Jump to content

Scotty

Recommended Posts

Gutted with the score today, Dingwall were lucky to get a goal but i'll have to say our defence were not in good form, plenty of sclaffed clearances and missed tackles, Tremarco was back to his donkey best unfortunately- I hope he is not the long term replacement for Shinnie.

Pitch suited the gypo's more than us, their punt/head/rush tactics were not pretty but were more effective for the conditions.

Our players looked a wee bit disjointed, Ryan looked very rusty and his lack of first team games really showed, As I said I'm not a tremarco fan, hard worker but very limited skills.

Williams started well but faded completely in the second half and I would have had Doran on for him a lot sooner, Shinnie is a waste in midfield, especially when we could have Vincent or Christie in there, he looked like he is not enjoying his football these days, and I was a bit pissed off with the boo's coming from behind me in the bridge end when he touched the ball -  he ain't an Aberdeen player yet. 

I hope Yogi has a replacement for Mackay lined up, what we have there just now will take a miracle to fill Billy's boots, its not as though he didn't know he was leaving.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure how we didn't win that today - three cleared off the line. Wasn't sure about the penalty, but Watkins needed to go down at the point of contact if anything was going to be given.

The pitch did us no favours today, there were loads of bobbles and the ball held up a fair few times too - which could be a concern given we like to keep the ball down and pass. Might cause problems with passing to the keeper too so (at the risk of repeating myself) let's try and keep that to a minimum, eh.

I am prepared to blame the sclaffed clearances on the conditions. Thought the defence did ok to be honest, but struggled to adapt to

Jervis when he first came on.

Can't see county getting out of the position they are in now. They need to win two more games than Well and St Mirren just to catch them - if they play like that they will do well to win two more games. And to those suggesting we should have a look at Boyce - he was mince.

  • Agree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dean Brill's enforced absence means that Josh Meekings is now our only ever-present in all-games this season. Notably, for a centre-back, in all these 27 games, he's only picked-up one yellow-card. Well done Josh!

 

As for the game, I thought Esson looked a bit match rusty, but he made an important reflex save at 0-0 to keep us from going behind.

I didn't realise County's goal was a handball at the time although Raven was complaining to the ref about something...

 

The Watkins incident I need to see again before calling it a 'dive', but in real-time it appeared he fell too late! I admit I'm no referee, but as mentioned already in this thread, It's puzzling how the game can just resume after such an incident as if nothing happened. It should have been a penalty or booking! But what do I know.

 

The pitch is in poor condition but fortunately we've only one home game in the next six weeks. (barring a replay against Partick Thistle).

However, we've got 3 or 4 Development games due at home in that time frame - although only this Tuesday's fixture has a confirmed venue - the TCS at 2pm!

That should surely be moved!

 

I have to say, County may not yet be doomed. They were better than I expected but are now detached now at the bottom - but I was looking at their recent results and was intrigued to see that they've only lost one of their last 7 away league games. If they can start winning a few games at home, the Highland derby could remain on the fixture list for next season!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought we were a bit below par all over the pitch but I would put that down to a combination of the terrible conditions - howling wind and atrocious surface preventing our usual passing game, and the need to adapt to a new system without Billy.

As for those dissing Carl Tremarco, they must have been watching a different game from me and the official Man of the Match Sponsor after all was he not named Man of the Match. Most of our good attacking moves came down his side of the pitch with some decent crosses in from the bold Carl.

My hope for next week is that there is a decent surface at Partick and that our current bogey team who have been able to cope with our system with Billy up front may struggle to cope with whatever Yogi comes up with for the next phase without Billy.

  • Agree 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had 4 cleared off the line, their goal was a hand ball (raven sees it and claims straight away) and we don't get a stonewall penalty. We still get a point on a pitch that it was a miracle was playable at all. I'll take that.

  • Agree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tremendous effort from the ground staff and helpers (young players especially) to get the pitch playable.  As said elsewhere....it was calculated that around 45,000 gallons of snow/ice/water were taken off the covers (with just buckets) before they were removed....and then all the work needed to prepare the surface itself.

 

When you consider that there's clubs with whole teams of ground staff (we have two) and all the mod cons in terms of equipment who can't get games on, then you have to wonder how we do it....but everyone pulls together and we do.

 

That commitment then extends to the players who you don't see standing around moaning about the far from ideal conditions, they just get out there and do their bit to try and deliver a result.

 

Whether Yogi got the tactics right or wrong is a matter of opinion, but if offering up criticism...ask you yourself whether you would have preferred he did not react to the conditions and sent the team out to try and play their normal game on a pitch that wasn't conducive with that style of play!  You might believe their was another way to have gone about things...but at least temper it with some recognition of the situation he was presented with.

 

Yogi would be the first person to tell you that everyone is always learning in football...including himself.  I'm sure a few things were learned yesterday and what's most important is how those lessons are applied should a similar scenario present itself in future.

  • Agree 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 a pitch that it was a miracle was playable at all. I'll take that.

At last! Someone with a sensible and realistic take on the pitch.

