Rickoza Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 Analysis We start this analysis with a disclaimer: prior to undertaking the research we had no inclination of what would be discovered. There were no preconceptions regarding any particularly system, style or player; we merely knew that Motherwell had conceded a lot of goals for a club with European aspirations and were intrigued to find out why. Overall, what we found is that the 4-4-2 that Stuart McCall prefers is unbalanced and doesn't offer enough midfield protection to the back four, particularly the two centre backs. However, we also uncovered the fact that in dealing with such situations, along with a few other errors, one member of the defence has been culpable for goals conceded more than any other member of the team. The Fir Park support certainly viewed him as a good acquisition and still may view him as a valuable first team player. What we found is that is really needs to try adapting his game to cover for what this Motherwell team is exposing him too. So, who is the player in question? It's Stephen McManus. The capture of McManus this summer was met with universal approval from the Motherwell fans and Scottish football observers. His poor stint at Middlesborough and falling out of the national team set-up meant that he was no longer held in the same high regard as he was in his Celtic days, but it was presumed that the experienced defender would do an excellent job out of the limelight and back in the familiar comforts of Scottish football. Furthermore, he could act as mentor to his new centre back partner Shaun Hutchinson. The young Englishman was forced into the role of leader last season following Stephen Craigan's retirement. In the end he adapted well but it was still thought that he would do better if he could concentrate on developing his own game and leave the organisational duties to a more experienced head. Maybe the signing has been of benefit to Hutchinson and who knows, maybe McManus has just been unlucky that on the occasions he has made a mistake he has been punished for it. All we know is that those mistakes have led to goals and we have a number of examples to demonstrate that. A common factor in goals conceded by Motherwell is their inability to deal with the opposition when the match is stretched. Under the current system Stuart McCall doesn't deploy a defensive midfielder to sweep up any potential problems and act as protection for the back four. Because of this we can often see attackers running at the unprotected centre-backs. For Melvin de Leeuw's goal he doesn't quite commit himself as much, but the shading over still leaves de Leeuw with a completely free shot at goal 14 yards out. We started this clip earlier in the move to highlight the fact it was McManus tracking the Ross County attacker when he makes the initial pass out wide. In the end, he not only leaves an attacker unmarked, he also crowds the area in front of the goalkeeper and gives his teammate no chance when the ball deflects off his ankle and goes in off the far corner. There's no doubt that both goals are also the fault of players further forward - Iain Vigurs and his "leisurely stroll" brand of defence for the first and James McFadden (not even pictured) for failing to track the full-back in the second instance. The problem is if you are going to play 4-4-2 with one, or sometimes both, of those guys in the team then you're going to leave your defenders exposed. Note that once more Lasley tries in vain to get across and assist but has to make up too much ground trying to do so. Again, we can give McManus a pass for such mistakes. He's learning with new teammates and it takes time. It doesn't, however, explain any of these. If the reader is at all confused by the last example, be sure to track Stevie May's movement from the start of the clip and identify his marker who then ball watches while the striker nips in behind.McManus is far from being the only Motherwell player who deserves blame. The problem is that he was brought in over the summer to improve a defence that, while it wasn't bad, wasn't as a tight as one would expect from a team comfortably finishing second place in the table. Instead, they are currently on track to concede six more league goals this campaign. Perhaps he is suffering from a confidence problem after his career stalled down south; maybe he's taking a little longer to adjust. Whatever the reason, Motherwell will need him to be dependable over the next couple of months if they are going to stay in the hunt for consecutive runner-up finishes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 Closer to nonsense, than insightful. Someone posturing as an expert analyst, but not really going into any more depth than a Sportscene pundit. If you are into full blown, geek depth analysis of formations, tactics, evolution of the game etc. Jonathan Wilson is the man to read. As well as his regular columns he has written a few books on the subject (he is also a guru on the game in Eastern Europe). Here is one of his more recent articles which, by his standards, is fairly superficial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tottenmfc Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 Utter guff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al B Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 What we found is that is really needs to try adapting his game to cover for what this Motherwell team is exposing him too. This are the goodest English what I has ever read. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazzie Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 A load of pish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazzie Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 I hate articles like that. It is written in a tone that implies his opinion deserves consideration, while at the same time spouting completely ill-informed, half-baked bullshit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stv Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 What a lot of shite. Hindsights a great thing and so is being a smart arse but being a pompus smart arse is going too far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ML1 Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 Hindsight fuck all. Anyone raising the basic fact that he is an over rated donkey when he signed was shouted down. He was and remains a criminal waste of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stv Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 Don't mince yer