Motherwell Vs Aberdeen Saturday 15Th August

[MFCL84]

Again, another decent performance but not the result that we'd all have liked. Our usual failings shone through. Too many goals given away, and not enough threat going forward.

The back line seem to be a more cohesive unit this season, teams aren't running riot like the early part of last season. Just need to stop giving away soft goals. I know that sounds contradictory, but I'm sure those of you that have seen the goals we've conceded know what I mean. However, I'm sorry to say, for me Josh Law just isn't good enough for this league. Positionally he is frequently caught out, his passing up the line frequently finds touch, and as someone posted earlier, he failed to support Thomas out wide in the final 20 minutes. Like others I would be tempted to try Kennedy at right back.

In midfield today Taylor was anonymous. Maybe not match fit, but on that showing her isn't going to improve the starting 11. I've said it before, but we need creativity in midfield, and we need someone from midfield willing to run through the lines to breakdown defences. Relying on the wide men won't always work. Not many clear chances being created at the moment.

Up top I was really impressed by Moult. He is a willing worker, makes intelligent runs and had an all round good performance. Skippy's touch is still poor. Too many times the ball ran away and allowed the opponent an opportunity to get a challenge in. He needs to tighten that up. However, there was enough there to suggest to me that a Moult and McDonald partnership could work.

Decent performance, just need to start getting points.

[madscot]

You must have watched a different game then from me.

Different opinions ,they not allowed ? Anyway there right back , is it Given ? played out on the wing when they had the ball .

[supermarv]

Still say moult was pish people wanting him to start in front of fletcher at the start fletcher look a player but moult not for me missing a header from about 2 yards out, easily pushed off the ball, just no good enough really. At first i liked the look of him but no really off the pace for what we should be looking for.

[siebsbarmyarmy]

Different opinions ,they not allowed ? Anyway there right back , is it Given ? played out on the wing when they had the ball .

Not saying otherwise, course you are! Do you mean Logan? He does push up to support Hayes who covers him, something Law could learn.

[capt_oats]

Just watched the highlights. I stand corrected about their 2nd, totally legit. Ripley just ends up on his arse when he should be cleaning everyone out to collect.

[Welldaft Mk1]

Oh and let's not forget McGinn hit the post - could have been worse for us. Deserved nothing out of that match.

Actually we deserved a draw like last weekend. Aberdeen better side by some distance in the 1st half. 2nd half we gave as good as we got. Stupid 2nd goal and again come away with nothing.

 

I also note Steel boy back to his usual crap. Moult was by far our best player. Wonder if you know fuck all about football

 

We cannot keep gifting soft goals, but we are looking better than last season.

 

Usual moaning faced gits on here. Makes my eyes BLEED

[Happy Dosser]

Right, so after two games, Taylor and Moult are to be discarded, according to the usual negative ones. The latter played really well in the second half and the guy from Reading is still adjusting. If he's the same after six games, then we can start criticising. He's playing in a struggling midfield. It struggles for two main reasons: no Pearson and playing two wingers who are inconsistent and don't do defensive duties. I simply can't judge Taylor on one game, since I don't go to the Far East anymore.

 

I thought Ripley had four good saves last Saturday and he tries to command his box but both goals today were dodgy. He still looks better than the alternatives. The thing is, pressure builds from mistakes further forward and we are weak at RB and LB.

 

We were up against a strong team today and weren't far off. The Dons and Hearts will slog it out for second spot, probs.

 

Start moaning if we get zilch from the Tractor Boys and Tattie Howkers.

[dossertillidie]

Personally I thought we were woeful. Making all the same mistakes as last year.

 

Goalkeeper - Made a couple of mistakes.

Josh Law - Anonymous.

Stevie Hammel - Terrible.

Laing & McManus - Nowhere near as dominant as Taylor & Considine

Lasley & Taylor - Game completely passed them by.

Johnson & Ainsworth - Woeful.

MacDonal & Moult - Not enough efforts on goal. Ran about a lot, without doing very much.

Dom Thomas - Did well, and if Moult was shaper he would have scored from a pearler of a cross.

 

I've never seen a team cut another team open quite so easily. If their front players had been more decisive, they could have pumped us.

 

Baraclough - Not resolving on going issues!

 

SCUNNERED!

 

Pretty much agree with all of this

[stv]

Still say moult was pish people wanting him to start in front of fletcher at the start fletcher look a player but moult not for me missing a header from about 2 yards out, easily pushed off the ball, just no good enough really. At first i liked the look of him but no really off the pace for what we should be looking for.