It's January, Inverness had been dumped on extensively by rain sleet and snow for days, there had had to be an inspection before the game could go ahead, the groundsman had to work wonders to get the game on at all.

And people in earlier posts are moaning and using all manner of extreme adjectives about the pitch! Give me strength! What do they expect?

There were two options. Play on the kind of ptich you normally get at the end of January or put the game off on the Saturday morning. Which would folk prefer?

Anyone unhappy about the pitch should look at some old videos from the 70s and 80s.

Edited by Charles Bannerman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

 

 

Marley dive when he should've got the ball to tap into open goal -oh dear.

 

  BBC match report says it should have been a penalty. "Pictures revealed that Reguero had indeed clipped Watkins and he struggled to retain his balance before tumbling."

No question he was clipped, but no ref is going to give a pen for the way he went down. Not a criticism of Watkins, but he took two paces before going down. Feel the contact, go to ground - no argument. Fair play to Watkins if he tried to keep playing, but plenty would have played for the contact and won the pen. No criticism - just was never going to be given as it happened.  

Pretty sure the penalty should be award for the offence, not based on style marks for how the victim goes down...or have I got that wrong?

Of course, but the delayed reaction was unconvincing. I think Marley genuinely tried to keep playing and was unbalanced by the clip, but it looked like he realised he wasn't going to make and went down. The issue really is: If he was clipped, ref has to give a pen; if ref didn't see it as a clip, he has to give Watkins a yellow card. I'm not sure what no pen and no yellow means?

 

It means the referee was absolutely dreadful and made the wrong decision yet again. Referees can see if there is an advantage for the team who has been disadvantaged but call the play back if not and give a foul. In this case, it would have been a penalty. Truly dreadful refereeing today as witnessed by the booking of Nick Ross. Dreadful play acting by some County players today with McIntyre and Dodds trying to get ICT players booed at every occasion.

  • Agree 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As for those dissing Carl Tremarco, they must have been watching a different game from me and the official Man of the Match Sponsor after all was he not named Man of the Match. Most of our good attacking moves came down his side of the pitch with some decent crosses in from the bold Carl.

 

Do me a favour!!!   when have the suits that choose M.O.M. ever got near choosing the right player?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sometimes the suits one week are next to you on the terracing the following week !!! or are you the only one that knows about football.

Presume that's a reply to my post?  try a quote...

Anyway Sometimes?  an awful lot of the time MOM is given for various reasons, yesterdays decision brought a lot of raised eyebrows/guffaws/shaking heads all round me, maybe its not just me that knows all about football eh?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tremendous effort from the ground staff and helpers (young players especially) to get the pitch playable. As said elsewhere....it was calculated that around 45,000 gallons of snow/ice/water were taken off the covers (with just buckets) before they were removed....and then all the work needed to prepare the surface itself.

When you consider that there's clubs with whole teams of ground staff (we have two) and all the mod cons in terms of equipment who can't get games on, then you have to wonder how we do it....but everyone pulls together and we do.

That commitment then extends to the players who you don't see standing around moaning about the far from ideal conditions, they just get out there and do their bit to try and deliver a result.

Whether Yogi got the tactics right or wrong is a matter of opinion, but if offering up criticism...ask you yourself whether you would have preferred he did not react to the conditions and sent the team out to try and play their normal game on a pitch that wasn't conducive with that style of play! You might believe their was another way to have gone about things...but at least temper it with some recognition of the situation he was presented with.

Yogi would be the first person to tell you that everyone is always learning in football...including himself. I'm sure a few things were learned yesterday and what's most important is how those lessons are applied should a similar scenario present itself in future.

Right! The condition of the pitch required a different approach from usual, but it was a 'leveller'. I think this was the first time at home that we didn't dominate possession stats, but there was no way we could have been playing it around the back four and keeper, because the bounce and run would have made it suicidal. Agree that it was the right thing to do to get the game going ahead, but the conditions were never going to help a team usually noted for its passing. Edited by PerfICT
Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, so the pitch was soft, but let's not make that an excuse for a very poor performance.  These are professional footballers who spend hours practising their passing skills and who should have been able to pass the ball on that surface.  For a team that professes to have an ethos of possession football it is disappointing to say the least that playing at home against the the side rock bottom of the league, we had less possession than County did. 

 

The stats were a reflection of a kick and run game; aimless punts upfield in the vain hope that it might land at Marley's feet.  There were a few occasions when they tried to string a few passes together and when they did that it looked as though they had the potential to pull County apart.  County are a pretty makeshift side at the moment with players who still need to develop much better understanding between them.  They were there to be taken apart but rather than do that we change the game plan because the pitch was a bit soft!  Why?  Hughes is forever talking about the need for the players to be brave in playing the passing game he's drilling into them, and yet just because the pitch is a bit soft he changes the game plan thereby showing no faith in his players to play the passing game on that surface.  It was time for him to be brave and show some faith in his players but he bottled it.  The pitch might not have been great but it was pretty windy as well and therefore a good day to keep the ball on the deck.  Of course we could expect the ball to bobble occasionally but we have better players than County and could surely have coped with that better than them.

