Motherwell preview & matchday thread

[PaderbornCaley]

First league away game ive missed in about a year. Looks like i picked a good game to miss. Obviously cant comment on the match but heartened to hear that we still played good football.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Sorry to burst the bubble but our execution of corners today was also abysmal. The number of times that the ball went straight in to the hands of Randolph or we fecked up an attempted short corner was amazing. We must have created but watse at least a feckin dozen. Nice to see the Meekings long throw option back though.

[lukemackay]

At least we are going for games though, remember when we beat killie 6-3! When everytime we broke away we scored? Well today we were killie. Went for the game, attacked but got picked off.

Main positive: went for a win

Main negative: full backs got punished due to lack of cover from midfeild.

To play like this you have to be very fit, I think early season cobwebs are still being brushed off, can see us scoring plenty but conceding a lot aswell. Does this worry me? No! At least when we look back on this season we will be able to say, "remember that game?" "yeh what a game" this seasons gonna be an entertaining one. Strap in.

[lukemackay]

Just seen higdons second, meekings was sleeping that's what put higdon through not the back pass. Ravens taken a pounding for it but wasn't solely to blame.

[tm4tj]

Wrong Luke, it was a crap pass back and was meant for Esson, and yes Meekings was not alert, but the mistake was by Raven....again.

[lukemackay]

One of those which I keep changing my mind on. Don't think il ever be sure so il just leave it as it is.

Shame though it ruined an otherwise solid performance from him.

[tm4tj]

Listened on radio and we seemed to create plenty but shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times. Esson will be none to pleased at the first goal, neither will two or three of the defenders and the pass back just killed us off, but we still threatened to score after that but for Randolph we might have scored a couple.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I now totally adhere to what I had said previously - not keeping somebody on the post fer the opener was ludicrous and Raven got in the way of Esson. Cant believe they didnt show the penalty claim against Shane as that appeared to be a stone waller.

[12th Man]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/19384145

[AJS]

Bundles of potential but a lack of backbone to see it through. I wish i could defend the team but the reality is we were looking for a reaction to last weeks mauling and Motherwell were there for the taking after their European exploits, they were allegedly fatigued and full of players carrying injuries but they breezed through that game barely breaking sweat.

Foran was excellent up front today, gave his all but was jiggered and shouldnt have been on for the full 90. Full backs had an absolute mare of a game. Raven summed up his afternoon when he set up Michael Higdon for his 2nd goal. Shinnie started poorly but did keep Humphrey at bay for most of the 2nd half. Had a bit of sympathy for Warren and Meekings, their individual performances didnt justify that scoreline, though Meekings should have done better for the 2nd goal.

At 2-1 we were always in with a shout but for all the effort we lacked a cutting edge in the final third and the likes of Andy Shinnie and Doran failed to display the talents they are capable of showing, though Doran worked harder than most in the team.

Cannot fault Darren Randolph. He is one of the best keepers in the league and his performance supported those claims. The penalty save was one thing but the save from Warren's overhead was top class.

Ref was far too picky for me today, every corner resulted in a foul, every aerial challenge was a foul, and the challenge on Foran when he was bearing down on goal was a blatant free kick and potential red card.

Having seen what ive seen today its clear that Meekings needs revert back to right back. Shane needs to be put up front and not wasted out on a wing he barely runs down and Foran maybe deserves a run in the team as a striker again. We will pick up some results but we need to be stronger as a team when we are under pressure and our better players need to step up and be more clinical when required. Hopefully the international break will see us come back rejuvenated.

[tm4tj]

http://caleythistleonline.com/page/index.html/_/reports-2012-13/motherwell-v-inverness-ct-report-r964

ictchris has kindly offered his excellent report for the main page and it is now published.

[tm4tj]

have to add also that the bbc stats show us having more of the game, more attempts on and off target, the same amount of corners, less fouls and a 4-1 defeat

meh

[+Tree]

Seems all too familiar.