So he missed a header were u watching him the rest of the game ,hez only started twice this season. Good close control and distribution today i though. May have been watching the game from a different angle from you tho,easily pushed off the ball ?????? He looks a good prospect once he settles in. We will see during the comming months. Keep yer eyes peeled.

[dinnae-punt-it]

Pretty much agree with all of this

Wish I could be more positive, but if we keep conceding pish goals whilst struggling to score, the I'm afraid it's going to be another mighty tough season. Here's hoping the manager grows a set and drops Hammel and Law; and brings in a decent box to box midfielder before the window shuts as we badly need a good all round midfielder!

[madscot]

Not saying otherwise, course you are! Do you mean Logan? He does push up to support Hayes who covers him, something Law could learn.

Your right Logan .

[The African]

Bad result. Third bad result in a row. Seems like we cannot manage ninety minutes of decent football but , at home, we can put in half a shift. We create a few chances but not enough to make up for the couple of goals we gift to the opposition. Goalkeeper and fullback still seem to be issues and are there still questions over the general fitness of the squad? The Hamilton result today probably puts the United defeat into perspective.

Disappointing that the obvious problems from last season do not appear to have been addressed.

[maxywell]

Pretty much agree with all of this

 

Same here, people are picking Law out while ignoring the fact that SH was just as bad if not worse.His crossing and passing were Strakeresque at times.Marvin Johnson had another poor game, nothing came off for him apart from the goal and his decision making was dire at times.Starting to wonder if those few games towards the end of last season were just a flash in the pan because he's been sh1te so far this season, Thomas is worth a start at St Johnstone in my opinion.Oh and McDonald is wasted in midfield.

[Kmcalpin]

I can live with Stevie Hammell not playing well on the ball but of more concern to me is his off the ball performance. Like his right hand side counterpart his positional sense is poor and gave his opponent far too much leeway. We defend very narrowly and that causes big problems for the centre backs and keeper. Quite impressed so far with Moult and Fletcher but they are a tad lightweight and will struggle against towering centre backs especially if they are given balls in the air.

 

We need to start playing with 3 men in the centre of midfield against the better sides and only play 2 wingers against the weaker sides. Problem is that we don't have 3 decent central midfielders.

[Andy_P]

What is it with Aberdeen and us gifting them goals! Another two from the stupid and avoidable category yesterday that handed the points to them on a plate.

 

They were clearly pivotal on how the game went but if you can strip them out of the equasion then it wasn't that bad a display.

 

They got behind us a couple of times in the first half but I thought after we got ahead it was a pretty solid defence Aberdeen found themselves up against, despite all the possession they had. Until their equaliser which had us hurtling back to the days of Graeme Smith and his "Cross ball, will I? Won't I?....ohh" antics.

 

A wee bit like midweek it was especially sore that the opposition scored again at the point of game where we were enjoying our best spell.

 

There were some decent things to take from the game but it's a growing concern at how many goals we are conceding that are self-inflicted. From giving away stupid penalties to players running into another to own goals. We're as deadly to ourselves as any opposition striker has been. That's got to stop.

 

A better performance than Tynecastle certainly but we need the break the run of defeats as soon as possible before confidence begins to suffer.

 

 

 

 

[dinnae-punt-it]

I can live with Stevie Hammell not playing well on the ball but of more concern to me is his off the ball performance. Like his right hand side counterpart his positional sense is poor and gave his opponent far too much leeway. We defend very narrowly and that causes big problems for the centre backs and keeper. Quite impressed so far with Moult and Fletcher but they are a tad lightweight and will struggle against towering centre backs especially if they are given balls in the air.

 

We need to start playing with 3 men in the centre of midfield against the better sides and only play 2 wingers against the weaker sides. Problem is that we don't have 3 decent central midfielders.

Stevie has always been really poor off the ball and poor at stopping crosses coming into the box, but has always had an easy ride as he is one of our own. Keith has also frequently hidden in games when we are under the cosh. Part of our problem in making the same mistakes over and over again is not finding adequate replacements for ageing players that weren't that good to begin with. I know quite a few posters won't agree with what I've said, but I think it is plain to see if you watch games closely. McManus also has a terrible habit of coming out to win balls and not winning them, leaving a huge gap in behind. Laing needs to work on clearing high balls with his head better.

