Cappielow Smileymometer

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

It must have been an omen from the gods that the black clouds lifted and the sun shone through on Cappielow and turned the evening into one of Spring sunshine. And a bit of a retro party in the Norseman with a fine collection of old faces.

As very the game it was pretty - pretty dire but pretty effective. In all honesty Morton passed the ball about and made some pretty patterns but they never really looked like scoring - although we made heavy weather of it. Personally I would have gone fer the jugular after Forans goal as Hayes was running rings round his marker and we looked buoyant. Still ya cant complain at three points, two goals and a clean sheet away from home.

ESSON :( :022: :022: One excellent finger tip save early doors and two more decent saves in the early exchanges - but he was never really troubled after that and he looks high on confidence. It must do the defence a lot of good knowing he is behind them in such form.

PROCTOR :D B) B) Secure enuff defensively but did little to impress going forward.

GRANTY B) B) B) Solid enuff and won most in the air but relied on the hoof on most occasions - but he did a job.

ROSSCOE B) B) B) Almost ditto to Granty but actually looked less rushed and more composed.

GOLLY B) B) B) B) Came on to a good game although it must have been very close to a red card which at that early stage would have changed things completely.

HAYES B) B) B) Obviously a crowd favourite but blows too hot and cold fer my liking. He tore the full back apart in the first half hour, was unlucky with a great strike that hit the bar, constantly looking to hit the bye line but then got pulled back more into a defensive position and he seemed to really tire at the end. Is it me or does he always fade ?

DUNCAN B) B) B) Another solid performer who didnt really do anything to light up the game but held midfield.

COX B) B) B) B) B) Despite the two goal scorers I will give him MOM. He was everywhere tonite and outshone, outran and outpassed Duncan.

FORAN B) B) B) B) Stuck wide left initially but drifted inside as the match progressed. Powerful back post header for first goal which I thought he was going to nod back across the goals but it fairly flew in. He like Hayes takes "breathers" but he was very strong late on.

ODHIAMBO :( :( Sorry, on such an eventful nite - but he was SHOCKING.

ROONEY B) B) B) B) B) To me the most improved player in the team and in the league. He has evidently added goals but his hold up play was sooperb tonite and he is muscling out defenders at the same time. Ploughed a lone furrow with no support from Eric but led the line very well and deserved his goal - which was beautifully struck and placed

BUTCHER B) B) B) B) : Firstly he had evidently done his homework as his tactics stifled Morton throughout. I was a bit disappointed that he didnt go for a quick second and almost immediately deployed two rows of four. It was certainly effective and the defence actually held a high line. Morton were allowed to play pretty stuff in their own half but it was almost zonal at times. I reckon he must have told Tokely and Granty to hoof throughout with Proctor and Golly joining in.

There was a lot of reliance placed on Rooney to forage and hold the ball up, looking wide for Hayes - which worked well early on but Johnny was picking up the ball on the half way line in the second - plus the compusure of Foran. Bully fer Eric summed up the tactics - 4-5-1 - but we clearly deserved the points but with few bonuses for artistic impression.

Reckon that he has to go for 10 of the 11 at Dumbfries but Eric has simply got to be benched. But will he play Sanchez or more defensive with the 10 plus Bully

SUPPORT B) B) B) B) Spoiled by the stewards but 150 of us gave it a rite good belting.

[Scarlet Pimple]

Youir summing up has been missed recently .

:(

Should become a regular thing.

[highlandexile]

Have missed your smileys. Good summing up and great to see you again.

Less of the "old" faces though, we are just all slightly more mature!!!!!!!! But like the idea of a retro party.

[Hearach]

good summing up. Eric was shocking - totally ineffective. He must look good in training cos he never really impresses in a match. great result - especially with the draw at Dingwall.

[gordyfromsneck]

good summing up. Eric was shocking - totally ineffective. He must look good in training cos he never really impresses in a match. great result - especially with the draw at Dingwall.

I think Eric expects too much time on the ball mostly, but his goals of late have been crackers. He must come under the category "luxury player", but definitely worth having.

Yes, IHE you are right, Hayes does fade in and out. By the end of the second half, when he is playing at home right in front of our seats, I am surprised that he has any energy to have a run. He usually tries to do something, but his mark of fatigue is that he runs out of ideas, steam or both. Rather than completing a run, he will bury the ball in the corner or try for a rebound throw in. But he does have a high work rate.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Eric to me is the type of squad player that you take on for the last 20-30 minutes - now if that had been the case last nite then he could have ran a fading defence ragged and his speed in reaction to the "hoof" would have been far more productive.

I can see the logic behind Butcher starting him as the Morton central defenders were more static than Granty and Rosscoel and i suppose the ploy was meant to be that eric played off Rooney. Unfortunately Eric mainly got bullied out of things - and even worse pulled out of a few tackles - the big morton boys must have been smirking as Eric looked like Brer feckin rabbit being chased out of the carrot patch.

Having said that I could see him coming on to a heavy Palmerston pitch late on and causing some problems or distractions with his undoubted pace. If TB starts him I am afraid it would be worse than his blind loyalty to jimmy Zadi last season.

