Scottish Premiership Motherwell V Hamilton Academical Wed 5 Apr 19:45

[milo]

For me, Ainsworth should be an easy player to manage. Stick him wide right and keep passing him the ball and tell him shoot more often. Just let him do what he does best.

 

I agree his head has already decided he's off in the summer.

Indeed.

 

He has a shot like a cannon and has scored some truly wonderful goals for us. Anywhere from 20 yards out and he should be hitting it.

[Yassin]

Aye I'd be starting Ainsworth in this. I suspect he'll be getting released either way but an on form Lionel really can make the difference in games like this. I'm a big fan of Cadden and he's been deservedly our first choice in that position for the last year- but he's somewhat of a one trick pony and it's just not coming off for him right now at right wing. I don't have the stats to hand but Ainsworth has scored 3 times as many goals this season in I'd guess less than half the game time? He's inconsistent,frustrating and probably away in the summer but he's scored and assisted countless absolutely massive goals for us.

 

Now I've said all this he'll probably do nothing and get hooked after 45 minutes.

 

Edit- just realised this isn't the Partick Thistle thread tbh

[sbcmfc]

For me, Ainsworth should be an easy player to manage. Stick him wide right and keep passing him the ball and tell him shoot more often. Just let him do what he does best.

 

I agree his head has already decided he's off in the summer.

Yeah, on the park he's easy to manage, I was meaning more in the "man management" sense, which your second sentence alludes to.

 

His long list of clubs is often used against him to back this theory up.

 

I've spoken to him a couple of times a while back, and he seemed pretty genuine when he said he liked the club and life here, but I think in the last 6 months or so that must have changed.

 

McGhee hanging him out to dry at firhill might've been the beginning of the end, and if rumours about what happened at cappielow that night are to be believed the return of Robinson was the end.

[mfc]

punting long aimless balls like we did last night,just doesn't work for us,we need to start working the ball wide more often and trying to do things that way.frear has an excellent delivery and we know ainsworth can do it when he's on his game and for me he should be starting.we all know cadds has been struggling for a while,mainly down to an injury but what were asking him to do right now isnt helping,just get the ball and try charge forward and that tactic has been quickly sussed by our opponents,i would like to see cadds move inside and try and use his energy in the middle of the park and try and get something different out of him,which could be a benefit as there is nothing coming from our central midfield right now.were far to predictable right now and maybe robinson needs to change it up a little,hopefully getting one or two back from injury sooner rather than later will help too.

[Kmcalpin]

punting long aimless balls like we did last night,just doesn't work for us,we need to start working the ball wide more often and trying to do things that way.frear has an excellent delivery and we know ainsworth can do it when he's on his game and for me he should be starting.we all know cadds has been struggling for a while,mainly down to an injury but what were asking him to do right now isnt helping,just get the ball and try charge forward and that tactic has been quickly sussed by our opponents,i would like to see cadds move inside and try and use his energy in the middle of the park and try and get something different out of him,which could be a benefit as there is nothing coming from our central midfield right now.were far to predictable right now and maybe robinson needs to change it up a little,hopefully getting one or two back from injury sooner rather than later will help too.

Good post. The problem that Robinson has is that he's inherited a shockingly poor central midfield - no pace, no creativity and no bite. It hasn't helped of course that our best player there, McHugh, has either been injured or drafted to play into the defence. This isn't just McGhee's fault though - it goes back to the days of Stuart McCall. I'm generally not a fan of Cadden being played in central midfield but right now I'd stick him in there with Ainsworth on the right, Frear on the left and say Pearson in front of the defence. Not ideal I agree and that formation has its achilles heels. Even if we played with that formation for part of a game, the likes of Campbell might have a role to play in energising and toughening up the middle.

 

I know our strikers haven't been firing on all cylinders but for much of the time the ammunition they're being fed is very very poor at best.

[Spiderpig]

For me, Ainsworth should be an easy player to manage. Stick him wide right and keep passing him the ball and tell him shoot more often. Just let him do what he does best.

 

I agree his head has already decided he's off in the summer.

If he is away at the end of the season i don't think he will be missed, we will save a no doubt decent wage on a player who's last meaningful contribution to the team was that goal at Ibrox in the playoffs nearly 2 years ago.

[underboyleheating]

...every picture tells a story well that 1 certainly does it was a goal .

I’ve looked at the incident for the first time on video (BBC). I have frozen the frame at the point where the player makes contact with the ball. I believe it’s too difficult to call (remember the whole ball needs to be over the line). A few seconds after the initial header the player does step behind the line, however, it would take a brave official to give this one at the time. Taking off my C&A specs I would say it appears to be an excellent goal stopping clearance. Tin hat firmly on.

