Jump to content

Recommended Posts

A bit of a pre-season feel to todays game, some decent passing moves from both sides but very low tempo and not much action in the final third. Falkirk's back 4 were given an easy time of it by the static, lightweight Baird and Zschusschen. Perhaps too early to judge, but certainly felt the team moved up a couple of gears with the introduction of Oakley. If we take Falkirk as a benchmark of what it takes to finish 2nd in the Championship, I don't think we're far off. They have a settled team, whilst ours is still bedding in. Quietly confident from what I've seen so far.

   
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, snorbens_caleyman said:

Maybe if he selected Mulraney he'd be able to do that.   Or are today's team listings wrong?

He has selected Mulraney in the pre - season matches and the previous Betfred cup games. Not today due to injury (perhaps) but Robbo was speaking more generally about team desire and about players he thought could offer more. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wish the club would somehow run a competition allowing a fan to be in the dugout for 1 match. if you have a player with the pace and undoubted skill of Seedorf, then bloody heck use him! Every time we had the ball, certainly in the 2nd half, Robbo had him hugging the touchline looking for the pass or the ball over the top into space. A lot of the time, we chose to pass left for some reason. When Seedorf had the chance to run at the left back, time after time he got the ball into a dangerous area. 

 

Oakley seemed to have a bit more presence when he came on than zschusschen(close enough lol) did and for the life of me i dont understand why vigurs is arguing with robbo barely 10 minutes into the match???  Early days yet but I would guess that there could easily be some changes to our lineup come the dundee utd game in 2 weeks.

  • Agree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seedorf easily our best player again.

Defensively very good , going forward even better. Let's get Raven at fullback with Seedorf in a more advanced position and put the struggling Polworth out of his misery.

Cannot believe the rumours that we are looking to offload Raven , surely his wages are not that extortinate , we are not exactly renowned for splashing the cash.

 

 

  • Agree 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, Pele_Is_God said:

Vigurs was moaning througout the Stirling game. Petulant and over-rated

Don't say that!!! For the love of God watch what you say about vigurs or you run the risk of incurring the old caley girl wrath, and the red dots of her cleeky minions 

  • Agree 5
  • Disagree 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another vote for giving Raven and Seedorf a trial on the right.  Robbo's post match interview told us exactly where Raven is in his thoughts though.

Very scathing about Polworth and Mulraney.  Speaking out in public like that may have a positive impact on some players but got to be careful, could destroy someone. 

Finally can I make a last call for some of our supporters to join the 21st century - guy during game calling our new striker "Suzi f***ing Wong" and young boys running along in front of the stadium singing the Fields of Athenry were both pretty pitiful, frankly.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, forresjags said:

Seedorf easily our best player again.

Defensively very good , going forward even better. Let's get Raven at fullback with Seedorf in a more advanced position and put the struggling Polworth out of his misery.

Cannot believe the rumours that we are looking to offload Raven , surely his wages are not that extortinate , we are not exactly renowned for splashing the cash.

 

 

Robbo in his interview on the radio after the game mentioned large contracts were handed out by the last Chairman to players who are still here and when he has such a small squad he has to offload players to bring in more on a more realistic wage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I imagine Robbo will have learnt a lot from this.  It wasn't a great performance and it is disappointing to lose, but I think the game demonstrated that we are capable of competing with the best in the division and that if we can up our game in crucial areas we could do reasonably well.  

We are still a team where the guys are just getting to know each other.  Misunderstandings are therefore inevitable and there were certainly a few of those.  I felt Elsdon looked rather unsure of his positioning at times and was a bit hesitant as a result.  He showed promise in other respects though.  He should grow into the role as he gets to know his team mates.  The same goes for Calder who I thought was unlucky to be subbed while Chalmers stayed on.  Chalmers showed little in the 90 minutes to suggest he has much to offer the team.  It was my first sight of Zschusschen and let's just say that he is is going to have to play a lot better than that if he is going to feature again.  Ridgers also had a nightmare of a game in goal.  Hopefully he can avoid repeating those moments of madness and perhaps getting a few decent saves under his belt will result in him becoming a rather more reassuring figure between the sticks.  Of last season's crop of players, Polworth again had a very poor game, lacking in confidence.

On the plus side, we had another composed performance from Seedorf who looks to be the pick of the new crop.  Oakley has a good physical presence and showed a willingness to fight for the ball which seemed so totally lacking in Zschusschen,  A few defences will find him a real handful and I think Baird may play off him quite effectively.  The newest of the new lads, Cooper, also looked lively and showed good touch, awareness and attitude. Vigurs was again a class apart in midfield and it was good to see Draper coming onto his game a bit more as the game progressed.  Mackay, I thought, had a good game in central defence.