[MelvinBragg]

Do I think that Stevie Hammell is without flaws in his game? No, he wouldn't be playing for Motherwell otherwise. But (takes a breath) Billy Davies, Eric Black, Terry Butcher, Mark McGhee, Craig Brown, Stuart McCall and Ian Baraclough have all thought him good enough to play SPL football. Don't think they all think that because he's "one of our own".

 

Stevie Hammell will have poor games from time to time, and is not getting any younger but to suggest as some on here are that he's never been good enough is frankly nonsense...

[Lobey_Dosser]

Wee fell to pieces without Hammell last season. He's far from flawless but remains one of the best left backs in the league. His technique and composure on the ball ensures he remains a key part of our team.

 

Josh Law on the other hand, his contribution to the 1st goal yesterday was embarrassing. Totally out his depth.

[milo]

The performance was night and day to the shite served up at Tynecastle so those of us, of which I was one of them, demanding a response to the midweek shambles at least got that. We also scored a goal of which I am grateful.

 

I thought Aberdeen were excellent and yet despite this it was our own continual shortcomings which caused the defeat. The passing, both long and short was abysmal, we made so many unforced errors, we didn't get tight enough, we didn't track their runners, the decision making was poor and too many players either blew hot and cold or once again had off days. Maybe against a weaker team we might have got a result, but like v Utd, instead of carving out a draw we possibly deserved we once again gift the opposition 2 of the softest goals you're ever likely to see and are our own worst enemies.

 

I thought Moult came on to a game yesterday the more the game wore on although he should've buried that header from Dom Thomas's fantastic cross. Clarkson should also have been on for him much much earlier. McDonald looked better playing further up but still was bettered by his opposite number far too often and as our "jewel in the crown" we need better from him. Ainsworth needs the ball played in front of him. We also know he has a shot like a cannon and it would be good to see him hit a few with any clear sight at goal, even from distance. Johnson despite his goal was very up and down. A bit like Humphrey, you can tell quite early on if it's going to be his day. Yesterday wasn't and he surrendered possession far too easily on several occassions. Like Clarkson, Dom Thomas should've been on much earlier. Lasley, Law and Hammell all had poor games. Hammell can do that from time to time so I can't be too hard on him. Chalmers is an option though if this becomes a habit. I'm sorry but Law is a liability. His unneccesary foul led to the second goal (should've still defended that better of course) I'd get Watt in there asap. Lasley was over ran in midfield so could possibly be forgiven, he didn't use the ball well when he had it though. McManus and Laing I thought competed but both goals came from balls in the box that are in their area. I haven't mentioned Taylor yet....Was he even playing?! Second game from him and yet to see anything, even a flicker, that he has enhanced the team. If I was Leitch I'd be beeling this guy has came in and started in front off me. I know it's only his second game but we should've seen something, anything even, to suggest he might be useful.

 

Barraclough gave the same starting 11 at Tynecastle the chnace to redeem themselves and I suppose they did to an extent. The subs were on too late though and the midfield over ran. We can all see holes and failings throughout the game but I'm worried he can't.

 

We've now conceded 6 totally avoidable goals in a week. The opposition aren't even having to work to get them.

 

Not quite panic stations yet, but we have to stop the rot at Perth next week. As someone else mentioned, are this team capbale of grinding out a draw? Those of us who are clutching at the "we've played the best teams and weren't expected to get anything from such hard games" straws may find their arguement has floundered by 5pm next Saturday. Lose next Saturday and all of a sudden the Killie game is "must win". If we're still on 3 points after the Killie game we'll have lost 5 in a row ( a feat which depite being easily achieved on various occassions last season is something even bad Motherwell teams I've watched over the years have managed to avoid) and I'll pressing the panic button in earnest!

[supermarv]

Josh law is the same as Hammel maybe not as good but he does a good job and still works hard a lot of u don't like him because of his brother but in all fairness he is a no bad player.

[Kmcalpin]

Stevie has always been really poor off the ball and poor at stopping crosses coming into the box, but has always had an easy ride as he is one of our own. Keith has also frequently hidden in games when we are under the cosh. Part of our problem in making the same mistakes over and over again is not finding adequate replacements for ageing players that weren't that good to begin with.

