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Vs The Celtics; #1 this March - League Cup Final
Topic Started: Feb 28 2015, 06:34 PM (4,890 Views)
Barca87
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Gordon Chisholm
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I thought Dow was superb today. He really stepped up to the occasion, worked hard and was at the centre of all the genuine bits of quality that we had today. HIs challenge must be to maintain that level.

Rankin, Paton and Butcher worked bloody hard all game. Bilate was utterly useless, I just could not understand starting him. And I'm not sure what Anier does either. He has a cracking beard though.

I can see why McNamara picked that team, with the aim I guess of keeping it to 1, with ten to go and then bring on Telfer and COnnolly, and I guess it nearly worked. I did think, even with out lack of attacking penetration and width that Celtic back four could be got at.

But not subbing Dillon off was crazy. Who on earth thinks that in a Cup Final it is a good idea to try and hold them off for any period of time???

What this game sums up is the challenge for McNamara - can he stop us becoming just the same as every other SPFL team, or can he figure out how best to use Telfer and Connolly with Dow?

Next Wednesday? Well, if this game showed one thing, it is that Dow and Ciftci could cause that Celtic back four some serious problems. But it's really hard to see anything other than another defeat, probably by 3 or more.
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zico
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Ivan Golac
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Naebody
Mar 15 2015, 06:14 PM
Thought Dillon was unlucky. Clumsy rather than malicious. Went in hard for the ball, misjudged it by half a second and caught a trailing insole. Yellow would've sufficed.

Their penalty looked light. Dow's would've been too, but it was a clear bump so there could've been no complaints.

Understand why JMc played the team he did, but it didn't really work. Having two back-fours on top of each other meant there was no out ball, which made it a bit like a defence-vs-attack training session for them. Part of that was because Bilate never looked comfortable with his back to goal and could've been hooked after 10 minutes.

Dow was good. Fojut did well, mostly, while Dixon and Morris did nothing much wrong. Likewise the midfield four; it's not their fault they can't run or pass. It's just a pity that the team was set up for a battle we expected to lose, because Celtic didn't look that clever whenever someone was running at them.

I know it's a futile point, but Armstrong and GMS would've really made a difference today.

THOMPSON SOLD OUR ATTACKING options and therefore scuppered any chance of a plan B

Was 2 million worth it mr T? I dare him to justify himself on here but the mans a moral less pratt.
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TheDean
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Well that was a defeat forged in the back room with an over conservative 442 poorly executed, without any real intervention by the hapless individual perched on the edge of the technical area throughout.

I'd like to disagree with those technical half wits that thought Dow had a great game. He was poor. I expected a far more energetic performance by pressing their back four more and harrying their central midfield ball carrier when defending. Instead, he plodded around up front isolated from the midfield and too far distant from Bilate throughout to link effectively as a front two. Bilate had some good touches but because Dow was distant he got frequently outnumbered.

The two lines of four.... Dear o dear. Bad enough that they got isolated from the front two, but Celtic must have looked at that line up and thought " yip, I'll have the freedom of Hampden". So it proved. Dillon and McGowan weren't comfortable and were regularly pinned back and Rankin struggled to protect a still unfit and far from match sharp Dixon. Had we played Connolly and Erskine out wide we would have given Bilate more options and it would have made up for the lack of effective support from Dow- who lost possession for celtics 2nd goal btw.

The CB pairing were ok and I'm pleased to see Cal Morris back. Rado did ok too but tbh when I saw him warming up and regularly spilling shots crying out for rebounds, I thought we'd probably get done by one in open play. commons opener was inevitable.

The midfield two were so so. butcher knackerred himself trying to do Dows job and Paton wasn't successful in getting in Kebabmans face at all.

But really, what on earth was going on with that chaotic bench when Dillon got his gash? ans: a total mess. Someone is for the high jump for that omnishambles that lost us a goal from being short-handed, and to what purpose? captain courageous gets himself red-carded from a stupid challenge, and makes it mission impossible just as the Celtic fans were starting to get nervy. A stupid way to chuck the chance of a contract extension.

Poor discipline, poor selection, poor tactics, poor organisation. Even if Madden was competent it wouldn't have made much difference. A lot of work needed before next season and Jackie needs to start it soon.
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Setenza
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Didn't really enjoy the game. Didn't think our try to keep it tight approach was really going to work. It's not a bad idea, but other teams play and learn a system for months, we seem to try it in a big game playing players out of position on top. A different formation, system and personnel every other game since christmas probably not helped either.

On top of that, our work rate in midfield and attack was a bit lower than last game, although celtic did play well, and move the ball around the whole pitch nicely. Thought we never interpreted their game plan, and outcome was inevitable.

When you think of the fouls that meant Ciftci was sitting in the stands, it's frustration not to see Izaguirre booked for the blatant foul on dow as was heading into the box. Little things like that can make the difference.

Didn't think Dow was anything better than average, although most of our few dangerous moments came through him, and he did cause them problems. What he's expected to do when the midfield is 40 years behind him and he's 3 Celtic players to beat is a bit of mystery.

At least I had a good seat.
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Tom_Boland
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Ivan Golac
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By the time McGowan got a Yellow card for his 1st foul, Biton had committted 5 fouls. WTF.

Thought Dillons foul was a bad tackle, but was it a Red. My biased opinion says no.

After we went down to 10, it seemed to just kill the game off.

Thought that the drunkard pushed Dowswer in the back., so penalty for me. BBC coverage at the time said it looked like a penalty.

