Panathinaikos Gate 13 Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobey_Dosser Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 The art of raising our game against superior opposition seems to have been lost at Motherwell in recent years. We are incredibly consistent at playing well against teams of a similar level which is great but when it comes to playing Celtic, Rangers or a half decent Eiropean team, we seem almost content to get in and out the stadium with a respectable defeat. Yes we were playing a Champions League qualifier which we could never have imagined but having got there, I don't think we came close to throwing absolutely everything at it over the course of two legs. To get some perspective, it will be interesting to see how Dundee Utd perform in Moscow. On the bright side we appear to have unearthed another centre half with a bit of potential. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 To get some perspective, it will be interesting to see how Dundee Utd perform in Moscow. Yes, that will be revealing. I really expected United to be on the wrong end of a drubbing at Tannadice. As to ourselves were undone by a mixture of naivety and heat last night. OK we were probably never going to progress but to lose 4 soft goals was very disappointing. Thats something we'll need to address. The other concerning aspect is our tendency to play sterile unproductive possession football. We do require a cutting edge. In the short term I'd move Simon Ramsden into midfield, Jamie Murphy into a left wing role and Nicky Law further forward, with Adam Cummins slotting in at the back. Lets learn lessons from our CL foray and first trip to Dingwall. Keep the heid though folks. Safe journey home for our travelling colleagues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sailor_h Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Really disappointed. First half we looked like the team trying to hold on to a lead, just passing, hardly attacking. When we did get up front, we did nothing. I had hoped it was part of some master plan to come out in the second half to just go for it, but we didnt. What did we have to lose? McCall needs to stop changing and establish a team to start gelling together. I didnt give up hope until the 85th min. I'm glad we got there and hopefully will do better in the Europa League. McCall annoyed me last week with his post match interview, it was like he had already admitted defeat. Fair enough, it was a mountain to climb and although we hoped we could do it, realistically it was a big ask of the team but a bit of fight last night would have made me feel better today. Well done to all who travelled over there, yous were cheered whenever yous came on the screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzer Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 What Gav212 said. Would be happy never to see Daley in a Motherwell shirt ever again. Don't understand why Higdon didn't start. We did well. Just faded towards the end. Can hold their heads high. I can amagine that Higdon never started because of the heat id expect, and maybe one eye on Saturday! Hes a big guy, and 90 minutes in that heat would take too much out of him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ya Bezzer! Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 The art of raising our game against superior opposition seems to have been lost at Motherwell in recent years. We are incredibly consistent at playing well against teams of a similar level which is great but when it comes to playing Celtic, Rangers or a half decent Eiropean team, we seem almost content to get in and out the stadium with a respectable defeat. Yes we were playing a Champions League qualifier which we could never have imagined but having got there, I don't think we came close to throwing absolutely everything at it over the course of two legs. To get some perspective, it will be interesting to see how Dundee Utd perform in Moscow. On the bright side we appear to have unearthed another centre half with a bit of potential. Did you read the after match comments last week? Contrast what Darren Randolph said with what his manager said. There will be no 'dare to dream' while McCall is manager of Motherwell. His style, if you were being kind, is a modest pragmatism. In a general sense it has worked for him but when it comes to games like these I don't think there is much chance of us causing a shock any time soon. As for Dundee United, they are quite a bit better than us IMO and will prove so this season. If top level football is all about having a cutting edge then their front trio of Russell, Daly, and Mackay-Steven are probably the best in the league right now and that's including Celtic. I'd still expect them to go out tonight though. Also bear in mind that Panathinaikos are the premier team of Athens/Greece, the same cannot be said of Dinamo Moscow who are the least supported team in Moscow (Spartak, CSKA, Lokomotiv are all bigger clubs)and behind other Russian teams like Zenit, Anzhi, Rubin Kazan etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StipeIsGod Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Did you read the after match comments last week? Contrast what Darren Randolph said with what his manager said. There will be no 'dare to dream' while McCall is manager of Motherwell. His style, if you were being kind, is a modest pragmatism. In a general sense it has worked for him but when it comes to games like these I don't think there is much chance of us causing a shock any time soon. Agreed, and to a point, I don't have an issue with this style, when we're playing in the Champions League. It does, however, wind me up when we played either half of the Old Firm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJC_MKI Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 The art of raising our game against superior opposition seems to have been lost at Motherwell in recent years. We are incredibly consistent at playing well against teams of a similar level which is great but when it comes to playing Celtic, Rangers or a half decent Eiropean team, we seem almost content to get in and out the stadium with a respectable defeat. Yes we were playing a Champions League qualifier which we could never have imagined but having got there, I don't think we came close to throwing absolutely everything at it over the course of two legs. To get some perspective, it will be interesting to see how Dundee Utd perform in Moscow. On the bright side we appear to have unearthed another centre half with a bit of potential. I have to agree wholeheartedly with that. Whilst Panathinaikos are clearly a better side than us, it was disappointing that we never really ran them close over the two legs and at no point did we look like we believed we could beat them. The same could be said for just about every game we've played against Celtic or Rangers in the last two years. Whenever we come up against a side who are technically better than us, we just fold. Firstly we don't appear to believe in ourselves that we can get a result against