondering if always setting a team up for a high intensity pressing game is sustainable for a club like ours. The energy expended both emotional and physical for the 3 Celtic games in particular looks to have drained us, and we need that sustained pressing game because we frankly are not good enough to play through teams at this stage. I also wonder if this intensity has contributed to our current injury crisis, while Moult has papered over the cracks to a certain extent with his goal scoring.

 

As a first stage of a rebuild all of this is to an extent understandable, and perhaps unrealistic expectations were raised by reaching a cup final and sitting high in the league. Most Well fans would have accepted where we are in the league at this stage, especially with the second smallest budget in the league. I hope this early success is not used as a stick to beat Robbo up with. Yes he has made mistakes (has anyone reading this not?), and we have had some bad luck. However it is vital now that correct decisions are made in this transfer window, and lessons are learned. The early season points in the bag may prove very important but it didn't take other teams long to suss us out after that and we haven't (perhaps Aberdeen away excepted) won any tactical battle since.

 

Cover for centre half, a box to box midfielder, and a quality striker needed along with a bit more emphasis on getting it down and playing.

 

I think we have the basis of a decent side in Carson, Tait, Hartley, Kipre, Cadden and Tanner. We need more from Bigi, McHugh, Frear, and Dunne and I think they are capable of it. Campbell and Newell have potential but still young and inexperienced. Sadly I don't think Rose, Fisher, Bowman, Petra, Grimshaw, Griffiths have what we need although all are decent guys doing their best, while Hammell is clearly not a long term option much as he has been great for us (and has done well in his few appearances this year).

 

Would love to see more game time for McLean.

 

We do not have a record for being the most patient of supports with managers. I remember wee Tommy getting it in the neck a season after winning the cup. I get the concern re Robbo but you learn more about people when things aren't going well. He handled everything around the cup semi final and final brilliantly, he has got the early points in the bag that are cushioning us a little, he has had some bad luck, BUT it is a results basis and he knows more than anyone that he needs to improve things. We as fans can do our bit by not panicking and going negative at this stage, piling even more pressure on the team and manager.

 

2 vital games against Accies coming up, lets keep right behind them.

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I understand Robbo's comment about its what you do in both boxes that count, however if you don't have a functioning midfield then your back line is constantly under pressure and will eventually crack, while your forwards are feeding off scraps and spending a lot of time chasing, and therefore snatching at the few chances they get. Our midfield has no one who can effectively go 'box to box'. I think Rose is the one player who physically can do it, but is just not good enough on the ball when he does.

A well reasoned post, which I lalregy agree with. This was my big fear pre match that our midfield would be unable to compete and protect our defence and so it proved.

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But thats Dunne all over, he might be a slight upgrade on Joe Chalmers but hes never a footballer and yet he plays every single week.

 

I, and many others, would have Hammell in there every single time.

 

Thats on Robinson Im afraid.

 

I've generally not had a go at Robinson because I think any Motherwell manager has a very tough job but it's getting to the stage in the season now where patterns and trends are developed enough to have something approaching a clear picture.

 

Currently two of the worst ever passers of a football I've ever seen at Fir Park go straight into our first XI every single week, Dunne and McHugh. As you say, that's on Robinson. It's also on Robinson that one of our better players this season, Allan Campbell, is dropped in favour of guys who, as an aggregate over the season, have done absolutely fuck all. That's on Robinson as well.

 

The whole recent goalkeeper situation was frankly a complete embarrassment and a true example of incompetence. And the rushing back of injured players has backfired enormously and smacks of desperation and a complete lack of ideas.

 

At the beginning of the season many people were far too hasty to heap praise on Robinson and likewise now that things have turned we need to avoid overly severe knee jerk reactions.

 

My main gripe is still that we have a squad of players who are paid by the supporter base but don't actually do a whole lot, ride the coat tails of better players and don't have the character to step up in a crisis.

 

However, ultimately Robinson brought a lot of these players here, especially fringe players who have proved next to useless, and he is picking guys that just don't perform for him each and every week. Blind spots and loyalty have been the downfall of many a manager. For example Robinson's recent assessment of Carl McHugh in a post match interview was quite frankly staggeringly misconceived.

 

I'm afraid the edges are beginning to fray with our manager. He needs to have a real hard look at himself and perhaps consider dragging himself into a top league, 21st century football mentality.

 

The Watford in Division 2 in the 1980's stuff doesn't work any more. Even if it did you're no Graeme Taylor.

 

Right now I'm still prepared to persevere with Robinson and put the slump on the backs of under performing players. However over the course runs like the one we are on now come down to tactical literacy and managerial ability. The fulcrum is moving in the wrong direction for him and he needs to halt it now.

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McHugh is nowhere near as bad as passer of the ball as you are saying. There have been plenty of games where he passed the ball well including Saturday against Dundee.

 

Campbell was poor at Firhill and Tynecastle. I'd have him in the team ahead of Grimshaw but there's not a lot between them.

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The seethe on superscore board is incredible - how outrageous that wee Motherwell dare push the mighty Rangers about in such cynical ways. Well done to Mark Wilson who reminded them that Ryan Jack has been sent off several times already this season and Graeme Murty didnt see too much wrong.

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It was all fun and games when Joe Garner was 'putting himself about' throwing elbows and flying into challenges last year.

Short memories.

That was the point that Mark Wilson was making but talking about Jack. Also Gordon Dalziel also mentioned that were gett a bit of a hard time from the media about being overly physical.

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As our support tends to do with most young players coming through the ranks we laud them as they break into the team, moan like hell when they are not played every week and complain not enough home grown players, and then if they don't 'kick on' and fullfill early promise we are not long in stickin the boot in.

 

Was always thus.

 

Younger players do need protection. Clarkson was grossly overplayed as a youngster and its noticable Campbells form has dropped since u21 duties and the intensity of regular top team games hence his dropping to bench recently.

 

Hopefully he will come good. Like his attitude seems like a good head on his shoulders

 

 

Sent from my SM-A320FL using Tapatalk

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