Cup game Motherwell v Queens Park 22/07/2023

[SteelmaninOZ]

8 minutes ago, MJC said:

We’re three League Cup group stage games into the season. If we are a bit mentality fatigued by that at this stage then god help us!

Hello god you there?

[texanwellfan]

Well that was painful 

[stv]

Just now, SteelmaninOZ said:

Hello god you there?

Aye its me here , iv got yous down for a cup win a champions league spot and to cuff Celik three times this year. That ok for you ,Oh you need to promise not to swear n give all yer money to charity .

[wellfan]

So much crap. Taking Obika off rendered us blunt. Wilkinson is nothing.  SOD is hopeless. Slattery fades in and out. Spittal is our best player by far.  

[MJC]

Job done, that’s the main thing.

[David]

Still very early in the season, and we're at a stage where we've likely not finished our transfer business (incomings or outgoings) so it's not quite the finished team yet.

As long as we win these games and avoid disaster, I'm happy enough. There's always potential for slipping up this early, but we seem to be getting the results we need.

Onwards we go.

[Coatsy]

99 Wilkinson my age when he scores his first goal, 77 Suare mins into the match when he either psses the half way line or make a tackle

Its looking bleak if this is the standard of our players.

Still Casey is back in his rightful position, Spittal is our best midfielder

Furlong and Johnston types required also really need a new Goalscorer please

 

 

[MJC]

2 minutes ago, David said:

Still very early in the season, and we're at a stage where we've likely not finished our transfer business (incomings or outgoings) so it's not quite the finished team yet.

As long as we win these games and avoid disaster, I'm happy enough. There's always potential for slipping up this early, but we seem to be getting the results we need.

Onwards we go.

Definitely.

These games are tricky and often not a good indicator of how the season will go. The main thing is getting through them and winning them, which we have managed in in two from three so far.

There are obvious concerns about the strength of the squad heading into the new season but we still have time to address the problem areas, one of which is up front. I don’t have a crystal ball but if we go into the new season with Obika and Wilkinson as our main ‘goal threats’ then we better hope that someone can step up and do what Liam Donnelly did in 19/20 and score goals from midfield/defence.

[Inflato]

Too early to wet the bed... But I can see us relegated be Christmas and Wilkinson is the anti-christ.

[David]

Here's a question. Do we give Mark Ferrie more of an opportunity this season? Or do we run out and buy yet another gamble from the lower leagues down south in the hope they can score us goals, but at the same time putting more bog-standard roadblocks in the way of a potential young striker from our youth setup?

We're always talking about wanting to see the kids given a chance, but it doesn't seem like we're willing to actually do that.

[steelboy]

Ferrie looks nowhere near ready. Especially since he's not going to be playing with anyone who can help him through the games. 

Two new strikers required after seeing the pantomime coo combo starting today. 

[Mio Krivokapic]

21 minutes ago, David said:

Still very early in the season, and we're at a stage where we've likely not finished our transfer business (incomings or outgoings) so it's not quite the finished team yet.

As long as we win these games and avoid disaster, I'm happy enough. There's always potential for slipping up this early, but we seem to be getting the results we need.

Onwards we go.

That's a rational and objective way of looking at things at this stage

[wellfan]

11 minutes ago, David said:

Here's a question. Do we give Mark Ferrie more of an opportunity this season? Or do we run out and buy yet another gamble from the lower leagues down south in the hope they can score us goals, but at the same time putting more bog-standard roadblocks in the way of a potential young striker from our youth setup?

We're always talking about wanting to see the kids given a chance, but it doesn't seem like we're willing to actually do that.

We give hIm minutes to allow him to develop. That’s it. 

[David]

Just now, Robbos boy said:

Thought young Miller had some good touches, but physically he is not ready.

Yet in our last game he was the runaway winner for Man of the Match according to members of this forum.

[jonnymfc]

I'm finally going to say it. Stephen O'Donnell is stealing a wage from us. Absolutely no impact on the game ans again had an absolute shocker. 

New RB required. 

[mfc]

Like the previous games,a wins a win and it's minutes under the belt,we definitely need a couple of different options up front though but kettlewell has said as much so hopefully that happens sooner rather than later.

[gaz7]

32 minutes ago, jonnymfc said:

I'm finally going to say it. Stephen O'Donnell is stealing a wage from us. Absolutely no impact on the game ans again had an absolute shocker. 

New RB required. 

Disagree jonny as apart from mcginn who got motm him slattery and Spittal were only others who looked semi competent. Our best moments were when those 4 at different times combined down right hand side .

Definitely need a striker or the 2 there just now improve drastically which is a doubt going by last 3 games but still time.

Hope the new midfielder is an upgrade on miller so we can feed him in slowly as today I felt he got a bit dominated which is to be expected I suppose.

Every time we are in the league cup it throws up more questions than answers but least we look odds on to qualify and likely as top seeds which is in most part down to kettlewells professionalism I feel.

[joewarkfanclub]

Felt it was a comfortable peformance today albeit a little underwelming. There were periods of the game where we controlled the pace of the game and dictated the play, but we werent able to maintain it for any period of time.

Queens Park knocked the ball about nicely, but we contained them pretty well for the most part and limited them to very few chances.