To be honest, I think the chances of us getting back into the premiership first time of asking are very slim.  Competing for the play off places would be a decent outcome for the season and it looks to me as though Robbo is building a side that should be able to do that.  

  • Agree 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really approve of the idea of trying out Seedorf  in a more advanced, forward role. Good defence is great to have but if you can't score then you can't  can't expect to win the game. This player seems to have skill and considerable confidence and having the ability to control the ball and supply the right pass from midfield at the right time to the player in the right position sounds....awesome ;  and  a recipe for growing success. 

Schusen is a young, developing player who sounds as if he has a lot to learn and may still be timid and lacking in confidence at this point. My question? Is he ready to be played in the first team when this season is so crucial to us? Sounds like he may also need encouragement; and praise when he does well.

When you listen to John Robertson it's re-assuring. He seems so calm and confident and seems to have already decided what he wants and understands what he sees. This leads to decisiveness in a forward-looking manager. :clapping: Once John gets them clicking then this could be a very good team indeed. My feelings about  this year is that we should really get going as quickly as we can. The more success we have early on, then the  more respect other teams will afford us and they will perhaps not be quite so keen to attack us and cut us down as quickly as they might otherwise do?

Add in the aspect of "urgency" and Bob's yer uncle and Willie's your Wisp.:laugh:

  • Agree 1
  • Disagree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, and Cable Guy, you were given 3 red dots early on for a post in which I could not find much wrong at all. Seems clear that it was just  a good, open and honest expression of your feelings. A red dot seems to  bring with it and reflect  dark negativety which usually doesn't achieve much. If people don't agree with you then let them tell us why and not try to crush you for offering an honest other viewpoint.:happy:

 

  • Agree 2
  • Disagree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Scarlet Pimple said:

I really approve of the idea of trying out Seedorf  in a more advanced, forward role. Good defence is great to have but if you can't score then you can't  can't expect to win the game. This player seems to have skill and considerable confidence and having the ability to control the ball and supply the right pass from midfield at the right time to the player in the right position sounds....awesome ;  and  a recipe for growing success. 

Schusen is a young, developing player who sounds as if he has a lot to learn and may still be timid and lacking in confidence at this point. My question? Is he ready to be played in the first team when this season is so crucial to us? Sounds like he may also need encouragement; and praise when he does well.

When you listen to John Robertson it's re-assuring. He seems so calm and confident and seems to have already decided what he wants and understands what he sees. This leads to decisiveness in a forward-looking manager. :clapping: Once John gets them clicking then this could be a very good team indeed. My feelings about  this year is that we should really get going as quickly as we can. The more success we have early on, then the  more respect other teams will afford us and they will perhaps not be quite so keen to attack us and cut us down as quickly as they might otherwise do?

Add in the aspect of "urgency" and Bob's yer uncle and Willie's your Wisp.:laugh:

Zschusschen is hardly young and developing, he's 25. If he's not close to the finished article by now it's unlikely he ever will be. Granted he appears to have come to first team football a little later so in terms of what you'd call a real football age he may be a couple of years behind, but not as if he's a kid. He will take time to gel to team mates and different style of football in UK though.

I'd agree with the rest. My only worry is that Foran too often lamented the hunger and desire. I hope there's not a deeper issue.

  • Agree 1
  • Disagree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Council Juice said:

My only worry is that Foran too often lamented the hunger and desire. I hope there's not a deeper issue.

I didn't hear John Robertson's interview, but I'm a bit uneasy with the idea that he's publicly criticising his players so early, even if there is some truth in what he says. With so many changes in the squad, it's surely imperative to try to foster a sense of unity and team spirit - a few seasons ago, we'd often hear players commenting on how close-knit the squad was, and how essential team bonding is in a relatively remote place like Inverness. Inevitably that closeness will have been lost to some extent with so many players moving on, and if it is to be rebuilt, then it probably has to come from the top. I don't think the process will be helped by the manager questioning players' professionalism when so many of them still barely know each other, or each others' games.

Re. yesterday's performance, I echo what most people have said about Seedorf being our best player both defensively and in an attacking sense. Baird worked hard enough without really threatening, offside goal apart. Oakley did look more effective than Zschusschen when he came on, but in the past our strikers have often been slow to come on to a game, and Zschusschen needs to be given the opportunity to develop an understanding with his team-mates. Elsdon looked naive positionally for Falkirk's opener, but given how inexperienced he is, this is hopefully something that will develop with time. Overall, there was certainly a lack of fluency about the team compared to those of a few seasons ago, but it's still far, far too early to make any meaningful predictions about how we might do this season based on these games - many of the players barely know each other, and even the manager won't really know the players' strengths and weaknesses in a match context until he's seen them play several more times and tried out several more line-ups. It'll be September at least, and probably later, before any of us can really feel familiar with the players' games and know what our most effective formation and starting line up are.             