Lack of cutting edge/composure in finishing and individual errors in defending.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Well this is going to be a couple of rants !! To begin with this was the first feckin game that I have ever been at stone cold feckin sober and will probably be the last (sober that is !!). I think that Mantis was amused that I had never actually noticed before that there is some slope across the pitch towards the main stand.

Like Chris I actually was quite entertained by the match and I felt that it was a clear improvement on last week. In essence you cant give a team like Muvversmell a two goal start. Then you provide them with a "killer" third and miss a penalty. Will have to see if the highlights matched my eyesight but I could not see what was wrong with the Shane goal although nobody, apart from Foran, complained. It also looked like a stonewall penalty fro Well and a sending off for Shane at 2-1 and then we go up the park and I felt that the ref made ammends when Foran was clearly chopped and the defender would have saw red. But lets face it Muvversmell were the better team but until the third goal it really could have gone either way.

But what really got on my feckin goat was Butcher's after match comments. This is no fishing trip that follows as it is my actual serious perspective becos I felt that Butcher fecked it up today. Seriously have a pop if you dont agree but let me know if you do as well.

1. We could have called this the "Richie Foran Show" as it felt that our main tactic was to hit Foran at every opportunity. Esson aimed everything at him, as were all the free kicks and all the midfield balls. He was probably MOM as he played 60% of all of that well but that tactic nullified Andrew Shinnie, nullified Doran and completely neutralised Shane. When you play somebody like that you need a pacy striker alongside him - a predator / a goalscorer - like McKay (who did more in 9 minutes than most did in 90). Shinnie likes to come from deep with the ball at his feet - Doran needs to pick the ball out wide - and poor Shane looked redundant often standing there on his own being marked by somebody who was a foot smaller than him. When we passed the ball we passed it side to side and mainly backwards. I accept that we should use the Foran tactic but there also has to be a Plan B.

2. Butcher decried the defence for the first goal and Esson did look at fault. But his evident tactical ploy is to leave the front post unattended. Prior to the goal the previous corner had been on our left and Meekings went to stand by the front post and was completely bollicked by Malpas. Need to see the highlights but the same thing happened again at the goal. And after that numerous fans were shouting at the players to cover the near post at ensuing corners and it never was. So okay it may be out of the new coaching manual but I would have thought that it would be a vow of Butcher and Malpas and a team who employs it - as with zonal marking - is always prone to losing goals.

3. He also criticised Shinnie and Draper fer the second goal. It was a clear tactic of Well to play Humphreys wide and use his pace as much as possible, Butcher initially appeared to concentrate on trying to double team Higdon and Humphrey caused mayhem in the first 15-20 minutes. Shinnie was getting no cover as that is not the wont of Doran. He may have dived in but Humphrey duped him with skill and pace. As fer the race between Draper and Humphrey - well lets feckin compare Frank Bruno and Usain Bolt - Draper actually almost got him and pulled out from fouling him. It was early doors and he probably feared a yellow but it would have been admired if he had taken a card fer the team and sent Humphey over the barrier in to the Disabled stand. It was a brilliant piece of wing play and a great cross to finish with and a good finish from Higdon.

4. The error from Raven was simply ludicrous and killed us off - and heads did go down. And despite Foran looking like Andy Murray in New York we continued to try and feed him constantly.

5. Randolph pulled of a "world class" save from a tremendous overhead scissor kick from Warren and, although the penalty was at a good height fer a keeper, it was still a fine save.

I actually thought our central defence played well, Raven was passable until the third goal and Shinnie stuck to the really difficult job of controlling Humphrey. The fourth goal was an error from Andy Shinnie and again it was a great example of a breakaway and another good finish from Higdon.

I felt that we lost this game in the middle of the park and through the tactics employed.

I take it that if nobody who was at the game is challenging this post that I must have got it spot on ?

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Much better coverage and backs up my perceptions - apologies to Shane but Meekings should have gone fer that challenge:

http://youtu.be/jhunnyBbLS0

[+bughtmaster]

IHE I agree with alot of what you say and you say a lot on this subject!!

I wasn't at the game, i seldom manage for personal reasons to go to matches but I have now seen the highlights and yes I did listen to commentary on MFR.

