Any answers, please?

[JockWatt]

Why does it seem to be a frequent occurence that when we play against a side that almost everyone thinks should be an easy three points gained, we not only lose but get a thrashing!  Like our most recent game!  Who now expects us to win our 5th round Scottish Cup game against Partick?  It does our goal average no good at all to go down 4-0.  After all, we are supposed to be a professional side who can do well against any of the top teams, but poorly against teams who are thought to be inferior !  There's got to be an answer, surely?????????

[bdu98196]

Yip, the players sat around before the game and thought lets loose 4-0, I think they showed at times they did their best to try score? So beating Celtic and loosing only 1-0 at Parkhead doesnt demonstrate professionalism that they can compete against the best, what about sitting 2nd in the league?

 

As for the cup game, between now and then a lot can change at both clubs, players come and go, injuries - I for one still expect us to have a good chance of progress - to write the team off on one bad result is lunacy.

[FoolPhysio]

Yip, the players sat around before the game and thought lets loose 4-0, I think they showed at times they did their best to try score? So beating Celtic and loosing only 1-0 at Parkhead doesnt demonstrate professionalism that they can compete against the best, what about sitting 2nd in the league?

 

As for the cup game, between now and then a lot can change at both clubs, players come and go, injuries - I for one still expect us to have a good chance of progress - to write the team off on one bad result is lunacy.

 

Wot 'e said

[+old caley girl]

Im sorry but talk about an over reaction! This is our first home defeat this season and its a tad optomistic that we wont ever get beat ever!

We are still second in the league and to push the panic button already is a tad premature imho.

Bad days happen. Theyve happened under previous management and Im sure they will continue to happen occasionally. Seems some of us have seriously become big time Charlies. Sorry if this is not what the op meant or intended to portray but all teams in this league are beatable or capable of beating each other including Celtic and Partick Thistle.

[+bughtmaster]

It's tactics! Thought we would tease the Dons and D U and let them think they could catch us. As for the high and mighty Silts, well, they were given a little gap to lull them into a sense of security. 

 

After all it is Christmas so we can afford  be charitable on this occasion.

[+DoofersDad]

Typical negative happy clapper knee jerk reaction to a question that deserves a reasoned answer.  Fact is that of the 6 matches we have not won in the league this year 4 have been against teams currently in the bottom 6.  In addition we went out of the league cup to a lower league side and were minutes from being knocked out of the Scottish Cup by the the team currently bottom of the premiership.  So there is actually evidence that suggests supposedly weaker teams do relatively better against us.  Asking why that might be is therefore not only a perfectly reasonable question, it is an important question.

 

My own view is that the better teams rely on the strength of their quality to assert their style of play on the game.  Lesser teams don't feel they can do that and feel the way to beat us us to stop us playing our game.  Hence they press us hard high up the pitch and the tactic clearly worked very well for Partick at the weekend.  When teams do that we find it hard to respond.  It is a weakness which both County and Partick have exploited and we can expect others to do so as well.  It's a weakness which needs to be addressed if we are to maintain a top 3 slot.

 

Of course we all understand we are 2nd in the league and of course we are delighted about it.  Of course we all appreciate the team is doing well - but if it was possible for the team to do even better than they currently are, would you not want that as well?

 

I honestly think that with the squad of players at our disposal we can do even better than we are at the moment, but we will only do that if we can identify and address areas of relative weakness.  The OP has identified an area of relative weakness and we should all be grateful to him for raising it..

[CaleyD]

Codswallop.  If, as the OP states, losing to sides we feel we should be beating was a frequent occurrence we wouldn't be 2nd in the league.

 

He then goes on to try and make a direct correlation between the result on Saturday and the expected performance in 10 matches time!

 

Assertions that are inaccurate and illogical.....in fact, you could call them "knee jerk".

[davie]

Typical negative happy clapper knee jerk reaction to a question that deserves a reasoned answer.  Fact is that of the 6 matches we have not won in the league this year 4 have been against teams currently in the bottom 6.  In addition we went out of the league cup to a lower league side and were minutes from being knocked out of the Scottish Cup by the the team currently bottom of the premiership.  So there is actually evidence that suggests supposedly weaker teams do relatively better against us.  Asking why that might be is therefore not only a perfectly reasonable question, it is an important question.

 

My own view is that the better teams rely on the strength of their quality to assert their style of play on the game.  Lesser teams don't feel they can do that and feel the way to beat us us to stop us playing our game.  Hence they press us hard high up the pitch and the tactic clearly worked very well for Partick at the weekend.  When teams do that we find it hard to respond.  It is a weakness which both County and Partick have exploited and we can expect others to do so as well.  It's a weakness which needs to be addressed if we are to maintain a top 3 slot.

 

Of course we all understand we are 2nd in the league and of course we are delighted about it.  Of course we all appreciate the team is doing well - but if it was possible for the team to do even better than they currently are, would you not want that as well?