The last period of the game would have be a bit more comfortable if we had got the 2nd goal, but we didnt and invited a bit of unecessary pressure on ourselves as a result.

Re the squad. I think the back 3 looked more assured today but agree re the wing backs. Soare looks short of fitness and SOD continues to look awkward at times. His first touch is generally excellent and he does some very good things, but continually spoils the good play by doing something stupid.

Midfield is a work in progress. Miller was decent enough first half but faded badly in the 2nd. Slattery had a decent game today and Spittal showed plenty of energy but was far less effective than usual.

Up front Obika has to be a starter at the moment. Not seeing anything from big Wilkinson as yet to suggest there is a player in there, but its early days. My preference next week would be to see Ferrie alongside Obika, unless of course we have someone else waiting in the wings.

Overall 6/10 today.

[stv]

44 minutes ago, jonnymfc said:

I'm finally going to say it. Stephen O'Donnell is stealing a wage from us. Absolutely no impact on the game ans again had an absolute shocker. 

New RB required. 

Stop the stealing a wage patter its shite. 

 

[smiddy]

3 hours ago, SteelmaninOZ said:

So far I say Slattery is my MotM

yip entering his last season, check,    looking leaner check,   playing well check,    playing for his big move out of here check,

[Richie]

40 minutes ago, stv said:

Stop the stealing a wage patter its shite. 

 

He made a goal saving challenge and would have had an assist had Obika not inexplicably missed.

[SteelmaninOZ]

The gaffer said 

 

[Ya Bezzer!]

The kind of disjointed performance you'd expect a week into the season. 

It's going to be 5 or 6 weeks until teams start really clicking and we are no different.

Started poorly, dominated the middle portion, then faded out of it again.

Although there was only 1 goal in the game both teams could easily have scored multiple goals and both teams missed what were frankly sitters.

People will criticise Obika but he gets in positions and has good movement.  Maybe his finishing is a problem but we were clearly a much better team while he was on.  I'm not going to write off Wilkinson after one match but based purely based on today he showed nothing, not even a hint of anything.  Hopefully he has better days.

In midfield I thought the starters all did OK but it was individual performances and they didn't really click together as a unit.  Spittal was by far our best player, Lennon Miller is a kid with promise but a lot to learn and Slattery is the enigma.  For me he's far better suited as an AM than a midfielder or a DM.  He gets forward well and is a decent finisher but his passing is sloppy and he's easily neutralised when the opposition is on the ball.  I'm not entirely sure he fits into the formation.

I'll give O'Donnell credit for stopping what looked like a certain goal but overall he was poor again and defensively we weren't entirely convincing, Queens Park could have scored 2 or 3 if they'd been sharper.

Overall we got the job done and that was the main thing.  Our fitness and sharpness will get better but there might be personnel issues in terms of putting out a balanced first XI that really blends well and compliments one an other.

Would like to see Zdravkovski to see what kind of player he is and I think you are looking for more from some of the players, established and new.

 

 

[weeyin]

If nothing else we're starting to see the answer to the question "what style will SK want to play when he starts bringing in his own players?"

Definitely more passing from the back and definitely playing more through the midfield.

It worked in spells, and it others it lacked cohesion. The movement for the goal was excellent.

Queen's Park are probably as good as some of the teams we'll play in the league this season so a good early test.

 

[Stevie73]

39 minutes ago, Ya Bezzer! said:

The kind of disjointed performance you'd expect a week into the season. 

It's going to be 5 or 6 weeks until teams start really clicking and we are no different.

Started poorly, dominated the middle portion, then faded out of it again.

Although there was only 1 goal in the game both teams could easily have scored multiple goals and both teams missed what were frankly sitters.

People will criticise Obika but he gets in positions and has good movement.  Maybe his finishing is a problem but we were clearly a much better team while he was on.  I'm not going to write off Wilkinson after one match but based purely based on today he showed nothing, not even a hint of anything.  Hopefully he has better days.

In midfield I thought the starters all did OK but it was individual performances and they didn't really click together as a unit.  Spittal was by far our best player, Lennon Miller is a kid with promise but a lot to learn and Slattery is the enigma.  For me he's far better suited as an AM than a midfielder or a DM.  He gets forward well and is a decent finisher but his passing is sloppy and he's easily neutralised when the opposition is on the ball.  I'm not entirely sure he fits into the formation.

I'll give O'Donnell credit for stopping what looked like a certain goal but overall he was poor again and defensively we weren't entirely convincing, Queens Park could have scored 2 or 3 if they'd been sharper.

Overall we got the job done and that was the main thing.  Our fitness and sharpness will get better but there might be personnel issues in terms of putting out a balanced first XI that really blends well and compliments one an other.

Would like to see Zdravkovski to see what kind of player he is and I think you are looking for more from some of the players, established and new.

 

 

How did Queens Park look very comfortable the whole game, if they had a better final ball the game would have been so different today, they done everything we should have done in the first two thirds of the park, our only pass mark in Midfield was Slatt’s, the rest were slow and static, I get that Lennon is only 16, but we need to move and show more, their midfield cruised it today, hopefully another two in before season starts as the bench was pretty weak.