Football is back.

 

What are everyone's thoughts on this?  I haven't seen any pre-season games but from what I've read we are playing the same way we did in the latter part of last season.  This doesn't fill me with confidence, I have to say.  The emphasis on maintaining possession over playing in the right areas of the park doesn't help us pick up points.  We're less likely to score goals as Billy McKay gets isolated on his own up front as the midfield is pressed back and we are more likely to conceded goals by giving the ball away in our own half or in deep positions, putting our defence under pressure.

 

Not all our performances in the second half the season were poor though and I think the XI we put out are certainly capable of getting a result against Hamilton.  Having looked at the lineups in our pre-season games I'd expectus to go with something like this

 

--------------------------------Brill-------------------------------

 

---Raven------Meekings---------Warren-------Tremarco---

 

--------------Tansey--------------Shinnie-----------------------

 

-------Ross------------Vincent------------Doran---------------

 

-----------------------McKay--------------------------------------

 

You could swap Christie for Vincent and Watkins for Ross.  Richie Foran is obviously a huge loss for us, we had a poor record last season when he wasn't in the side and with Ross Draper out as well our solid '2' in the middle are missing.  Shinnie and Tansey, however, paired up well in the 2-1 derby victory last season.  Shinnie is dynamic, hard-working and can attack from deep whereas Tansey can use the ball and pick passes.  They complement each other well and Tansey was a good performer for us following his return. 

 

Doran is a key man.  Outside of McKay he's our main goal threat and has a great record in assists as well.  I know a lot of people will be looking for Christie but Doran is here and now and if he plays well we have a markedly better chance at winning.  Vincent might not get people excited the way Christie does but he is more solid and probably better positionally and defensively.  In away games I think he'll be preferred and he must be looking to improve on his relatively disappointing season last time out.  Watkins could come in for Nick Ross as well, giving us a bit more power in that role.  Watkins is also strong at set pieces, which could be important.

 

Who is all going?  I can't wait, enough of this world cup nonsense, give me the Spice of Life Stand any day.

This would be my team even if it ain't right !!

Esson

Raven. Meekings. Warren. Shinnie

Watkins Tansey. Vincent. Doran

Christie

McKay

Brill

 

Raven Warren Meekings Tremarco

 

Tansey Shinnie

 

Doran Christie Watkins

 

Mckay

 

Subs - Esson, Devine, Vincent, Ross, Williams, Polworth, Ferguson

Brill

 

Raven Warren Meekings Tremarco

 

G.Shinnie Tansey

 

Doran Vincent Watkins

 

Mckay

I like the team Renegade would put out but I have a feeling we are going to get a few surprises with the actual line up.

Brill

Raven Warren Meekings Shinnie

Doran Tansey Vincent Williams

Christie Mckay

Gutted not to cross Hamilton off my 'stadiums not visited yet' list, but Belladrum is worth missing it for. I'll do my best to keep tabs on the match using my phone.

Edited August 3, 201411 yr by RossP

Lesson number one - don't give Imrie space to shoot early on!!

Gutted not to cross Hamilton off my 'stadiums not visited yet' list, but Belladrum is worth missing it for. I'll do my best to keep tabs on the match using my phone.

I'm in the same boat. Apparently there will be wifi covering the festival so we should be able to keep track of the game!

 

Brill

 

Shinnie Warren Meekings Tremarco

 

Draper

 

Doran Tansey Watkins

 

Mckay Christie 

 

Subs - Esson, Devine, Raven, Vincent, Ross, Williams, Ferguson

I usually work overtime and take time off in lieu for games and have only missed 3 in 3 seasons but I am rostered to work Saturday and will not be asking for the time off. Like another poster on another thread, I will save my time and money.

Not sure it will make a great deal of difference what the starting line up is, with the current set up and tactics we are already disadvantaged. Hamilton will be viewing this as an opportunity to get dome ponts on the board. I think we will be lucky to come away with a draw.

You never want to read too much into friendlies but the way we've played in the games I have seen gives me real cause for concern. If this was last season I would be more confident of us somehow finding a winning goal to grab a win but I just don't see where that is coming from right now. Our build up play is so slow and negative it gives opposition players plenty of time to get in behind the ball and block our route to goal. We don' have players that can glide past opponents like Andrew Shinnie and we rely on quick breaks and balls into space for players to chase. We've stopped doing that and look significantly poorer for it.

 

I'd take a draw and be pretty happy with that at the minute. Is Draper injured / suspended by the way?