  • Agree 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, alternative maryhill said:

I didn't hear John Robertson's interview, but I'm a bit uneasy with the idea that he's publicly criticising his players so early, even if there is some truth in what he says. With so many changes in the squad, it's surely imperative to try to foster a sense of unity and team spirit - a few seasons ago, we'd often hear players commenting on how close-knit the squad was, and how essential team bonding is in a relatively remote place like Inverness. Inevitably that closeness will have been lost to some extent with so many players moving on, and if it is to be rebuilt, then it probably has to come from the top. I don't think the process will be helped by the manager questioning players' professionalism when so many of them still barely know each other, or each others' games.

Re. yesterday's performance, I echo what most people have said about Seedorf being our best player both defensively and in an attacking sense. Baird worked hard enough without really threatening, offside goal apart. Oakley did look more effective than Zschusschen when he came on, but in the past our strikers have often been slow to come on to a game, and Zschusschen needs to be given the opportunity to develop an understanding with his team-mates. Elsdon looked naive positionally for Falkirk's opener, but given how inexperienced he is, this is hopefully something that will develop with time. Overall, there was certainly a lack of fluency about the team compared to those of a few seasons ago, but it's still far, far too early to make any meaningful predictions about how we might do this season based on these games - many of the players barely know each other, and even the manager won't really know the players' strengths and weaknesses in a match context until he's seen them play several more times and tried out several more line-ups. It'll be September at least, and probably later, before any of us can really feel familiar with the players' games and know what our most effective formation and starting line up are.             

I agree entirely. This team will take time to gel and find it's feet. We can't expect or demand too much in the first weeks and months and patience from both manager and fans is a must.

If we can somehow stay in touch with the top four or five by New Year then perhaps then we can look at adding a player or two in the January window with a view to pushing on for a play off spot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Foran's main excuse was certain players influencing others in a negative manner. It would appear that these "excuses" may still be around. Robbo is rightly flexing his muscles and the clear message is "Cut it out, play for the shirt or ship out". Nothing wrong with that in my book. It is no wonder that there is no fluency or apparent cohesiveness. That will take time. This is a different league, a different approach, a new management and practically a reformed squad. From my perspective we need to stay in the hunt in the early part of the season. I fear that Kenny and Foran left a bit of a mess.

  • Agree 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

Foran's main excuse was certain players influencing others in a negative manner. It would appear that these "excuses" may still be around. Robbo is rightly flexing his muscles and the clear message is "Cut it out, play for the shirt or ship out". Nothing wrong with that in my book. It is no wonder that there is no fluency or apparent cohesiveness. That will take time. This is a different league, a different approach, a new management and practically a reformed squad. From my perspective we need to stay in the hunt in the early part of the season. I fear that Kenny and Foran left a bit of a mess.

You are right there IHE in particular the last sentence 

  • Agree 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's face it, the footballing shambles of last season under Foran will take some time to sort out. (Without raking up 'old coals' unduly, Kenny Cameron and his board share much of the blame for this, not in originally appointing Foran, but in their lack of decisiveness in getting rid of him by Xmas).  At least in Robertson I have some optimism that he will be able to mould his, largely new, squad into a unit which at least might hold its own in the Championship.  I'm not expecting miracles, mid table at best.  Anything higher than that, with maybe a wee cup run, will be a bonus.

  • Agree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking at the goals on a YouTube they are both pretty poor. First goal, Vigurs doesn't track back to cover McKee and, as said above, Elsdon should have dealt with what was a relatively poor cross. 

The second goal is obviously a mistake by Ridgers, a terrible clearance. However, we don't seem to be able to respond to a press from opponents and end up putting our keepers and defenders under pressure.  We were vulnerable to it last season and there were glimpses of it again against Stirling and again there. Robertson and the coaches need to deal with that.

  • Agree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the positive side, the signs are that Robbo has already achieved something that eluded both Foran and Hughes before him.

In the form of Collin Seedorf, he has brought in a player new to the club with great skill and potential who is likely to influence play in a positive way.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I rarely comment on here for fear of my opinion getting shot down in flames by some! Yesterdays game was poor from us but i have every confidence in JR to sort it we have to remember the mess left behind by Foran and the fool who let him make the mess so there will be players low on confidence but my we have a Gem in Seedorf who stood out yesterday and i thought Vigurs stepped up to the mark yesterday never thought id be writing that! Teams like Falkirk & DU will be the "big games" this season so lets take yesterday as a trial and move on and learn from it.

  • Agree 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • tm4tj unpinned this topic

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. : Terms of Use : Guidelines : Privacy Policy