Jump to content

Scotty

Recommended Posts

Where on earth do you start with an omnishambles like that?!

 

It's easy to forget that in the three minutes before Alloa equalized their keeper made three really great saves - though, as was the theme of the day, the latter two should have been goals. And the only reason that we didn't get the three points was a complete and utter brain fart from our right-back (which I'll get to shortly). But that was just an extraordinary watch.

 

We started like the clappers, but after getting one up we eased off, giving the impression that we thought we could score whenever we liked. When Alloa got their fortuitous leveller, we panicked and we were lousy up till half time. Having been handed the game on a plate by Karadachki's minute of madness we then reverted back to 'score anytime we like' mode - to the point that Donaldson was so casual with his penalty that you'd have thought it was pre-season. Yet when they got it back to 2-2 we went to pieces and they actually had the best chance to win it after that.

 

Even though we were on top, we didn't play well for long spells. Our dip in the first half coincided with the decision to switch Walsh and Polworth, which was weird as Walsh had their right-back on toast. Yet Robbo stuck with that shape until well into the second period. Oakley and Austin continue to struggle as a partnership; I thought Austin looked dangerous today but Oakley was having one of those 'control it further than I can pass it' days. Taking off Austin, our quickest striker, for White, our slowest, was bizarre given we were ahead and playing on the counter. The other changes did counteract this a bit with Calder doing well down the left (though I thought the pen he won was soft as hell) and Doran causing havoc in the middle. However taking Welsh off (I assume due to lack of fitness) robbed us of some vital experience and nous that we could have done with.

 

But then Rooney happened. Only he will know what he was thinking - he had several goes at fouling the guy outside the box before finally deciding to shove him at the back when he was heading for the byline and in a cul-de-sac. It's one of the stupidest things I've ever seen a professional footballer do. And it cost us two points.

 

There's not a lot of positives to take from this one. At least subsequent results have shown Ayr are a better team than we thought they were and our 0-0 wasn't quite as calamitous as it seemed. But this was one almighty kick in the teeth. It'll be interesting to see how we respond at East End Park, but I'm not confident it'll be in the right way.

  • Agree 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shocking decision by Rooney to make the challenge but let's be honest we should have been out of sight by then.

Terrible substitution by Roberston taking off Welsh, lost the shape in midfield when he came off and switched to Chalmers and Polworth both not renowned for their ability to track back .

Onlye positive for me was the outstanding performance from Calder who must be given a run of games.

  • Agree 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2-1 up against 10 men then Walsh loses the ball on the touchline and, instead of chasing and attempting to win the ball back, he stops and his opponent is allowed to run almost the length of the park, win a penalty and the points are thrown away! Alloa then blow their best chance of the game when they really should've scored and won all three points!

It's completely idiotic how we contrived to fail to win that game!

The substitutions, apart from Calder who looked like the only footballer on the park during the short time he was on it, were baffling! 

??????????????

 

  • Agree 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, where do you start with that display?

I thought we started well, but we  do that in a lot of matches, and when we don't capitalise and score in that time, it always comes back to bite us in the end.

I thought we should have started with two wide men, there was an unbalance in the team. Tremarco and Walsh were bombing down the left and only Rooney on the right, and he was exposed on numerous occasions.  I have said it before on here, is Rooney any better than Seedorf? I don't think so, and giving away that penalty was just criminal.  If Robertson is going to play Polworth (how he stayed on the whole game baffles me, does he have some hold over Robertson?) Welsh (who was our best in the centre of the park)and Chalmers ( who was anonymous most of the game), in the middle of the park, he needs to sacrifice a forward for a wide player. And as for the forwards, I just don't think that Austin and Oakley look like a pairing that will get us a lot of goals in a season. Why are they not fighting to get the ball and take the penalty, after Robertson had taken off the player who scored the first one. Most strikers love getting their name on the score sheet,  but ours seem to hide when we are looking for someone to step forward. And as for White, did he touch the ball?