Would agree with most of that, although maybe a tad harsh. Both Hammell and Lasley have been loyal servants to the club and, in my view, have been reasonable players no more no less. Neither has been good enough to move on successfully to a higher level. They have their weak points. Yes, Stevie has never been great off the ball and the comparison with Graeme Shinnie yesterday really was quite stark. Shinnie did not give Ainsworth an inch and was all over him as any ball was about to arrive. Shinnie was quite happy to all but smother Ainsworth 40-50 yards from his goal. I think it was Wellwell91 who said recently that a defenders first priority should always be to defend and that is 100% correct. You will never stop all crosses from coming into the box but you can reduce them in quantity and quality. If the back is tight up against the crosser then the chances are that if a cross is slung over it will be under pressure and less accurate.

 

Many posters know my views on Keith Lasley so I won't repeat them in full but yes, he has always tended to disappear when we're under sustained attack and were crying out for someone to stick out their chin and lead the midfield out from its tortoise like shell.

 

Neither Hammell nor Lasley should have been offered 2 years by Stuart McCall - maybe one year but there again would they have accepted that?

 

As an interesting aside Derek McInnes saw fit to field a real midfield battler in Willo Flood yesterday, so even Scotland's second best team sees the need for a midfield scrapper.

[BigWeegieDosser]

Middle of the park still the problem for me. Taylor was at best anonymous, his style looks akin to that of Lasley, with notably less bite. Not what we're looking for, they're too similar. To be honest I'd have had Leitch and Lasley based on what's available. Skippy pushed on a bit second half and will hopefully start to link better with Moult. I still think we need an enforcer with more all important positional sense and a good reading of the game. We don't fill the gaps left when breaking forward and it leaves us exposed. As per previous posts, the Jennings/ Valakari mould fits the bill.

[dinnae-punt-it]

Would agree with most of that, although maybe a tad harsh. Both Hammell and Lasley have been loyal servants to the club and, in my view, have been reasonable players no more no less. Neither has been good enough to move on successfully to a higher level. They have their weak points. Yes, Stevie has never been great off the ball and the comparison with Graeme Shinnie yesterday really was quite stark. Shinnie did not give Ainsworth an inch and was all over him as any ball was about to arrive. Shinnie was quite happy to all but smother Ainsworth 40-50 yards from his goal. I think it was Wellwell91 who said recently that a defenders first priority should always be to defend and that is 100% correct. You will never stop all crosses from coming into the box but you can reduce them in quantity and quality. If the back is tight up against the crosser then the chances are that if a cross is slung over it will be under pressure and less accurate.

 

Many posters know my views on Keith Lasley so I won't repeat them in full but yes, he has always tended to disappear when we're under sustained attack and were crying out for someone to stick out their chin and lead the midfield out from its tortoise like shell.

 

Neither Hammell nor Lasley should have been offered 2 years by Stuart McCall - maybe one year but there again would they have accepted that?

 

As an interesting aside Derek McInnes saw fit to field a real midfield battler in Willo Flood yesterday, so even Scotland's second best team sees the need for a midfield scrapper.

I'm not saying they are bad players, but they have never ironed out their biggest flaw, plus they are 35/36 & 33/34 years of age. We need a longer term solution. On that I'd give Chalmers a chance at LB. Any new midfielder needs to a strong tackler with good positional sense and can ideally pick a pass. Pearo when fit can be the box to box man, but has been troubled with injuries since returning and is also getting on a bit, but Leitch can cover that role perhaps. CM certainly needs a big overhaul. This season I think 8th is the best we can hope for!!

[Kmcalpin]

I'm not saying they are bad players, but they have never ironed out their biggest flaw, plus they are 35/36 & 33/34 years of age. We need a longer term solution. On that I'd give Chalmers a chance at LB. Any new midfielder needs to a strong tackler with good positional sense and can ideally pick a pass. Pearo when fit can be the box to box man, but has been troubled with injuries since returning and is also getting on a bit, but Leitch can cover that role perhaps. CM certainly needs a big overhaul. This season I think 8th is the best we can hope for!!

The worrying thing is these weaknesses were well known last season and we don't appear to have done much about them. Our goals against column has been very poor for a few years now and I cannot see it changing drastically this year if the root causes have not been addressed - thats not rocket science.

 

On a more positive note Pearo will return in the early autumn; we are creating more up front; and central defence seems to be more settled. Fingers crossed thats enough to secure us 8th/9th/10th place.

[mfc]

Josh law is the same as Hammel maybe not as good but he does a good job and still works hard a lot of u don't like him because of his brother but in all fairness he is a no bad player.

it's nothing to do with who his brother is it's just that he's not a good player.hopefully when watt is fit he get's his chance as his progression shouldn't be held back by someone like law.