them and we then proceed to make the same basic mistakes to gift them the game. Maybe we just aren't streetwise enough to give 'better' teams a serious run for their money but it's extremely frustrating watching sides who aren't by any stretch of the imagination world beaters take care of us with relative ease. Panathinaikos were not any better than any Celtic or Rangers side we've faced in recent times and yet while other SPL sides have been able to get results against those two and at the very least give them a game of it, we've never been able to. Dare I say it, had that been Dundee Utd or Hearts playing Panathinaikos, I think they would have ran them a whole lot closer than we did and might even have beaten them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finlay Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Hearts or Dundee United beating them? Based on what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brazilian Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 See he never said they'd beat them , could easily be Keevins so he could, there is no comparison to be had, hearts and Utd should probably be beating us, on budgets , squad size etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finlay Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Might have beaten them. Not a chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickoza Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Not a chance Dundee United or Herts would've beaten Panathinaikos, probably would've failed to score as well. We were up against a very, very good side who would give Dinamo Moscow a bit of a scudding imho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJC_MKI Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Not a chance you say? Oh well by that logic then surely there was not a chance that either of those sides - and a good few more in the SPL - would have got any sort of result against Celtic and Rangers in recent times when we meekly rolled over against them? No???? Panathinaikos were better than we were, of that there was no doubt, but we didn't at any times look as though we believed we could give them, just like we did in any recent game against any 'better' side. I stand by what I said completely where I said that I think other clubs such as Dundee Utd or Hearts etc would have given Panathinaikos a much better game than we did. They would have done, as their recent record against Celtic & Rangers compared with our's completely supports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickoza Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 That supports nothing! We drew against Everton, guess that means we are mid-table Premiership........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finlay Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Dundee Utd have just been humbled in the Europa League.....but you are right they would fare much better in a competition with better teams. Beating Celtic or Rangers is a bit different from beating Celtic or Rangers over two legs and a helluva lot different from beating PAO over two legs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJC_MKI Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 In a testimonial match that meant nothing yes. Do you seriously think that Everton were playing at anywhere near the level they would have done had it been a competitive match? If you think that you can draw comparisons between a meaningless pre season match and a competitive game to fuel your arguement then you are clutching st straws for dear life. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postiejim Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Never thought for one moment that we would beat Panathinaikos ,and as Finlay says Dundee Unt have just been rode 5-0 in there big euro adventure, so to think they would do any better is just pish. And dont get me started about Hearts .....gorgi gits.:wank: .Oh aye and see all this were all in it together and lets support one another crap they can work that one right up there ring piece as well. For me its Motherwell and only Motherwell the rest dont even get a consideration. Rant over enjoy the season ahead guys. Mondawell. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfc Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 talking shite as usual MJC 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finlay Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 MJC, you have just seen Dun Utd got pumped 5-0 off a Europa League team.....or does that not suit your argument? How does that DRUBBING mean they would have performed better against PAO? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJC_MKI Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 MJC, you have just seen Dun Utd got pumped 5-0 off a Europa League team.....or does that not suit your argument? How does that DRUBBING mean they would have performed better against PAO? First and foremost, I didn't say that they WOULD beat PAO, just that I thought that they would have given them a better game of it than we did. They lost heavily tonight, yes, but may I remind you that they drew 2-2 with them last week and would, but for a last minute goal have beaten them on the night. That suggests to me that they gave a better account against their Euro opponents than we did against our's. Had we played Dynamo Moscow we wouldn't have even scored against them, never mind come to within seconds of beating them in the 1st leg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finlay Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Total negative "what ifs" that are beyond nonsence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJC_MKI Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Total negative "what ifs" that are beyond nonsence Oh aye sorry, I must just have completely imagined that Dundee Utd drew 2-2 last week and came within seconds of beating Dynamo Moscow. I stand chastened and rebuked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JULIANTHELONDONCABBIE Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Last night was Panathiniakos's 251st European club tie, it was Motherwell's 24th, they were in the quarter finals of the Champions League a few years back, losing 5-0 is no disgrace, 6-0 yes but not 5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finlay Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 Oh aye sorry, I must just have completely imagined that Dundee Utd drew 2-2 last week and came within seconds of beating Dynamo Moscow. I stand chastened and rebuked. Yet you laughablly ignore the 5-0 drubbing tonight meaning they lost by the same overall goal difference as we did. Yet they did this in the 'secondary' competitiion. Although to suit your depressing vision they would have fared better than us in the top tourney Hasnae a clue! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJM Posted August 9, 2012 Report Share Posted August 9, 2012 We wouldnt have drawn at home to Moscow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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