I have come to the conclusion now that Ribertson has no idea how to play against 10 men, at times i thought that Alloa had the numerical advantage,  we were our predicable and ponderous style, slow build up and waiting till the opposition is in place and try to play through them. It doesn't work Robertson!!!. We need pace, two wide men, control the midfield and close teams down.

We have now played the two teams that were promoted last season, they both went down to 10 men and on both occasions we couldn't beat them. I think the best we can look forward to now is a mid table finish, and we can't even look forward to winning the Irn Bru cup this season because of Robertsons stupidity. 

 

  • Agree 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Agree pretty much with that. In all honesty we looked like winning but for three or four excellent Parry's. (see what I did there) Missed penalty but plenty of positives. Polly, Chalmers, Austin were off the pace again. Need to make better use of the ball around the opposition goal. Could have won 8-3. But always remember, I was there when ICT scored a penalty. Unfortunately I was there when we missed our umpteenth one as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's two consecutive games where we have been at home against newly promoted clubs reduced to ten men relatively early in the match and failed to secure the points.

While the draw a fortnight ago was a disappointment, the dropping of three points today was unforgivable.

Ayr are resurgent and brimming with confidence and may well 'do a Livingston' and secure back to back promotions. By contrast, Alloa have a tiny budget, were bottom of the table and are very likely to be relegated again come the end of the season.

We played quite well until we scored and then,bafflingly, instead of pressing home that advantage, began to freewheel apparently confident that, now we were in the lead, more goals would come naturally. I am sorry but we are not good enough to take anyone for granted in that way.

We were gifted the lead and a numerical advantage right at the start of the second half and should have secured ourselves at least a two goal cushion before comic book defending by Rooney, what on earth was he thinking of, cost as dearly in the end.

John Robertson is a reasonably competent manager but he has his shortcomings. Last time around he had the experience and guile of Donald Park to rely on together with the talented and tight knit squad assembled by Steve Paterson. Now he has the benefit of neither and it shows.

I doubt we can afford to replace him and I doubt we could afford anyone better to replace him even if we could. There is no need to panic YET.However, he, the coaches and the players will have to do a great deal better between now and the end of the year if we are not to become detached from the promotion race.

Edited by Kingsmills
  • Agree 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, Kingsmills said:

That's two consecutive games where we have been at home against newly promoted clubs reduced to ten men relatively early in the match and failed to secure the points.

While the draw a fortnight ago was a disappointment, the dropping of three points today was unforgivable.

Ayr are resurgent and brimming with confidence and may well 'do a Livingston' and secure back to back promotions. By contrast, Alloa have a tiny budget, were bottom of the table and are very likely to be relegated again come the end of the season.

We played quite well until we scored and then,bafflingly, instead of pressing home that advantage, began to freewheel apparently confident that, now we were in the lead, more goals would come naturally. I am sorry but we are not good enough to take anyone for granted in that way.

We were gifted the lead and a numerical advantage right at the start of the second half and should have secured ourselves at least a two goal cushion before comic book defending by Rooney, what on earth was he thinking of, cost as dearly in the end.

John Robertson is a reasonably competent manager but he has his shortcomings. Last time around he had the experience and guile of Donald Park to rely on together with the talented and tight knit squad assembled by Steve Paterson. Now he has the benefit of neither and it shows.

I doubt we can afford to replace him and I doubt we could afford anyone better to replace him even if we could. There is no need to panic YET.However, he, the coaches and the players will have to do a great deal better between now and the end of the year if we are not to become detached from the promotion race.

PS Can we please please spend a few hours at training practicing penalties!

  • Agree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Poor result. pretty similar to the Dunfermline game. We started poorly, even when we were 1-0 up we weren't playing particularly well. When we were 2-1 up we still weren't looking comfortable. It when was Calder came on and provided width (similar to the Dunfermline game when Doran came on) that we started to look a lot better. Polworth was moved into a central position and rather than have one wide creative player in Walsh being easily marked we now had 2 wide players on the pitch that allowed us to be a threat down both wings rather than trying to play on one side of the pitch. The second penalty was disappointing, fair play for Donaldson for trying but as others have already said, a striker should be wanting to take penalties and increase their goal tally, are they not hungry for 3 points every game and a golden boot come the end of the season? Disappointing to only have 5 points from our first 3 games when we could have had 9.