Didnt think it was a great game of football. Seen a lot better. Celtic weren't much to speak about. We did well with 10 men to keep it in reach until the 80th minute killer.

No much point in saying more of what's already being said, except that Brown is a total joke of a player, and a disgrace to the Scottish National side, and that the dignitaries of thd Seltic Football Association looked happy with the result.
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Setenza
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Having seen the highlights, it's a definite red card - high, late, studs, aggressive - any two of these and it could be red, that one was all four.

Dow penalty was borderline for me. Definite push from Brown, and seen them given, but a tough one.
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vvhatsthatonyourback
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wild eyed
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I thought Jackie's plan was awful. Play an utterly defensive and immobile back 8 and hope something comes off by blootering it to Dow or Bilate. There was no way we would keep the ball for any length of time.

Bizarrely it was working until the two incidents where Dillon left the field. We were hard to break down, had a decent amount of possession and there seemed to be something there for Dow and Bilate whenever they could elude Van Dijk who is superb.

Thought Bilate did a decent job and am a bit confused by the venom he attracts.

He's a f*ckload better than Anier who was awful. Rankin also poor, and Dixon never got forward effectively. Despite the congested cloggers of midfield, far too much time and space in the middle between defence and midfield.

An imaginatively negative formation that almost worked, but for the Dillon incidents and denied penalty.


Oh, and James Forrest. What a dick.
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Cobardon
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Uncle Smurf
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vvhatsthatonyourback
Mar 15 2015, 11:58 PM
I thought Jackie's plan was awful. Play an utterly defensive and immobile back 8 and hope something comes off by blootering it to Dow or Bilate. There was no way we would keep the ball for any length of time.

Bizarrely it was working until the two incidents where Dillon left the field. We were hard to break down, had a decent amount of possession and there seemed to be something there for Dow and Bilate whenever they could elude Van Dijk who is superb.

Thought Bilate did a decent job and am a bit confused by the venom he attracts.

He's a f*ckload better than Anier who was awful. Rankin also poor, and Dixon never got forward effectively. Despite the congested cloggers of midfield, far too much time and space in the middle between defence and midfield.

An imaginatively negative formation that almost worked, but for the Dillon incidents and denied penalty.


Oh, and James Forrest. What a dick.
Yeah, Bilate was a bit harshly judged (including by me, to be fair). He wasn't that good and his first touch is terrible, but he did win a fair few in the air and had a few good link ups...far too isolated really though thanks to our defensive formation.

And, yes, he was tons better than Anier. Posted Image
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Conan the Destroyer
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Well, all we've left at the moment is hod-carriers. We've sold all the bricklayers.

We do have a couple of apprentices, but they'll need time. If it was up to me I'd start the close season now.
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Conan the Destroyer
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Is Anier better than Brian Graham? Is Anier better than anyone?
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Barca87
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Gordon Chisholm
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Conan the Destroyer
Mar 16 2015, 07:12 AM
Is Anier better than Brian Graham? Is Anier better than anyone?
His beard must have some sort of mystic power to ensure he gets on a park.

That team now looks like every other SPFL team. I understand the reasons behind selling your talent and all that, but it is bloody depressing to go in no time at all from dynamic and exciting to dour and a bit more dour.
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TheDean
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Setenza
Mar 15 2015, 11:34 PM
Having seen the highlights, it's a definite red card - high, late, studs, aggressive - any two of these and it could be red, that one was all four.

Dow penalty was borderline for me. Definite push from Brown, and seen them given, but a tough one.
You only need to look at Madden's decisions on the WH SF v. Sevco to know what would happen when a United player gets fouled in the box Ciftci/ Moshni? Anyone?
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Naebody
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Twat
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Perhaps I was uncharitable to Bilate, but that game was calling out for a player who could come deep, take a simple pass, shield it and hold posession. Do we have one of those in the squad aside from Ciftci? Personally, rather than let Mario toil with increasing futility against Virgil, I'd have favoured playing without a centre forward at all. Doubt it would've affected our shots-on-target total much.

Really, though, no individual could've been expected to play better or try harder.* The back four held together, as did the other back four, with Rankin and McGowan doing unconvincing but workmanlike impressions of wingers. Even their first goal came on a rebound from an outstanding, Banks-like Cz push onto the post. That's the problem with setting out a team in fear of the worst: it feels like we were a bit unlucky to lose a game we never for a moment looked like winning.

* I'll not pass judgement on Castaway Anier as I'd lost all hope by then, so wasn't really paying attention.
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Naebody
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TheDean
Mar 15 2015, 09:41 PM
Rado did ok too but tbh when I saw him warming up and regularly spilling shots crying out for rebounds, I thought we'd probably get done by one in open play. commons opener was inevitable.
You're right. He totally should've held it.

Posted Image
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Setenza
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Conan the Destroyer
Mar 16 2015, 07:11 AM
Well, all we've left at the moment is hod-carriers. We've sold all the bricklayers.

We do have a couple of apprentices, but they'll need time. If it was up to me I'd start the close season now.
Once we've gotten the replay out of the way, I see no reason not to start playing some of the younger players. It's all about next season from the moment we're out of the cups, and we've a few good young player's ready and willing.

We've seen how much weaker the team is without Ciftci, and there's a decent chance that'll be permenant from the summer. We've got to get his replacement up and running before then.

If we don't play them, then we're going to lose that reputation for a team who'll play young players and end up like every other team in the league.

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