 

[mfc]

Good post. The problem that Robinson has is that he's inherited a shockingly poor central midfield - no pace, no creativity and no bite. It hasn't helped of course that our best player there, McHugh, has either been injured or drafted to play into the defence. This isn't just McGhee's fault though - it goes back to the days of Stuart McCall. I'm generally not a fan of Cadden being played in central midfield but right now I'd stick him in there with Ainsworth on the right, Frear on the left and say Pearson in front of the defence. Not ideal I agree and that formation has its achilles heels. Even if we played with that formation for part of a game, the likes of Campbell might have a role to play in energising and toughening up the middle.

 

I know our strikers haven't been firing on all cylinders but for much of the time the ammunition they're being fed is very very poor at best.

good post mate,i think moving cadden into central midfield would be a gamble but we really need to shake things up a bit and were at the stage of the season where taking a risk might just be required.if we can get cadden running forward with the ball in middle of the park that could change the dynamic of how we play straight away because none of our midfield two are ball carriers,pearson should be doing it,but hes been very poor since he came back,also having cadden getting forward from a central area should stop mcdonald coming deep all the time to try and make things happen,we badly need his experience and quality higher up the pitch,especially in games like the other night when we had some relatively untried players in our forward line.you make a great point about campbell,he was excellent against accies at there place and how he hasnt been involved since is a complete mystery.

[Joeboy]

Ainsworth continues to be a curious case. Bags of talent and ability yes, but a questionable attitude. He's not thirty yet and he has had thirteen clubs. We are by far the longest he's spent at a club and he seems to have gone through several cycles of form and attitude in his time here. Add to that that he's spent time out of the team under McCall, Black, Baraclough, McGhee and now Robinson and charge, for me you begin to realise who is the problem.

 

Cadden hasn't been firing the way we would have liked in recent weeks, but there's been nothing in Ainsworth's cameos to suggest he either has the hunger or the quality (in his current form) that would add something to our starting team, certainly not in the current system. Maybe Tait in that role might do a trick with Cadden potentially moving into the centre that could maybe spark some form there? None of our central midfielders are firing at the minute. Ideally, I'd like to see McHugh back in there but if we persist with this system, we aren't flush with candidates to play the sweeper role in the middle of the back three.

 

Anyway, the other night was a frustrating one. Good to see Robinson try something different to try and make things work and using McGhee's signings Frear and Bowman to better effect than he did. I thought Bowman had a very positive game and with that being the first time I've seen him start in a long time, he is much quicker than I'd have initially thought. Can't help but think Moult's poachers instinct would have seen him on the end of one of those low balls across. Blyth didn't offer a lot and as much as you may attribute that to match fitness- we can't afford any passengers at this stage of the season in our predicament.

 

In the middle of the park, Clay had his usually competent game without offering a great deal of quality. Pearson was lacking again and there were several points where he seemed reluctant to put his foot through the ball, both in tackles and passes/shots. Not sure what is going on there, but he hasn't offered as much as I'd have liked upon his return. Lasley showed a bit when he came on but that time he dithered on the ball and didn't release Cadden was helluva frustrating.

 

The officials were absolutely laughable the other night too. The linesman on the POD Stand side gave so many throws wrong (for both teams) and I'm not having that the phantom goal was a tough call to make. From a corner, you can't be offside so the linesman only has two things to concentrate on - is the ball in and have any fouls be committed? With the money we pay them, they should manage that. Farcical. Is that now the fourth wrongly disallowed goal of our season? Partick away, Dundee away, Rangers away and Accies home? All at critical points in the game too. The ref stopping the game when Imrie fell off the park and booking Pearson after the half time whistle were utterly bemusing. The standard of refereeing is dreadful.

 

Since Robinson has been in charge, we have been the better side in most games and arguably deserved something from each game, perhaps Pittodrie excepted. This is encouraging but you have to hope it's not too late. Last night was the type of frustrating game that had you drawn, you could be encouraged by certain aspects and look at the positives had it been October/November or something, but it's too late in the season to drop points under that circumstance.

 

I'd have taken a draw on Saturday had we won against Accies, but it makes Saturday a bigger task against an in-form team.

[Joeboy]

I’ve looked at the incident for the first time on video (BBC). I have frozen the frame at the point where the player makes contact with the ball. I believe it’s too difficult to call (remember the whole ball needs to be over the line). A few seconds after the initial header the player does step behind the line, however, it would take a brave official to give this one at the time. Taking off my C&A specs I would say it appears to be an excellent goal stopping clearance. Tin hat firmly on.

 

 

See if you watch the MFCTV highlights, it is clear to see that the Accies guy headers the ball, getting elevation on the ball with his jump and then hitting the bar. For me, it would be pretty impossible to hit the bar with an upwards header, which has a forwards motion, unless you are behind the line.