I do however challenge your attack on T.B., I doubt if you could possibly be aware of his team talk and tactics and whether or not the players played to his instructions.

One thing that sprngs to my mind and has been visible at other games played this season is that there is nobody commanding the defence. They were at sixes and sevens every time the Mothers attacked. No cohesion or awareness of who is doing what.

It is the goalkeepers job to be one step ahead of the opposing attack, Randolph was!! but as I 'have said before Esson has a nap until we are two goals down, then, normally, he comes to life and plays brilliantly.

Too late I am sorry to say, we cant afford to play catch up!

That first goal was the perfect example, someone blamed Raven, Esson should have made his call either leave it or belt it. Esson had plenty of time to get to the post before it crossed the line if he didn't have time he should have shouted.

There has to be someone commanding the defence, the keeper has to be aware and let the others know about it. Three of the goals would not have happened if he had done this. It is not as if he is inexperienced, it is basic goalkeeping.

No it was not all Ryan's fault he is a fine keeper but there is more to it than stopping shots.

The defence could and should be magnificent with the right direction and when they all reach an understanding.

So IHE over to you!

Edited September 3, 2012 by bughtmaster

[Ten4]

We seem to be masters at outplaying teams & getting beat - especially Motherwell - last season we hammered them at home & lost 2-3 !

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Bughtmaster - your comment about nobody commanding the defence is spot on and one that I had'nt considered before. I feel that Ryan does not appear to be as imposing and as voiciferous an influence as he has been in the past. And we aint got anybody who probably feels experienced enough or at the club long enough to take on that role. King is probably the only one who has more proven experience and leadership qualities requisite for the role. That is another reason why I feel that Foran really stood out when he played in the "sweeper" role. It is however a very intersting and valid observation. In fact who do we have other than Foran ?

I have said a lot but nobody appears to wish to challenge me and as there were some worthy posters at the game I can only suspect that they either agree or are scared of me !!

You do not always have to be privy to the dressing room discussions to make observations and comments about tactics. To recap briefly - Foran was MOM by a country mile, he was often effective but the ploy was overused, with no apparent back up, and poor Richie looked fecked in the last 20 minutes; I havent noticed if we always use the no cover on the near post ploy at corners before but it was a clear tactic before and after the first goal and was being quite loudly pointed out by a number of fans at the game at the time. All I was alluding to there is that it certainly isnt a traditional tactic in fact many oldies, including maself, would frown on it. In Many ways it could be put down to Esson but that is a fair degree of goalmouth and angles that have to be covered when there is nobody standing guard at the front post. By the way the rear post was always covered and always by Shinnie; I can see the logic in double teaming Higdon but I question whether Well had been watched in regard to the danger of Humphrey. It could well be that McCall should get the credit for doing his homework on us. My main beef there was Butcher's clear faulting of Shinnie and Draper but that was brilliant wing play with a lad with a lot of pace; Heads did go down after the Raven mistake and you could feel the expectancy die in the stands; We could well have really got back in the game if not for two great saves by Randolph and a further error by A Shinnie which again produced a very well executed fourth goal.

Finally I dont think Meekings is a SPL center half but he and especially Warren put in a great shift. I also thought that Raven had defended well before his error and Shinnie had recovered after a start when he was left alone to deal with Humphrey. That is why I felt that it wasnt particularly the defence that had let us down, as alluded to by Butcher, but it was more to do with the middle of the park and the tactics employed. I suppose that it also really cheesed me off that Butcher projected the blame on the players, singling some out when I feel that he should be keeping that to the dressing room and taking on - or even accepting - some of the blame himself.

By the way we far from outplayed Muvversmell - we matched them for long periods.

[gordieict]

I have said a lot but nobody appears to wish to challenge me and as there were some worthy posters at the game I can only suspect that they either agree or are scared of me !!

Or just ignore you now :lol:

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

I have said a lot but nobody appears to wish to challenge me and as there were some worthy posters at the game I can only suspect that they either agree or are scared of me !!

Or just ignore you now :lol:

Insistent pests are difficult to ignore, especially intelligent ones.