[Stevie]

I don't disagree with what you guys are saying re Eric, but as I mentioned on the matchday thread, Morton decided to put Neil MacFarlane on Odhiambo, and generally when MacFarlane man marks someone he tends to be succesful ( remember he's a former Hearts veteran with bags of European experience)

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I don't disagree with what you guys are saying re Eric, but as I mentioned on the matchday thread, Morton decided to put Neil MacFarlane on Odhiambo, and generally when MacFarlane man marks someone he tends to be succesful ( remember he's a former Hearts veteran with bags of European experience)

Must have missed that !! :023: Why the feck would they man to man mark Eric - MacFarlane was simply in the holding midfield role and Eric just so happened to be in his area most of the time. I wish that it had happened as it would have made more space for us. Eric practically marked him feckin self.

[Stevie]

I don't disagree with what you guys are saying re Eric, but as I mentioned on the matchday thread, Morton decided to put Neil MacFarlane on Odhiambo, and generally when MacFarlane man marks someone he tends to be succesful ( remember he's a former Hearts veteran with bags of European experience)

Must have missed that !! Why the feck would they man to man mark Eric - MacFarlane was simply in the holding midfield role and Eric just so happened to be in his area most of the time. I wish that it had happened as it would have made more space for us. Eric practically marked him feckin self.

Well it's most definately the way I saw it IHE.

Why wouldn't they mark Odhiambo ? He's playing too deep to be picked up by a centre-back but he needs to be attended to, as he's one of 4 of our attacking players.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Like I said - Eric was static and simply wandered around a 20 yard square area - too far behind Rooney to be effective. As you said Baldy Mac is experienced and, as the holding midfielder, that was his territory. How many times did you see Eric drfiting to either wing or busting a gut to get beside Rooney - or what he should have been doing - busting a gut to run on to any Rooney flicks. Rooney basically was all on his own and the large majority of the time had no outlet, was forced to hold it up and the majority of the time his outlets were Foran and Hayes wide or Golly going well back.

If you are man to man marked you drift all the time, taking the marker with you to crete space for team mates, the bottom line was that Eric was shocking.

Anyone else at the game care to comment ?

[caley100]

Eric seems to pick and choose the games he performs in, the County game in Dingwall was a classic example where he was so far off the pace it was scary.

Other games he gets himself into space, creates and even scores goals, dont know what to make of him, just wish he would 'toughen' up.

[Harry Chibber]

Like I said - Eric was static and simply wandered around a 20 yard square area - too far behind Rooney to be effective. As you said Baldy Mac is experienced and, as the holding midfielder, that was his territory. How many times did you see Eric drfiting to either wing or busting a gut to get beside Rooney - or what he should have been doing - busting a gut to run on to any Rooney flicks. Rooney basically was all on his own and the large majority of the time had no outlet, was forced to hold it up and the majority of the time his outlets were Foran and Hayes wide or Golly going well back.

If you are man to man marked you drift all the time, taking the marker with you to crete space for team mates, the bottom line was that Eric was shocking.

Anyone else at the game care to comment ?

Wasn't at the game but it was similar scenario against Partick he never really got clear of his marker and seemed to be on his heels for a lot of the game. He definitely looks a bit lost at times but I think he's more used to leading the line rather than sitting in behind someone. The main reason I prefer him is he offers more of a goal threat... he could do nothing for 85 mins but he is still more likely to pop up with a goal than Sanchez.

[Naelifts]

Ok. I will join in. It is not nice to single out a player like this but it has to be said. What Butcher sees in Eiric is completely beyond me and I am dismayed when I see him once agaiin on the starting grid. It makes me question the management team to be honest. Then I look at the 17 game run which has seen us overturn a seemingly insurmountable Dundee lead and I then question myself. Who knows more about the game ........Naelifts ( and, to be fair, every other supporter that I have ever spoken to on the subject)...........or Terry and Mo?

To my eyes Eric shirks a tackle, despite his athleticism always seems to be off the pace, Is incapable of forming a partnership as his gazelle like runs take him into places where other teams don't have places, has a first touch like another African mammal and appears to contribute very little to the set-up. I, more than once, have seen the look of utter dismay from Richie as an excellent flick on is wasted. I wonder what his team mates think.

In short, I agree with the sage from Chorley............bring Eric on late if at all.

Then I also remember how it took me a very long time to appreciate Adam Rooney. Now I think he is immense every time I watch him. A real example to youngsters of how you can improve and move on to another level by hard work and perseverance.

Lets leave it up to Terry..........despite my continuing doubts........he and the players are doing us proud.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

In my defence my ratings and comments pertained only to the Morton game - I would agree that he could develop and he has the pace to worry the opposition - still think that he is the ideal type of player to take on in the last 20 minutes - especially if you are either chasing the game OR on a heavy pitch when the opposition is tiring. I would also say that I could see how he would be a better player at home rather than away.

Reckon the line up at Palmerston will tell us what TB's thoughts are. But who are the Queens going to allocate as his man to man marker. :023:

[12th Man]

B) B) :D Fans - excellent. I raise my hat to the noisy mental nut jobs that are called ICT fans, for the noise, the wit and the enthusiasm.

I'm sure Billy Reid was at the game in our end, came in after KO and left about 10 mins in to the second half "shes better than you, shes better than you" seemed to raise a smile,

[Northern_jaggie]

she played for Scotland, and you never will