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The League Cup 2018'19 Thread


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22 hours ago, supermarv said:

Carson 

mbulu  aldred  Hartley 

tait  Cadden Campbell  bigi  ATS

Johnson  Main 

 

Deffo wouldn’t drop McHugh. Been one of our best performers so far this season (not saying a lot admittedly). I’d go with a back 3 or Aldred, Hartley and McHugh, wingbacks Tait and Frear, 3 in midfield of Campbell, Rodriguez and Bigi with Main & Johnson up front. Cadden, Sammon and Rose on the bench. Alternatively go 4-4-2 with Tait, Aldred, Hartley and ATS at the back, Cadden, Campbell, McHugh and Frear in midfield and Main & Johnson up front. Cadden should not start unless is wide right with a RB behind him.

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On ‎8‎/‎16‎/‎2018 at 9:52 AM, Kmcalpin said:

 

Looking forward to visiting Livingston again. 

Really?

21 hours ago, Yodo said:

Time to try something different 

                                                                                                                    Carson 

                                                                        Tait                Aldred.            McHugh.      Mcguire 

                                                                                              Campbell.        Gorrin 

                                                                                 Cadden.              Bigi.              Turnbull 

                                                                                                             Johnson 

McGuire at LB?

 

Can he play there?

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Cadden "very doubtful" for tomorrow...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45218801

Gael Bigirimana: Motherwell midfielder 'thought it would be easy'

 

 

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Gael Bigirmana
Motherwell were beaten finalists in both national cup competitions last season

Gael Bigirimana admits he thought Scottish football would be "easy", and suffered a rude awakening when he joined Motherwell last summer.

The midfielder, 24, moved to Fir Park from Coventry City after the club had been relegated from English League One.

He made 33 appearances last term, but 18 of those came from the bench.

"I came with the wrong mindset that I would just get into the team. It's been a big lesson for me," the Burundi international said.

"Wherever you go, you can never take your foot off the gas because there is always someone who will overtake you."

Bigirimana concedes he was not "fit and strong enough" for much of last season and was "quite close" to leaving Motherwell earlier this month.

But he has started both of the club's Premiership fixtures so far - defeats by Hibernian and Hamilton Academical - and says his relationship with Robinson remains positive.

"When a player is not playing, tension gets difficult," Bigirimana said. "But he brought me here knowing what I can do.

"Last season, the team was doing well and I couldn't get to the level or intensity of how they want to play. I take full responsibility that I wasn't as fit as I feel I am now."

Motherwell travel to top-flight rivals Livingston in the last 16 of the Scottish League Cup on Saturday.

Robinson says winger Chris Cadden is "very doubtful" for the fixture due to a dead leg, while Liam Grimshaw, Craig Tanner and Charles Dunne are all sidelined.

The Fir Park side reached the finals of both national cups last season, where they were beaten by Celtic.

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34 minutes ago, GazzyB said:

Fair play to Bigi for admitting that, seems like a top guy. 

Really? Admits he was not trying hard enough last season and this makes him a top guy? If one of the whipping boys of yester-year such as Marc Fitzpatrick had admitted to not trying hard enough would that have made him a top guy?

The article certainly explains why Robinson was not picking him. Turns out it has little to do with Robinson not liking creative players, and all to do with Robinson not picking a player who lacked fitness and motivation.

It is human nature for a player to have a poor season for the reasons mentioned so I am not judging Bigi. It just always interests me how some players, for no apparent reason suddenly seem to be beyond all reproach whilst others get hounded week after week.

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9 minutes ago, weeyin said:

Or it could be all PR fluff, and the two of them did fall last season.

 

I don't think that it is good PR for manager or player to be publicly admitting to having a player that is to some extent going through the motions.  I realise that you did not use the word 'good' but if the club is going to prepare some fluff, they should make up some good fluff.

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It's better PR than "I left for England because Robinson's hoofball left me on the bench in favour of talentless thugs." 

Same as it was PR fluff with the McHugh "giving up" the captaincy as a selfless act.

Even in his pre-match, Robinson makes it sound like he's almost reluctantly playing Bigi "with his passing" because he has lost bigger, more powerful long ball specialists.

 

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10 minutes ago, weeyin said:

It's better PR than "I left for England because Robinson's hoofball left me on the bench in favour of talentless thugs." 

Same as it was PR fluff with the McHugh "giving up" the captaincy as a selfless act.

Even in his pre-match, Robinson makes it sound like he's almost reluctantly playing Bigi "with his passing" because he has lost bigger, more powerful long ball specialists.

 

If I was a player who felt he had been unfairly left out of a starting 11 because the managers  favoured style of play did not suit my own, I would be very reluctant to sit in front of the assembled media and give a bullshit story about how the reasons for me being out of favour was that I wasn't trying hard enough. 

Your guess is as good as mine as to the reality of the situation. My original point was that it surprises me how some players always seem to get the benefit of the doubt whilst others do not. Your guess as to what happened last season is sympathetic to Bigiramana's cause despite the fact that the player himself has given a different account of events.  This back's up my original point that some players get given the benefit of the doubt whilst some players/managers do not.