 

Someone else commented that the County subs were quite effective.  Why Hughes did not make better use of his subs I don't know.  With a heavy pitch it is obvious players are going to tire and surely there is a need to make best use of the fresh legs on the bench.  With all the chasing Watkins did he must have been shattered at the end.  He could have gone off with his head held high with Doran coming on earlier.  Williams impressed in the first half but was much less involved in the 2nd half.  By the way, why no Ali Sutherland on the bench?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hope Beaton apologises to Yogi when he sees the highlights - or is that too much to ask. :sad:

 

I don't think Beaton had the greatest of games but whilst he got 2 important calls wrong I wouldn't criticise him too much for those.  Referees have to feel pretty sure before they give a decision.  Jervis probably did handle the ball but it is difficult to see when played on the highlights and it would have been difficult to have spotted at the time.  As for the penalty I don't think he would have been sure Marley was clipped nor would he have been sure it was a dive.  He may have seen it as Marley slipping or over stretching and losing his footing.  Not awarding a penalty and not giving a yellow card is a perfectly reasonable position to take.

 

I would criticise him for booking Nick Ross though.  There were many worse tackles that went unpunished.  However, the fact that the tackle gave the referee a decision to make was a reflection of a tougher attitude in Nick's play.  He is getting stuck in a lot more and improving the physical side of his game which is good to see.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OK, so the pitch was soft, but let's not make that an excuse for a very poor performance.  These are professional footballers who spend hours practising their passing skills and who should have been able to pass the ball on that surface.  For a team that professes to have an ethos of possession football it is disappointing to say the least that playing at home against the the side rock bottom of the league, we had less possession than County did. 

 

The stats were a reflection of a kick and run game; aimless punts upfield in the vain hope that it might land at Marley's feet.  There were a few occasions when they tried to string a few passes together and when they did that it looked as though they had the potential to pull County apart.  County are a pretty makeshift side at the moment with players who still need to develop much better understanding between them.  They were there to be taken apart but rather than do that we change the game plan because the pitch was a bit soft!  Why?  Hughes is forever talking about the need for the players to be brave in playing the passing game he's drilling into them, and yet just because the pitch is a bit soft he changes the game plan thereby showing no faith in his players to play the passing game on that surface.  It was time for him to be brave and show some faith in his players but he bottled it.  The pitch might not have been great but it was pretty windy as well and therefore a good day to keep the ball on the deck.  Of course we could expect the ball to bobble occasionally but we have better players than County and could surely have coped with that better than them.

 

Someone else commented that the County subs were quite effective.  Why Hughes did not make better use of his subs I don't know.  With a heavy pitch it is obvious players are going to tire and surely there is a need to make best use of the fresh legs on the bench.  With all the chasing Watkins did he must have been shattered at the end.  He could have gone off with his head held high with Doran coming on earlier.  Williams impressed in the first half but was much less involved in the 2nd half.  By the way, why no Ali Sutherland on the bench?

Glad to see you back to your encouraging best DD! You obviously didn't walk on that pitch on Saturday but it was glutinous and heavy. As I 've already said, it's a miracle Tommy and Mattie got it playable in the fiirst place. Brave? If we had attempted to pay the usual passing game beginning with Esson playing short balls out, it would have been suicidal. Although County are a side getting to know each other, they are fighting for their lives and will pull out results such as Saturdays. I would have preferred to see subs used earlier, but I can quite understand why an inexperienced boy whose game is reliant on pace wasn't put anywhere near it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Hope Beaton apologises to Yogi when he sees the highlights - or is that too much to ask. :sad:

 

I don't think Beaton had the greatest of games but whilst he got 2 important calls wrong I wouldn't criticise him too much for those.  Referees have to feel pretty sure before they give a decision.  Jervis probably did handle the ball but it is difficult to see when played on the highlights and it would have been difficult to have spotted at the time.  As for the penalty I don't think he would have been sure Marley was clipped nor would he have been sure it was a dive.  He may have seen it as Marley slipping or over stretching and losing his footing.  Not awarding a penalty and not giving a yellow card is a perfectly reasonable position to take.

 

I would criticise him for booking Nick Ross though.  There were many worse tackles that went unpunished.  However, the fact that the tackle gave the referee a decision to make was a reflection of a tougher attitude in Nick's play.  He is getting stuck in a lot more and improving the physical side of his game which is good to see.

 

While recognising that he may have been unsighted, or may have had his decisions influenced by the conditions - he did get those calls wrong, and they cost us points in a crucial game.  Everyone makes mistakes, but I think it increases the stature of a ref if he apologises afterwards. Or am I just being old-fashioned??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The game on Saturday merely underlined the need to get in a striker, we can't possibly contemplate going the rest of the season without one.

 

The defensive lapse was disappointing but I believe that with a genuine forward we would have been two or three up by then. No reflection on Marley, he's good at what he does but what he does is not to lead the line.

  • Agree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not convinced that we should play Watkins up front.  Not that I don't think he can do a decent job but I think it benefits us more having him further back.

I'd rather see Williams or Christie, or even Doran, up front instead.  If we don't bring in somebody else that is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. : Terms of Use : Guidelines : Privacy Policy