Negative Tactics

[Guest Get_off_the_park_Wyness!]

Was anyone else mystified when we took on Roy McBain with 15 minutes to go?

When Bazza got injured the obvious solution would have been to bring on another winger (Paatelinen and Sutherland were chomping at the bit on the bench) but we take on a defensive midfielder (when we already have Russel Duncan in there), and in doing so shift Richie Hart - who was having an outstanding game in the centre, out onto the right where he's less effective.

It didn't make any sense. Surely we need to be going all out to beat the likes of Falkirk at home? And what happened to Charlies pledge to give the youngsters a chance? Paatelinen has scored 2 goals in 2 games (forget the huns game where he only got a few minutes) yet he's behind Roy McBain and Rory Mcallister in the pecking order.

I'm not having a go at McBain, he's a decent player and he did OK when he came on, but he's not the type of player you bring on if you're pushing for a goal. The game was there to be won, as it turned out we were lucky to get a point.

[Pele_Is_God]

Wasn't at the game but was shocked to see Paatelainen absent from the team sheet.Also it's obvious Rory is not good enough so why bring him on? CC should of given 1 of the youngsters a chance.Saying that it's still a decent point and still got a good chance of finishing 7th.

[Jay_7]

I'd liked to have seen Paatelainen starting.  When Wilson got injured, Sutherland would have been a better choice.  Bringing on McAllister was completely wrong IMO, the boy has no presence.  I'd like to have seen Wood brought on instead of Rory.

[Scarlet Pimple]

I saw Rory  recently in the Canadian Under 20's game and wonder whether the fans who have seen him regularly feel that he has the "dig" required to be successful.

In the Vancouver game  he came on with some ten minutes to go in cold wet conditions so I suspended judgement but would ask whether you think that at his current  level of development he is displaying the aggressive , even vicious, determination to really make his mark ?

I am not suggesting that he aimlessly runs around like a chicken with it's head cut off  but is he ever going to be a hard nosed S.O.B. who uses his height, weight and youthful energy when he gets the ball to drive forward with intent to over-run the enemy and cause maximum discomfort to them?

I just get intuitive feelings , like the ones I got about McNeil, the Hibs goalie , in that Under 20's match that made me nervous about his positioning  and attitude relating to ball distribution right from the word go...

:024:

Dunno..... just asking ?

[chris123]

mcbain was brilliant when he came on and can be a very attacking player when his confidence is high

he gets alot of (IMO) undeserved stick and i think he is up there with hastings and munro as being one of our most consistent players

[kencar]

I'm not sure about negative tactics more so lack of tactics. Falkirk had 2 big centre half's one of which (Milne?) is basically a giant. Our plan? Punt the ball up in the hopes that Bayne and Dargo!!! may win something in the air! What was the point in that?

Going to the match I was expecting to see the same team that lined up against Rangers starting albeit with Mcaffrey replacing Dods. Really not sure why Wilson was brought back into the starting line up at the expense of Markus.

Then Wilson gets injured - looked like cracked ribs and Mcbain is brought on? Why??

Mcbain was not brilliant. He came on and did OK at best but Hart was playing relatively well in the middle (no way was he MoTM by the way - I had a laugh as that was announced and he duly passed the ball straight out of the park!!) then he was moved wide right and it could be argued that his powder puff tackle at the half way line lead to the Falkirk goal!!

So Falkirk score and I fear the worst. The bugle sounds and Charlie brings on.....Rory McAllister!! The fans heart sink. I'm sorry I've run out of patience with him. He isn't going to make it. His contribution today was a truly dire pass whilst in a promising attacking position and nearly nicely settin up a second goal for Falkirk.

I feared the worst we got an equaliser. We should have won this game but didn't. I'll take the draw simply because we probably didn't deserve it  :008:

[Alex MacLeod]

Sorry Kencar, I must have gone to a different game to you. I thought Hart was MoM. BBC Radio thought Hart was MoM. Sponsors thought Hart was MoM. Setanta pundits thought Hart was MoM. Yogi hughes thought Hart was MoM.

McBain, when he got into his game, done some good work.

Our tactics were ok today. We set out to stop Falkirk playing and we done just that. Agree there was a period where we seemed to be punting but that was dictated by the opposition. We also had some good on the ground movements, especially in the first half.

Strange how every other pundit thinks we should have won it.....

[RednBlackComeback]

It could be argued that the changes were spot on......................... we scored.

Game should have been won in the first half though. We deserved at least a draw !

[kencar]

and yet we didn't and were incredibly lucky to get a draw  :006:

Latapy was the best player on the pitch

[Alex MacLeod]

Latapy was stopped from doing what he does best.

[tm4tj]

He may be the best player on the pitch, but he certainly was not the best performer on the pitch.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

What the feck is going on here ??  :008: :008: Are ya feckin having a go at CC's tactics !!

[RiG]

Latapy was the best player on the pitch

Get away! :015:

He passed the ball around in standard Falkirk "tippy tappy" style but how much did he really create? He never stamped his authority on the game like he did down in Grangemouth during that horrendous pummelling we took back in December.

[dead_ball_specialist]

Why can't Richie Hart play like that every week? He always seems to do well when he comes back into the first team after a spell on the sidelines - only to fade away and slacken off once he's established himself. Hopefully he can maintain his level of performance for a bit longer this time around. Perhaps the imminent arrival of new competition in the form of Don Cowie will give him the push he needs.

The McBain substitution was inexplicable. Charlie took pelters from the fans after his perverse decision to take on attacking subs against Celtic when we were 1-0 up. Today he got his logic upside down again. More ammunition to his die-hard critics. Zander Sutherland should have gotten a run out. He ran Falkirk ragged when he started against them before. If nothing else, he's the type of player the fans pay to see.

On a side note, it was a bad decision to throw McAllister into the mix when we did. It can't have done his already lagging confidence any good being asked to hit the ground running is a high pressure situation like that. Last minute cameos where there are no margins for error are the last thing he needs right now.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

It is shurely no secret that there is no love lost between CC and Hart.

[CaleyD]

Why can't Richie Hart play like that every week? He always seems to do well when he comes back into the first team after a spell on the sidelines - only to fade away and slacken off once he's established himself. Hopefully he can maintain his level of performance for a bit longer this time around. Perhaps the imminent arrival of new competition in the form of Don Cowie will give him the push he needs.

Interesting point and one which I have a theory on....

Richie Hart'd ego is what generates this phenomenomenon.  A spell on the sidelines starves that ego and drives him to play well to generate plaudits to feed it.  Once it's had it's fill it becomes elf perpetuating until such time as it's hidden away on the sidelines again and starved for a while.

[Kind of Blue]

Hart had an excellent game and deserved to win the MoM award.  He must be given more starts if he can maintain that type of performance.

I can't understand why Paatelainen did not figure in the game.  We were crying out for his direct play and clever use of the ball.