  • Agree 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes 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!

Nah, I thought we played quite well today. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Alan Simpson said:

Who did u think played well Polly?

Every ICT player was immense.  Even Salah wouldn't get a game for us just now. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haven’t been to a game since losing to Killie in the relegation season but hope to be at most if not all derbies and a few others. Now I am not going to argue with people who have been to the games as they have the best views of seeing the whole 90 minutes but I find this doom and gloom outlook on the season a bit laughable. I looked at my phone and saw Alloa had equalised and did roll my eyes but we had a worse start last season. County lost to Morton today, which I didn’t see coming, I think this league is going to be tight with points being taken off each other. I agree that not winning against 10 men and two promoted sides is not great but to say that means our season is going to be awful is a bit premature. Early season is always a bit of a phoney war, you want to start well but we will know far better how this season will pan out closer to Christmas. The fact that we are creating chances makes me less worried, yes we need to start putting teams away so they can’t get back in to games but again strikers are weird creatures. Austin scored quite a few last season when he joined but has struggled so far, if he gets on a roll then I am sure the goals will start flowing. Drawing today was awful but not terminal in our promotion/play off chances but we have to start winning games when we are on top. As for penalties sort it out!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, KennySim93 said:

Why's Coll taking a pen when Welsh scored one earlier in the game?  Surely he should have taken it again?

Unfortunately Welsh had been subbed by then.    

I've come to the (sad) realisation the maybe this is us and we can't get better!  Some good performances today and some awful displays.    Oakley was poor, as was the link play between him and Austin as almost nothing of a goal threat materialised from either,  Chalmers is a neat sideways passer of the ball.

Now, we know Polworth can be an excellent and important player for us but at this moment he is lacking his mojo big style, so many passes went astray it was quite saddening to see    

Once again our inability to kill of opponents is going to cost us, combined with our ability to shoot ourselves in the foot it's going to be a frustrating season friends.

  • Agree 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, caley100 said:

Unfortunately Welsh had been subbed by then.    

I've come to the (sad) realisation the maybe this is us and we can't get better!  Some good performances today and some awful displays.    Oakley was poor, as was the link play between him and Austin as almost nothing of a goal threat materialised from either,  Chalmers is a neat sideways passer of the ball.

Now, we know Polworth can be an excellent and important player for us but at this moment he is lacking his mojo big style, so many passes went astray it was quite saddening to see    

Once again our inability to kill of opponents is going to cost us, combined with our ability to shoot ourselves in the foot it's going to be a frustrating season friends.

As poor as today's performance was, that is a bit defeatist. We can get better. We demonstrated that during the last ten weeks of last season with substantially the same squad of players.

What is needed is more commitment, more belief and more consistency. Much of that is down to the players but some of it also to the manager and coaching staff.

  • Agree 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is always harder to play against 10 men; We were drawn into being over confident when we perished the opening 3 fixtures; We have finally unearthed a penalty taker; we remain unbeaten in the league; we are making chances; we have a better squad and changes are easier to consider or make; we are a better team away from home; looking like a league where many are capable of beating each other and there will be no runaway leaders - "Always look on the bright side of life" :cry:

  • Agree 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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. 

 

  • Confused 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Simply not good enough.  For me, I need to see much more passion, belief and desire to find space and drive forward for 90 mins, not ten in the first half and maybe 15 in the second?    Too many invisible players yesterday and yes, bizarre that our CB took the pen but who else wanted it?  He was perhaps a bit casual, but at least he wanted it.  As Mr Toepoker stated - an omnishambles.  I’m at Dunfermline next week and was there last year in the first game where we were royally humped. I’m not looking for a repeat.......

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Scotty unfeatured and unpinned this topic

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