 

I honestly think that with the squad of players at our disposal we can do even better than we are at the moment, but we will only do that if we can identify and address areas of relative weakness.  The OP has identified an area of relative weakness and we should all be grateful to him for raising it..

Can we please stop labelling anyone who disagrees with our point of view, whatever that may be? It's disingenuous and carping. Saturday was a bad day, nothing more. The reason that Saturday happened was that the majority of our players didn't play to their potential, and that will undoubtably happen occasionally over the course of a season with a small squad. Partick did play a game that was designed to disrupt us, and if you listened to the manager's post match comments you might realise that was something he was expressly intending to address.

[+DoofersDad]

I am glad you have noted that the manager recognises there are issues to address.  His comments were honest and constructive.

[Ten4]

Why does it seem to be a frequent occurence that when we play against a side that almost everyone thinks should be an easy three points gained, we not only lose but get a thrashing!  Like our most recent game!  Who now expects us to win our 5th round Scottish Cup game against Partick?  It does our goal average no good at all to go down 4-0.  After all, we are supposed to be a professional side who can do well against any of the top teams, but poorly against teams who are thought to be inferior !  There's got to be an answer, surely?????????

 

 

That's football, win some lose some!

[Scotty]

bad day at the office, it happens. When it happens too often then that is the time to be concerned, until then we pick ourselves up and move on to the next game. 

[Rival]

Partick are our bogey team.

[tm4tj]

Where has anyone said they are panicking? It's a reasonable O/P. I get where he is coming from and see all the points of view. Without labelling anyone, I see trends here and can probably guess the posts without reading it once I know who has posted. It's all getting a bit tedious this divide.

 

[Scarlet Pimple]

Gotta come out of the gates with all guns blazing and unsettle the opposition they can implement their game plan .

 

Secondly, we have been  coshed by Partick more than once in the past and in important games--Scottish cup etc.

 

So, either we don't take them seriously enough or they have really smart coaches/managers who  really give our team's performance the once over prior to game time and let us have it during the game before we can settle. They are a team to be reckoned with and I said that right at the start of the season.

 

After this victory they could start climbing the league. Don't they have quite a few youngsters in their team ?

[+Gringo]

Did we go on a lengthy unbeaten run after a 1-5 (or was it 0-5) home defeat against Motherwell not so very long ago? We'll do the same now and be unbeaten for the rest of the season....including the cup. Those ICT players and manager will be hurting right now. Someone is in for a thrashing...starting in Perth.

 

In any league we will get 'freak' results that go completely against the form book. Its football, it happens and when it does we dust ourselves down, take it on the chin and wipe the bayonets and charge again. It why we love the game.

[JockWatt]

I'm sorry I mentioned it !

[+roarer]

I'm sorry I mentioned it !

We are all a bit like Thomas the tank engine at the moment - a little tender!

Hopefully we'll be a little less next week.

[tm4tj]

No Jock, you need to mention more

[KingBeastie]

Why does it seem to be a frequent occurence that when we play against a side that almost everyone thinks should be an easy three points gained, we not only lose but get a thrashing!

 

Because...

 

 

Its football, it happens... It's why we love the game.

 

[+bughtmaster]

Jock I was just trying to bring some humour into this weekends postings which have in the main been negative and depressing.....at least in my eyes that is!

 

Your question is a good one This is a general thing and has happened since football began, with most football teams experiencing it at some point.  

 

A malaise? a sudden combined lack of self motivation throughout the team triggered by an unexpected 'easy goal' against you. It is then a case of playing catch up while being tensed up............ A little bit like stage fright in some respects which you either get over quickly or things go from bad to worse!

 

You are right it usually does happen against teams you would expect to beat, that in it'self may have a bearing on it. the responsibility aspect.

 

The answer, I wish I knew, perhaps sports' psychologists can give you the answer. relaxation would help but you ain't got time to relax on the football field. Leadership on the field too can have a bearing on this but it takes an exceptional Captain to be able to rally his troops at the precise moment to keep the guilt feeling out of his players heads so they can play their normal game.

 

Keep the Faith I'm sure we will recover the lost points along the way

 

So sorry Jock  for my flippancy in my opening reply I hope someone will give us the answer 

[Scarlet Pimple]

Jock..why?

 

Don't you want to stir the pot?

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

Last year we took quite a few beatings - Celtic, Dundee United but the first was away to St Johnstone 4-0 on the weekend when I think Butcher knew he and Mo were potentially heading to Easter Road. So last week's result is made harder by the need to visit St Johnstone this Saturday. They are playing very well at present so maybe 0-0 might be a good result!

[+bughtmaster]

Has our Immortal one gone on holiday or a binge or something ???     I thought this thread would have been right up his street!.....but not a tiny comment from him !

 

Hope you are well IHE ?

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Lets face it we have a history of being  overly feckin nice over the festive period. These are a big four games coming up BUT -

 

You should have edited the image Johndo

 

[+bughtmaster]

Good God He's back !!  .................Wish I hadn't mentioned IHE now...........he's ffffn  turned negative again !!!!!!!!!!............