Gregor

Absolutely spot on , Robbo got it spot on imo ,a draw was a very good result and original poster needs to have a word with himself if he wasn’t happy with yesterday’s outcome.

Ridgers was excellent today but it was a very good team performance by all the lads.

Great support from all the fans who travelled down today too

18 hours ago, Kingsmills said:

Why let it get to that stage without taking action first ?

If we win today we will have averaged two points per game which is champions form.

We are unbeaten in three ,so its not all bad , need a win today tho

2 hours ago, ictchris said:

We've played three games in the league so far - beating Falkirk 1-0 and drawing 0-0 with Ayr Utd and 2-2 with Alloa.  Beating Falkirk maybe isn't the good result it seemed at the time as they look to be a bit of a shambles.  Similarly, maybe drawing with Ayr Utd is a better result that it seems, with their recent wins over Dunfermline and Dundee.

In the three league games so far we've had 40 shots on goal, with 12 of those shots being on target, 30% of the total.  Historically a Shots on Target percentage of 30% is associated with being relegated but it's early days.  One of the observations that Charles Reep made when he was initially analysing football statistics was that the more shots you have, the more goals you score.  You can boil that down to the more shots on target you have the more goals you score - not all shots are equal of course, and a shot that's on target is a better guideline to how dangerous your strikers are than a ballooned 40 yarder that nearly hits the corner flag.  Generally,though  if you have more shots on target, you score more goals, you win more games.

So far in this seasons Scottish Championship, here's the shots on target per game for each team, in the current table order.

Ayr Utd	3.33 shots on target per game	6=
Morton	3.67	5
Dundee Utd	4.67	3
Ross County	5.3	2
ICT	4	4
Queen of the South	6	1
Partick thistle	3.33	6=
Dunfermline	3.33	6=
Alloa	2	9
Falkirk	1.67	10

 

It's worth pointing out that it's very early days and that there are statisitical outliers - most obviously the game on Saturday when Queen of the South had 27 shots on goal against Falkirk, more in one game than most sides in the division have had all season.

You also have to consider how good your strikers are - how many shots on target does it take for you to score a goal?  So here is the shots on target per GOAL for each team, again in order of the current league table.

Ayr Utd	1.67 shots on target per goal	1
Morton	1.83	2
Dundee Utd	2	3=
Ross County	2.67	5
ICT	4	9
Queen of the South	3	6=
Partick thistle	3.33	8
Dunfermline	2	3=
Alloa	3	6=
Falkirk	5	10

 

This table shows that when it comes to efficiency, we are very poor.  Only the abject Falkirk take more shots on target to score a goal.  If we were as effecient in terms of converting chances as Ayr Utd have been this season we'd have scored seven goals, and would most likely have won all three of our games.  Do we have the strikers to make a promotion challange?  Do we have the players capable of creating chances for them, are they making the best of a bad situation? 

 

love the stats mate

where do you find all these ?

would love to have a look at them.

16 minutes ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

Spot on RIG. We may well have NOT got as many points if Robbo had gone down the "chop and change" route - as we have tried in previous seasons. You pick your starting first eleven in your head - you have to stick with them for the first 3-4 games (a bit like Fantasy Football) - you then give some playing time to the potentials on the bench - that should put pressure on everybody - those playing to play well enuff to keep their places and those coming on to impress. Then after a few games - which is probably NOW - you start looking at 1-2 maximum changes per game.

Agree with most of above however next week I would make 3 to the team that started yesterday 

Drop Rooney,Polworth and Austin

Starting positions for McCart ,Calder and White

McCart into centre back and move Brad to right back 

Calder wide on left and Walsh wide on right with White and Oakley up top

This gives the team more balance and I’m sure we will get a result at Dunfermline

It’s not really as bad a start as some of us are saying, just a bit frustrating knowing it could have been better . However we are one of only 3 teams unbeaten in the league so far which is an improvement on last seasons start.

13 hours ago, Alan Simpson said:

We brutal again today so slow in the build up dozens of sideways passes shocking stuff Polly and Chalmers were crap again Polly actually looks depressed on the field Rooney is an absolute clown Calder should start at right back! Embarrassing that our strikers left it to big Coll to take a penalty! Fcuk nos how Robbos gonna turn this around he swapped our best wide player for a Beith does he even exist surely not another Mcnaughton!

As I said on another thread White wanted the ball but Donaldson wouldn’t give it to him so it was an arrrogant decision for big Coll to take the penalty when a striker wanted to take it. 

3 hours ago, Bronson said:

I am at a loss to understand why we had a centre half taking our penalty today. 

Surely any striker would be desperate to take them and could possibly add around ten goals to his goal tally for the season?? 

Because he didnt give the ball to White who wanted to take it and him missing it cost us the game.

2 hours ago, Kingsmills said:

Don't blame Donaldson at least, unlike any of the forwards on the pitch at the time, he had the courage to take the responsibly.

