Before i/we proceed is Raven available fer this one - this could be the most important selection of the season - and a few option as well !!

Reguero

Meekings

Devine

Hogg/Taylor

G.Shinnie

OTJ

Foran

Doran

Draper

Ross

McKay

I would think Raven is out.

 

Reguero

 

Meekings, Hogg, Devine, G. Shinnie

 

Doran, OTJ, A. Shinnie, Ross

 

Foran, MacKay

 

Bench: Mathieson, Taylor, Sutherland, Pepper, Polworth, Gibbons

                                             Reguero

               

                 Meekings         Devine     Taylor    G Shinnie          

                                 

 

                                 OTJ                     Draper

 

           Doran                        A.Shinnie                Foran

 

                                             Mackay 

I would agree with the Dictator - Hogg ain't ready yet and I am afraid that we do not have a capable fill in at right back but I am worried about the young lads with the likes of Higdon around. If we had got 3 points yesterday then we may have seen Ross instead of Shinnie. It is these type of games that we do not expect to get anything out of that end up pleasing. At the moment I would take a crap 0-0

Reguero

 

Meekings Foran Devine G. Shinnie

 

Draper OTJ

 

Ross A. Shinnie Doran

 

McKay

Reguero

 

Draper Devine Meekings G.Shinnie

 

Jones 

Doran-----------------------Taylor

Ross

 

McKay Foran

 

Subs - Mathieson, Hogg, Pepper, A.Shinnie, Sutherland, Polworth, Cooper

 

I don't fancy Draper on the wing like Butcher does, but I wouldn't mind seeing him tried out at full-back replacing Raven, he's certainly big, strong and fairly mobile.  I also think that Doran is a far better player on the right hand side, as well as going with a slightly different formational set-up, as the 4-2-3-1 has become stale and predictable, often leaving McKay with little to no help.  Devine and Meekings as they are to combat Higdon, with Jones sat in front to help out and Taylor just ahead of Shinnie on the left to deal with Humphrey.

Edited April 28, 201313 yr by Renegade

Good call about Draper but does he have the requisite pace - that would cue a Humphrey attack.

Not many options to try at this stage of things really. Was going to write some opinions on Motherwell but scared myself so I'll not bother. They looked powerful and direct today and we've been pretty much hanging on recently. Will need a huge effort from everyone. May need a large dram before the game (me that is)....

I like renegade's choice but would use A Shinnie instead of Ross and swap Taylor and Foran so that Foran can help more at the back and give us a free running attack.

 

Formation 4-2-2-2

 

A mammoth game ahead where tactics will decide the outcome, could even be ' the day of the substitutes ' Terry will have something up  his sleeve. The way Well is playing it is going to be an interesting game and probably very very tense. Suggest you stock up on toilet rolls.

The way Motherwell are playing I'd take a point from this one therefore a 5-4-1 formation could be the answer

Let them come at us and hit them on the break, that way we can make sure we limit the chances big Higdon will no doubt get from Ojamma and Humphreys

Dougal

Good call about Draper but does he have the requisite pace - that would cue a Humphrey attack.

 

Humphrey plays down the other flank. People are too fixated on Motherwells pace in the wide areas. They have plenty of speed through the middle of the pitch as well.

Hogg needs more wee games before he will be ready for the SPL and  certainly games like ICT have to face in the next few weeks.

 

I've always said that attack is the best form of defense. I team under siege has to draw back. Motherwell will be very dangerous if you hang back and let them come at you.

 

The Vancouver  Whitecaps have been criticized heavily by Scarlet in recent weeks for their "pass back" and "pass sideways"  approach by the defenders. Consequently they have lost games because forward is the way to the goal, not back.

 

They were more direct yesterday and showed more urgency and drive and persistence yesterday when Dallas came to town and so managed a draw against the best team in the North American soccer League. ..and that despite going 0-2 down.

 

I think that Terry will have the boys up for this one but they must play with flair and confidence to have a real chance of success. It should be a good game however and I hope you get a great crowd.

Its Faddy who is now making Well tick, they seem to have become a more resiliant unit in the last few months with him on board which has conincided with the scoring run for Higdon. We need to stop the creative threat and being a home game have to take something. I'd suggest Foran to go man-on-man with Faddy. Shinniesta to start and in a bold move I'd drop Billy, hasnt scored for a bit and with it being a scrappy game it will be long balls forwards - so get Shane in there to use his body and hold up the ball for Doran & Shinniesta.

Id throw Hogg in at least for a bit of the game.

 

Reguero

 

Meekings, Hogg, Devine, G Shinnie

 

Draper, Tudur-Jones, Foran

 

Doran, A Shinnie

 

McKay

 

Subs: Matheson, Cooper, Taylor, Pepper, Ross, Gibbons, Sutherland

 

I would drop Foran back into that deeper role, we do need to win but we also need to bear in mind this is the best team in the league next to Celtic and i think we need to combat their play more than we have in previous encounters. 

Sadly I can't see any weaknesses in the Motherwell side right now. Hate to mention they got hammered up the road in Feb, maybe we need to sneak in with a tractor and make the pitch a right midden... 

Edited April 29, 201313 yr by Bluesman

Reguero

 

Meekings Devine Hogg G.Shinnie

 

Foran

 

Draper Jones

 

Doran--------------------A.Shinnie

 

McKay

Is Hogg not now available due to his sending off fer the under 20's ? And I never noticed that there was any law that prevented Humphrey from changing wings !!

oldcaleygirl I still remember your post so I think now is the time to send on the Redeemer don't you?

Who are you feckin calling Old CaleyD Girl !!

Better go to specsavers   

It would be a bad idea to go with Devine and Taylor as the centre-back pairing IMO.  While Devine has done well since signing, he's still pretty inexperienced, while Taylor is inexperienced and would also be being played out of position.  If it were a smaller quicker striker up top for Motherwell, then that pairing would be okay, but Higdon is a totally different kettle of fish.  We need to go with Meekings and Devine at centre-back for this game.

 

Of course that leaves us with questions as to who to replace Raven with;  Jones is known to play as a right-back for Wales, but for my money, he's too slow and cumbersome to play there.  As I said in the thread, I think Draper could be a very good full-back, but McFadden will pose as a massive threat.  Maybe for that reason then Draper and Jones should go into the middle to deal with him, with Taylor or Shinnie at right-back.  Playing a back paring of Devine and Taylor though, would be a big mistake IMO.

It would be a bad idea to go with Devine and Taylor as the centre-back pairing IMO.  While Devine has done well since signing, he's still pretty inexperienced, while Taylor is inexperienced and would also be being played out of position.  If it were a smaller quicker striker up top for Motherwell, then that pairing would be okay, but Higdon is a totally different kettle of fish.  We need to go with Meekings and Devine at centre-back for this game.

 

Of course that leaves us with questions as to who to replace Raven with;  Jones is known to play as a right-back for Wales, but for my money, he's too slow and cumbersome to play there.  As I said in the thread, I think Draper could be a very good full-back, but McFadden will pose as a massive threat.  Maybe for that reason then Draper and Jones should go into the middle to deal with him, with Taylor or Shinnie at right-back.  Playing a back paring of Devine and Taylor though, would be a big mistake IMO.

Ask any Welshman and he'll tell you OTJ was gash in that position for Wales.

Indeed.  Hence why I said he's too slow and cumbersome to play there.

SFA suspension list, out today, has Chris Hogg suspended for one U-20 game so he is available on saturday.

In that case, I would play Hogg. I appreciate it is a risk but he is a very experienced campaigner who has now played several full games at under 20 level and has, I am told, been looking increasingly back on form.