You never want to read too much into friendlies but the way we've played in the games I have seen gives me real cause for concern. If this was last season I would be more confident of us somehow finding a winning goal to grab a win but I just don't see where that is coming from right now. Our build up play is so slow and negative it gives opposition players plenty of time to get in behind the ball and block our route to goal. We don' have players that can glide past opponents like Andrew Shinnie and we rely on quick breaks and balls into space for players to chase. We've stopped doing that and look significantly poorer for it.

I'd take a draw and be pretty happy with that at the minute. Is Draper injured / suspended by the way?

Drapes had a stomach strain but was getting fitness tests at half time on Saturday

Argh.  Not Shinnie in midfield, for the love of god.

 

At left back, he is an excellent defender and is able to get into dangerous areas, where he can threaten with a dangerous final ball.  In midfield, his energy allows to him to burst forward quickly...into exactly the same tiny area in the middle of the pitch where all our forwards are running into.

 

Meanwhile, if Shinnie plays in midfield, we end up with Tremarco, a hatchet man who is too slow to track wingers, too poor in the air to defend against big wide players and whose crossing is right out of the Richard Hastings school.  In the last few months of last season, opponents set up so that we had to pass the ball to Tremarco, safe in the knowledge that he wasn't dangerous in the slightest.

 

Is a wee bit of width too much to ask for?!

Argh.  Not Shinnie in midfield, for the love of god.

 

At left back, he is an excellent defender and is able to get into dangerous areas, where he can threaten with a dangerous final ball.  In midfield, his energy allows to him to burst forward quickly...into exactly the same tiny area in the middle of the pitch where all our forwards are running into.

 

Meanwhile, if Shinnie plays in midfield, we end up with Tremarco, a hatchet man who is too slow to track wingers, too poor in the air to defend against big wide players and whose crossing is right out of the Richard Hastings school.  In the last few months of last season, opponents set up so that we had to pass the ball to Tremarco, safe in the knowledge that he wasn't dangerous in the slightest.

 

Is a wee bit of width too much to ask for?!

 

Very much agree with this. If are setting up with Doran playing of the left and potentially vincent and christie also with vincent on the right largely they all drift more central creating the space for the two fullbacks to get forward and deliver crosses. Shinnie is ideal to peform this exact role and David Raven is reasonably equipped to do so also on the right hand side.. Tremarco on the other hand is certainly not.

 

I'd very much like to see us start with the below:

 

Brill

 

Raven                                                     Warren                                                                                    Meekings                                   Shinnie

 

 

Draper                                             Tansey

 

 

                                Doran                                                                                       Christie                                                                         Watkins or Ross

 

 

                                                                                                                                  Mckay

 

I feel Doran is of more use to us down the right hand side to allow him to deliver crosses into the area sooner rather than slowing the pace cutting inside from the left all the time. Watkins and Ross would be ahead in the picking order for me over Vincent. I'd prefer to see Nick Ross play and would anticipate that he would have played more under Hughes due to his ball retention ability over a guy like vincent but strangely isn't the case. Suspect we will see vincent/christie/Doran but would rather the above.

I like Renegade's line-up, but after the World Cup, we could consider going 5 at the back with Shinnie and Raven as wing backs - something like:

 

Brill

Meekings Warren Tremarco

Raven             Tansey             Shinnie

Watkins Christie Doran/Williams

McKay

I'm assuming Draper still injured? If he's back, I'd go 4-2-3-1 with the same personnel as above, but with Shinnie back at left back instead of Tremarco and Draper in beside Tansey.

I'd go with Sean127's line-up but if we were to go three at the back, I'd prefer a sweeper with Tansey dictating the play from the back.  Although I wouldn't actually go for that system.  Raven isn't a wing-back.  More likely that would be Doran/Williams/Watkins.

I'd like to see Christie and Mackay up front, with Doran on the right and Watkins on the left.  All out attack with pace and width!  Lets hit them hard and fast, so they don't know whether they are coming or going.  I'm going for 3-0.

Warren to captain the side tomorrow

Billy Mckay to start the season with a hat-trick tomorrow.

Brill

 

Raven, Warren, Meekings, Shinnie

 

Tansey, Draper

 

Watkins, Christie, Doran

 

McKay

 

Subs: Esson, Devine, Tremarco, Horner (if he's signed) , Ross, Vincent, Polworth

 

I say stretch the Accies with our width and attack them early on. Would play Christie over Vincent simply cos I think Christie offers us that extra bit of quality in the final third and links up that bit better with Billy. 

We need to be careful with our passing due to the surface it might be a lot faster than we expected, i do know that we have been training on the Charleston and Millburn Astro just to make sure we are prepared.

First season opener I've missed for over 10 years but for some reason I feel really optimistic about this game. 3-1 to the Caley Jags.