Thats just not true mate

White went to get the ball and Donaldson would not give it to him,thought at the time it was a liberty that he didnt give the striker  the ball and then proceeded to miss the pen.

Need to get it sorted soon who the  pen takers are.

Agree with you regarding width with Calder and Walsh but you are being a tad harsh on the strikers to say the least.

There was no sitters missed, some oppotunities obviously but the finish for goal was an excellent one from White,have a look at it again on video, from a decent cross but by no means an easy chance.

We should be getting balls into box on a regular basis and goals will  come but if we dont lose a goal we dont lose and we cant afford to gift goals like we did on Tuesday.

I have listened to the interview again and the manager was not happy at all with the attitude of team.

I think the three he mentioned of the seven Welsh,White and McCart will certainly feature soon, young Daniel got his start but I think its correct to keep him as an impact player for time being and not put too much presure on him.

Reading berween the lines of interview dont think manager was happy with any of the team in the first half at all including the 4 who are regulars.

Looks like Welsh , White and possibly McCart are the only ones to have put forward a case for getting a place in starting 11.

Lots of people criticising manager for the team selection but that starting eleven in reality should have had enough to beat a young Dunfermline team , just a shame it didnt work out on the night.

Agree with DWH we were by far the better team on the day,however as like so many games we need to try and get two ahead as a one goal lead is always precarious.

Trafford was very good and so was Donaldson with Walsh having a good first half too, keeper was decent too.

Oakley really looked well up for the game unlike Austin on Saturday, I think Him and White would be a massive handful for defenders from the start, leaving Austin and young Daniel ,who would be better inpact players imo, to come off the bench after our two physical players have roughed up the defenders.

Cant ask for anymore from first game of season away from Home.

On 7/30/2018 at 6:28 PM, CaleyD said:

Being apathetic towards poor results is the thin end of a very fat, barbed, poisoned wedge.

Game against Falkirk is far more important than the Hearts imo.

We need a good start and 3 points would be a massive result, with two home games on the bounce giving us a chance to get a great srart to the league campaign.

Be interesting to see Robbos team lineup for first game of the season.

wow not the result we all wanted but Hearts were very good today.

on reflection need to look at defence but they had quality balls in for the goals in all fairness, White up top was certainly a positive won his fair share of balls and has a decent touch,him and Austin will link up well durinv the season.

Championship is what is important

Minimum sanction should be loss of the three points

In thinking more about it it would seem the logical outcome would be to deduct the points from Hearts but not award Cove 3 points as its a league game effectively.

2 hours ago, MorayJaggie said:

Allow were thrown out of the competition were they not for similar reason?

Albion Rovers it was last season 

Read more at: https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/teams/albion-rovers/albion-rovers-booted-out-of-irn-bru-cup-for-fielding-ineligible-player-1-4541179

So don’t know how SPFL can treat Hearts any different than what effectively is the same offence.

Great start to season imo, Hearts just beat Cove by one goal,Cowden beat Raith , so all we can look for is a bit of consistency.We have six points in the bag and plus five goals average. Win against Raith have 9 points and a min of plus 6 goals average ,even if Hearts beat us and if we unluckily go out it will still have been a very good start to season. Certainly nothing to get too hot and bothered about.

The league is the most important competition for us this season anything else is a bonus and could possibly be a distraction.

As I said on other thread 

31 goals scored in the friendlies by 14 different players, they all have had decent minutes on the park so hopefully future is bright.

17 hours ago, bdu98196 said:

Get a striker that scores 20+ or two that will do 15 or so each and that should get you the play-offs. Scottish football is pretty simple - find that elusive goal scorer and you can easily elevate your team even up to a false position - we did it before with Mckay, Motherwell = Moult, Kille = Boyd & Naismith, DUtd = Ciftci etc the list can go on

good point re the 20 goals striker or having two that could get get 15 or so ,last year St Mirren had 3 players in top six scorers as had Cameron Smith on 10, I think we are in a great position this season that we  could possibly have 3 players in top six,and we all know what St Mireen did.

You never know in football,Park may just be tempted as football is in the blood.

10 hours ago, AlexJones said:

If you had to pick a football cliché to describe our latest recruits it'd probably be 'workmanlike'. Pretty sensible strategy IMO, given what we saw last season. The Championship isn't a league for sand dancers (i.e. the type of players John Hughes and Richie Foran were fond of signing).

Spot on and certainly experience there with Rooney over 100 appearances and White with over 300 appearances and nearly 100 goals.

1 hour ago, ictchris said:

I think fans often make assertions about players not trying or not being committed when their form dips but there are other reasons why players might not play well.  I doubt many professional footballers, especially playing on a short term contract, ever stop trying.

Have to agree with all of the above, especially there can be so much going on a players mind or personal life.

Imo they all try but are only human and life affects them the same as us, wish the young man all the luck in future.

https://youtu.be/oeEUIdhhnWU

Decent video of goals by Jordan White

Maybe someone else can post this as I'm not too good with attachment and links lol buts it's a different video than already posted .