Jump to content

Vs Heart Of Midloathing - Wed 7th Jan


Guest JohnnyDefault
 Share

Recommended Posts

Have to be delighted with that tonight really. Rarely felt under threat at all from FHW at any time. After we scored we could have and perhaps should have put the game to bed, but they carried little threat and didnt' deserve anything. Despite the assistance from the Ref and linesman, who refused to pull them up for constantly stealing 10 yards at EVERY throw-in, we got our tactics spot-on and were worthy winners.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 191
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Got this off Sporting Life. Lazlo really is a sore, twisted arse of a loser.........

 

McGHEE HAILS HITMAN PORTER By Gavin McCafferty, PA Sport

 

Motherwell manager Mark McGhee joked that Chris Porter's price had risen after the English striker consigned admirers Hearts to defeat at Fir Park.

 

Porter headed the only goal of the rearranged Clydesdale Bank Premier League clash as he finished off a flowing 11th-minute move.

 

Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo had revealed on the eve of the game that Porter was on his list of targets, and the former Oldham striker showed why.

 

McGhee, who has dismissed the prospect of Porter moving to Tynecastle, said: "Hearts haven't come in for him.

 

"I would imagine if they wanted him before tonight, they will want him after tonight. But his price has gone up as well.

 

"Chris Porter has been playing very well in the last couple of games.

 

"Since David Clarkson came back in the team, he looks as though he has got a partner he knows he is going to work well with and he looks as if he's enjoying it.

 

"The build-up play for the goal was inventive and more like what we expect.

 

"It was good play - a good ball in resulted in a guy in form getting a good goal."

 

McGhee added: "We conceded a few wide free-kicks and corners in the second half that gave them the opportunity to get a goal.

 

"Even though we dominated the play, 1-0 is always a dangerous score so I was glad to get to the final whistle."

 

Csaba Laszlo has made no secret of his desperation for added firepower as Hearts went four consecutive matches without a goal.

 

But he was angry with all his players after they failed to trouble Well keeper Graeme Smith or create a clear-cut chance.

 

He said: "It was the worst game I have seen from my team. I don't like talking about my opponents, but it was a very, very bad SPL game.

 

"If the two goalkeepers had taken the day off, you wouldn't have seen anything.

 

"Okay, the opponent won 1-0 but this goal came from nothing, it was not a chance. It was a cross ball and Robbie Neilson had the ball on his head and lost it.

 

"The last four games we have not scored. In other games we have created chances but not this one.

 

"This was not Premier League football, this was low-level football."

 

Porter's name is among about 25 on the list of strikers Laszlo has given to majority shareholder Vladimir Romanov, and he admitted he is envious of McGhee for having such finishing prowess at his disposal.

 

"This is what we don't have at the moment," he said.

 

"We don't talk only about this one name, but you can see what's wrong in the team."

 

Porter, who has now scored eight goals this season, limped off five minutes before the end but he later revealed his groin injury was not serious.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The result mattered more than the performance last night and its a big 3 points for us. I thought we played well enough although there is still room for improvement. I thought we were a bit guilty of trying to walk it into the net at times and our midfield are still putting pressure on the strikers to score by failing to even take a shot when it presents itself. A good win against a poor Hearts team - hopefully we use it to keep pushing on up the league.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not the greatest performance I have seen, but a much more comfortable result than the scoreline suggests. I just wish we would shoot on site occasionally. :D

 

One thing that does annoy me (other than referees of that standard) is our insistence on pulling everyone back for free kicks and corners, fair enough if it is the last 5 minutes and we are hanging on but it was just about every time last night.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One thing that does annoy me (other than referees of that standard) is our insistence on pulling everyone back for free kicks and corners, fair enough if it is the last 5 minutes and we are hanging on but it was just about every time last night.

 

I think it's just the way McGhee likes us to play. Get everyone back to defend, means we have more people defending than the other team have attacking. We have a bit of pace in the side with O'Brien, Clarky and Klimpl and can break out quickly so I don't really see it as much of an issue. We've long had an issue with set pieces so McGhee's trying to counter that by beefing up the defence against them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fair does, but the ball just tends to come straight back in causing the defence to work harder whereas if we leave someone up to hassle the opposition players, especially someone fast like O'Brien or Clarkson who can close down the defenders quickly, it slows down the return ball and lets us reorganise. It also forces them to leave more defenders back reducing the number of targets that the dead ball taker has.

 

It isn't just McGee who has used this tactic, Malpas and Butcher regularly did this as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It wasn't the prettiest of victories, but i'll take them all day long.

 

Other special mentions for O'Brien & Klimpl. I thought Lasley & Clarkson were a bit off tonight.

 

We did play some decent stuff in spells but lacked the killer final ball. Hearts were well what they always are: big, physical and fast but not much else. Overall a valuable win which we deserved. Maros Klimpl is making a big difference in adding bite to the midfield.

 

Our big failing last night was that Hearts bulldozed our midfield for much of the second half. The midfield combination just didn't work. Klimpl and O'Brien were fine but Keith Lasley and Stephen Hughes were too often asked to play out of position. We definitely lacked someone to play to play wide left in Fitzy's absence.

 

I must comment on the referee who was one sided and abysmal from start to finish. Very pernickety and was happy to watch Hearts' players steal yards and yards at throw ins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Always great stuff when we beat Hearts. :wallbash:

 

To be honest a piss poor game of football. I thought despite statements abour formations, both teams ended up starting 4-5-1. This ensured it would be a dour game with perhaps only a goal in it, so whoever got it would win. Thankfully, for a change it was us. Best three players on show were Klimpl, O'Brien and Porter. Klimpl definitely gives us a physical presence in midfield and he stuck to Obua like a clam and played him right out the game and was always there doing the dirty work of a midfielder that so often goes unnoticed by fans.

 

Still not impressed by Quinn (still can't pass to a fellow player) and Hammell (too many aimless balls launched forward). Strangely, Reynolds looked more comfortable with Craigan beside him. We had nothing on the left side of the field though and that must be addressed. A midfield of O'Brien, Hughes, Klimpl and Lasley left us looking too one sided and unbalanced.

 

Having said all that a great result and with 7 points from last 9 hopefully we have turned the corner after a really sticky patch.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's funny that Gaelic for Referee is Reitire. They really should, that's for sure...........

 

On another note, putting the game onto tape/DVD is a nightmare. BBC Alba didn't change their advertised schedules, so it was just as well I SKY+'d all the programmes for last night. The game is now in about 6 or 7 different segments!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share


×
×
  • Create New...