words The 'I knew he was shite' brigade all have hindsight . Who would you have signed with our budget that wanted to come to a decimated team to fill the hole in our defence ?He has done a good job for us since hes been here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ML1 Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 Oh we had our budget in mind when we threw money at him on a one year deal did we ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onthefringes Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 1387564272[/url]' post='401648']Don't mince yer words The 'I knew he was shite' brigade all have hindsight . Who would you have signed with our budget that wanted to come to a decimated team to fill the hole in our defence ?He has done a good job for us since hes been here The hole in our defence? That's a new one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobey_Dosser Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 Pile of pish. Anyone that knows football, knew where our issues would lie this season. We have 2 bombscare keepers and one of the worst midfields in recent history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 For all the 'bombscare' talk, how many goals/points has Hollis cost us this season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobey_Dosser Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 For all the 'bombscare' talk, how many goals/points has Hollis cost us this season? Not many in all honesty, he got injured at the right time as he was due to run out of luck. The guy is not a decent keeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judge Jules Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 An Airdrie fan i work with said Hollis once got a 5 match ban when playing with them cause he spat on an Accies fan. I know thats fuck all to do with his form or ability just thought i'd share the story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stv Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 The hole in our defence? That's a new one Yep a big gapping hole right beside Hutch and thru to a new goalkeeper.that had to be filled with an experienced player Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Wispy Flossy Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 The defence is brutal. Worryingly the goalies and midfield are considerably worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelboy Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 1387567856[/url]' post='401657']Yep a big gapping hole right beside Hutch and thru to a new goalkeeper.that had to be filled with an experienced player We didn't lose any centrehalfs in the summer so I don't think we were desperate at that position. We were doing better with Ramsden/cummins/Kerr in beside hutchy last season than we are currently. We have a highly paid, experienced back four and they have only managed to concede a goal less than Partick thistle and three less than the kids hearts are fielding at the back. McManus isn't jusitfying his wages and when you look at the guys at inverness, st Johnstone and Dundee Utd who are doing better than him it's clear he is a waste of money (admittedly not on the Faddy scale). The entire Inverness back four combined probably get the same wage as McManus. We'll no doubt extend his contract though as McCall continues his tactic of signing whoever involves the least amount of hassle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEWELL Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 Yes the reason we've struggled this season is our weak midfield and our dodgy keepers. I see Hollis as a back up keeper and the Faroese Fud on a plane back home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazzie Posted December 20, 2013 Report Share Posted December 20, 2013 Pile of pish. Anyone that knows football, knew where our issues would lie this season. We have 2 bombscare keepers and one of the worst midfields in recent history. What he said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitch Posted December 21, 2013 Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 Bit harsh on Gunnar lads. You don't play international football and gain as many gaps as he is by being rotten... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frazzie Posted December 21, 2013 Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 If Hollis had a Faroese granny his loft would be full of blue velvet caps aswell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casagolda Posted December 21, 2013 Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 As well as those goals we are a shambles at set pieces and have already conceded 6 goals from balls into the box. McManus clearly hasn't been an upgrade from Ramsden at centre half where as Ramsden has certainly been a downgrade over Tom Hateley at full back. Let's assume McManus and Hateley would have cost the same in wages who would you rather have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelboy Posted December 21, 2013 Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 1387621693[/url]' post='401690']As well as those goals we are a shambles at set pieces and have already conceded 6 goals from balls into the box. McManus clearly hasn't been an upgrade from Ramsden at centre half where as Ramsden has certainly been a downgrade over Tom Hateley at full back. Let's assume McManus and Hateley would have cost the same in wages who would you rather have? I wouldn't have given Hateley the money in the summer but I think we miss him going forward while I don't think McManus adds much. The smart thing to do would have been to let Hateley go, ignore McManus and sign a cheap attacking full back and invest a decent wage in a good goalie or creative player but that would probably have required more effort than McCall is willing to put in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelvinBragg Posted December 21, 2013 Report Share Posted December 21, 2013 As well as those goals we are a shambles at set pieces and have already conceded 6 goals from balls into the box. McManus clearly hasn't been an upgrade from Ramsden at centre half where as Ramsden has certainly been a downgrade over Tom Hateley at full back. I'd argue that Ramsden is a much better full back than Hateley. Chris Humphrey constantly tracking back made Hateley look better than he was. Who has Ramsden had in front of him this season with the same willingness to help out...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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