 

No excuse for the officials to miss it, those are the big calls they get paid such a pricely sum to make and more often than not they miserably fail at being correct.

[daver]

Remind me of the goal not given at Rangers please.

[numpty]

See if you watch the MFCTV highlights, it is clear to see that the Accies guy headers the ball, getting elevation on the ball with his jump and then hitting the bar. For me, it would be pretty impossible to hit the bar with an upwards header, which has a forwards motion, unless you are behind the line.

It's not as simple as whether the guy who headed it was behind the line though. The whole of the ball still has to be over the whole of the line too, and even if nearly all of it was, he could still be standing behind the line and head it forwards off the bar, and it wouldn't be a goal.

[Joeboy]

Remind me of the goal not given at Rangers please.

 

Bowman hits shot and it's saved and Moult scores the rebound. Just on Saturday there.

[Dezz]

 

Bowman hits shot and it's saved and Moult scores the rebound. Just on Saturday there.

Unfortunately I think that was the correct decision. Moult's shot on the rebound hit Pearson on the way into the net and Pearo was standing in an offside position.

[underboyleheating]

The MFC tv has a better view, however, I am still not convinced that the whole of the ball is over. The player certainly is at the point of impact, however, ball + head combination doesn’t appear to be. This is the exact moment that the ball makes contact with the players head.

[Big Stall]

If he is away at the end of the season i don't think he will be missed, we will save a no doubt decent wage on a player who's last meaningful contribution to the team was that goal at Ibrox in the playoffs nearly 2 years ago.

 

 

Im pretty sure he has a hat full of assists this season, despite hardly featuring. Did he not come off the bench and provide the cross for Moults equaliser at Accies at New Year?

[Joeboy]

Unfortunately I think that was the correct decision. Moult's shot on the rebound hit Pearson on the way into the net and Pearo was standing in an offside position.

 

Fair play, I only seen the MFC TV highlights and didn't see it hit Pearo, the angle wasn't great. I thought it was maybe disallowed because he was in an offside position, which I believe isn't the rule anymore but didn't know it had hit him.

 

 

 

Im pretty sure he has a hat full of assists this season, despite hardly featuring. Did he not come off the bench and provide the cross for Moults equaliser at Accies at New Year?

 

It was Skippy who won the ball back and McHugh who crossed it for the goal that day. Transfrmarkt.co.uk only has him down for one assist this season, the cross for McDonald's header against Ross County when we won 4-1.

[Yassin]

His assist for Marvin's last minute winner at Inverness to secure top six last season was absolutely sublime, as was his chip against Killie in August.

[underboyleheating]

For me, it would be pretty impossible to hit the bar with an upwards header, which has a forwards motion, unless you are behind the line.

Perhaps we have some claim that the full ball is over in this top frame. The frame appears to show that the Accies player is at a slight angle and not facing forwards (his body is facing the East Stand). This would enable him to hit the bar without the full ball crossing the line. Without doubt we have been very unfortunate in some of the decisions that have gone against us, however, at the speed this happened I am prepared to cut the linesman some slack (just this once! Lol)

 

 

[Haggischomper]

It was a fucking goal

[ropy]

Remind me of the goal not given at Rangers please.

Was there not a goal chalked off before Moult scored 4 in the first Accies game?

[weeyin]

None of those pictures take into account the perspective of the camera. The only way to tell for sure is if there was a camera on the goal line.

 

Regardless. It wasn't a goal. I can tell because the final score said we had nil.

[wellowell]

Your right it wasn't but can only remember 2,incidents this season with goals not been given when looked in and both were ours Dundee and Accies throw in the 2 wrongly chalked off goals at Partick and against accies and we have had imo 4 good goals not given .Come the end of season that might be difference between staying up or not but if decisions are supposed to even themselves up throughout a season then we are due a few .

[weeyin]

Decisions don't even themselves up over a season or even over the entire history of a club. That's not how statistics work in football - it's not like tossing a coin.

 

The bottom line is that for the majority of this season we have been shipping goals at one end of the park and failing to capitalize on our chances up the other end.

 

We managed to keep a clean sheet in the Accies game - which was a pleasant surprise. We need to keep that up and have our strikers knock in more than 1 in a game.

[Spiderpig]

Perhaps we have some claim that the full ball is over in this top frame. The frame appears to show that the Accies player is at a slight angle and not facing forwards (his body is facing the East Stand). This would enable him to hit the bar without the full ball crossing the line. Without doubt we have been very unfortunate in some of the decisions that have gone against us, however, at the speed this happened I am prepared to cut the linesman some slack (just this once! Lol)

 

 

FFS you have too much time on your hands try and get out more, it was a fecking goal.