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16 minutes ago, star sail said:

If I was a player who felt he had been unfairly left out of a starting 11 because the managers  favoured style of play did not suit my own, I would be very reluctant to sit in front of the assembled media and give a bullshit story about how the reasons for me being out of favour was that I wasn't trying hard enough. 

If you listen to his interview, that's not exactly what he says. 

However, what you or me would say is irrelevant. Lots of players and managers spout BS in front of the media these days. I guarantee Bigi was coached on what he should and shouldn't say.

However, in the grand scheme of things, I doubt I could care less about what he said if it means he gets a game and puts in some decent performances.

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Seems we have quite a few injuries ahead of the game tomorrow.  Tanner, Dunne, Bowman, Newell, Donnelly, Cadden and Grimshaw.  Our squad doesn't look quite so big now. 

As for Bigi, I've always said that there was reason why Bigi didn't feature last season and not just because of the popular line that "Robbo doesn't like creative players".  Robbo knew what kind of player he was before we signed him.  As his job, as manager, is on the line if we fail why would he not pick his strongest side as he sees it? 

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9 minutes ago, weeyin said:

 

However, in the grand scheme of things, I doubt I could care less about what he said if it means he gets a game and puts in some decent performances.

On this we can agree. I really hope that Bigi turns out to be the player that we all hope him to be. If he can put in performances like the Cup Final then it will be like having a new signing.

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1 hour ago, superward said:

There doesn't always have to be a secret story behind what people say to the press.....sometimes it is exactly what it is. 

It's not the white house!

there is 100% a back story,  Bigi  is doing as he's been told, be it by a manager, a coach, or a trusted pal , he's toeing the line, so to speak, saying whats required

as for not being ready for Scottish football with Motherwell, utter bullshit spin or revisionism, or just a train of self doubt/thought to justify his exclusion, you only have to recall or look up Bigirimanas appearance history for us, heavily involved for the first 5 months in league and league cup, when we racked up nearly all of our victories for the season, ironically when we had a dodgy inexperienced defence of sorts, then he was almost completely frozen out since the winter break, when the team started serving up the terrible football thats now the norm', he was then, imho, treated like dirt over the summer for daring to consider his future would lie elsewhere , when frozen out.

I'm not saying Bigi is the saviour ,in fact if you compare Tanner and Bigi, they both had similar appearance histories , it pretty clear to me , that's whats been missing in the last 8 months, 2 footballers in the middle.

the others can fill in but don't create or retain , anywhere near what they two delivered, and its not fair to ask one to do it alone, for a full 90min week in week out.

as for the doesn't defend enough, sick of that pish, Cooper and Russell didnt defend, fuk me, Russell used to set the opposition up, if he was allowed back near our box in a defensive role.  beisdes Bigi almost ended up as rightback after the shambles substitutions last week.

Robinson continues to refer to using him as a reluctance, his choice , if he's got replacement lined up fair enough , he'll fail if he doesn't want any footballers in the team, or thinks his 'workers' will fill the gap

Bigi 2017/18 https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/gael-bigirimana/leistungsdaten/spieler/158697/plus/0?saison=2017

Tanner 2017/18 https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/craig-tanner/leistungsdaten/spieler/243631/plus/0?saison=2017

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2 hours ago, superward said:

There doesn't always have to be a secret story behind what people say to the press.....sometimes it is exactly what it is. 

It's not the white house!

Told by the manager he had a couple of lower league clubs interested he could go , bigi thot he could get a championship club. Didn’t materialise . Bigi stays another year and we all get on like a happy family.

 

thats my understanding from a current player 

 

happens every day in football, let’s hope like someone else said he can be like another player for us given the opportunity 

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1 hour ago, superward said:

There doesn't always have to be a secret story behind what people say to the press.....sometimes it is exactly what it is. 

It's not the white house!

Yep, he’s made a pretty honest admission which sort of justifies Robinson’s decision not to start him in games. If Robinson had come out and publically slated him i’m pretty sure he would have taken plenty of stick. He’s now upped his game is is being given his chance and it’s up to him to take it.

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44 minutes ago, superward said:

36 appearances.  Not bad for a player that the manager doesn't fancy. 

‘ No longer ‘ 

but kinda makes my point,  quite a not  so secret  story , just not reflective of events

not being ready , not putting effort in etc 

in fact, jam it, if folk cannot remember the player being part of a better product , let them repeat the yarn 

 

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A word of warning to everyone going along to the game today.  Don't expect a classic football match as you'll be disappointed.  Given our direct style of play and the plastic pitch it won't be a classic.  I'm going along to see us progress by almost any means possible.......great goals, refereeing errors, deflections, good luck whatever.  

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17 minutes ago, Kmcalpin said:

A word of warning to everyone going along to the game today.  Don't expect a classic football match as you'll be disappointed.  Given our direct style of play and the plastic pitch it won't be a classic.  I'm going along to see us progress by almost any means possible.......great goals, refereeing errors, deflections, good luck whatever.  

It’s  certainly not going to be pretty and it’s just a case of trying to grind out the win. Until we can get a few players back and fully fit it’s going to be a struggle without a doubt. If cadden is out it’s yet another blow. I would certainly start Johnstone alongside main, other than that I don’t see massive changes.

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