Hampden Calling

[STFU]

Results improving as duff signings are out injured and Ferguson is having to use players that were here already and not being utilised?

I also see from the P&J that the standard of pitches is now being used as an excuse for poor past performances.

Really not sure he should be getting the praise some are bestowing upon him for masterminding anything.  Save it for the players who are the ones working hard and literally putting their bodies on the line to save the season.

Raith will be a tougher match on Friday.  They'll have one eye on playoff preparations so I think we need to go at them and hope they're not interested in over exerting themselves or picking up bookings and injuries.

Any points keeps things in our own hands and stops QP from any chance of immediately leapfrogging us again on Saturday.

Everything crossed.

[ICTPaisley]

3 hours ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

"we never looked likely to score" ?!! - Billy and Lawal missed absolute sitters. Billy missed a clear chance in the first half and we had 2-3 efforts blocked. As I alluded to before Samuel is our ONLY up front option. Billy and Doran were played due to the need for their presence and we went 5 at the back  - but still should have won comfortably.

When Billy was one on one did you actually feel like he was going to score? We played some nice football and a couple times done well to catch them on a quick break, but something is missing at that end of the pitch just now. 

[ICTPaisley]

1 hour ago, Yngwie said:

I’m struggling to think of many direct free kicks we’ve scored in recent years. Having to go back as far as Barry Robson for the last player I can recall who you could trust to either score or at least make the keeper work hard.

Richie Hart wasn’t too bad but not much after. 

[STFU]

Greg Tansey

[Robert]

30 minutes ago, STFU said:

 

I also see from the P&J that the standard of pitches is now being used as an excuse for poor past performances.

That’s a strange one given we’ve picked up most of our points away from home and our own pitch has been perfect all season.

A younger Aaron Doran was pretty useful at free kicks and Sean Welsh had a few too (when fit). 

Edited April 14 by Robert

[mazza20]

1 hour ago, Yngwie said:

I’m struggling to think of many direct free kicks we’ve scored in recent years. Having to go back as far as Barry Robson for the last player I can recall who you could trust to either score or at least make the keeper work hard.

I still have nightmares about Chalmers smacking the crossbar against Hearts in the cup semi final 5 years ago ...

[Duke of Inverness]

50 minutes ago, mazza20 said:

I still have nightmares about Chalmers smacking the crossbar against Hearts in the cup semi final 5 years ago ...

I just have nightmares about Joe Chalmers on general. You knew his corners were unlikely to get past the opposition player on the front post. He made Lewis Horner look like Messi. 

[tm4tj]

 

[Tom_Weir]

1 hour ago, STFU said:

Results improving as duff signings are out injured and Ferguson is having to use players that were here already and not being utilised?

Poke at that narrative a bit and I'm not sure it stands up at all. Do you mean Carragher and Savage? That's really stretching the definition of duff. Or McAllister, who scored our last direct free kick goal, against Morton a few weeks ago, and if I remember right set up the other one in that game? I'm as happy as anyone to see Aaron Doran in again and Danny Devine at Hampden but I think the brief answer to your question is, no.

[Duke of Inverness]

19 minutes ago, tm4tj said:

 

You only need to watch the first 30 seconds tbh

[STFU]

38 minutes ago, Tom_Weir said:

Poke at that narrative a bit and I'm not sure it stands up at all. Do you mean Carragher and Savage? That's really stretching the definition of duff. Or McAllister, who scored our last direct free kick goal, against Morton a few weeks ago, and if I remember right set up the other one in that game? I'm as happy as anyone to see Aaron Doran in again and Danny Devine at Hampden but I think the brief answer to your question is, no.

By 'duff signings' I mean no better than we had or not necessary as opposed to a direct reference to individual player quality.

Poorly worded on my part.

[Badly_Drawn]

3 hours ago, Yngwie said:

I’m struggling to think of many direct free kicks we’ve scored in recent years. Having to go back as far as Barry Robson for the last player I can recall who you could trust to either score or at least make the keeper work hard.

Didn't McAleer score a peach of a one in our first leg play-off final against St Johnstone - in which up to that point we'd been destroyed? Admittedly they are few and far between.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

2 hours ago, ICTPaisley said:

When Billy was one on one did you actually feel like he was going to score? We played some nice football and a couple times done well to catch them on a quick break, but something is missing at that end of the pitch just now. 

Of course I thought he would score and it was an absolute sitter - almost as bad as Lawal - which would have put us in cruise control. I actually thought that Billy would score in the first half as well. We had five at the back - Ridgers and 4 stalwarts + Kerr. We had Anderson and Longstaff battling away in central midfield. And the "problem" was that Doran was playing in a drifting role and played more sideways and backwards passes than anyone else. Billy was in a number 10 role but rarely supported Samuel. Samuel is the blessing. He does the work of two forwards BUT he is NOT a target man. BUT he is our ONLY real attacking option. Doran and Billy were whacked when taken off. I suspect that we will go for the same on Friday as Lawal and Peeps are not really starting options. Only one thing for it which was only too evident yesterday - Dogs of War football.

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

52 minutes ago, STFU said:

By 'duff signings' I mean no better than we had or not necessary as opposed to a direct reference to individual player quality.

Poorly worded on my part.

When you are forced to shop at Poundland and the more promising loanees break down then you actually are left with the choice of the duffers on the sale shelves.

[STFU]

4 minutes ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

When you are forced to shop at Poundland and the more promising loanees break down then you actually are left with the choice of the duffers on the sale shelves.

If you go shopping without appreciating what's already in the cupboard and support the concept of quantity over quality then maybe.

[CaleyCiuin]

1 hour ago, Tom_Weir said:

Poke at that narrative a bit and I'm not sure it stands up at all. Do you mean Carragher and Savage? That's really stretching the definition of duff. Or McAllister, who scored our last direct free kick goal, against Morton a few weeks ago, and if I remember right set up the other one in that game? I'm as happy as anyone to see Aaron Doran in again and Danny Devine at Hampden but I think the brief answer to your question is, no.

Chilokoa - Mullen is out long term too, but so is Gilmour & Shaw who Duncs did not sign. 

[Yngwie]

36 minutes ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

When you are forced to shop at Poundland

Not even that. We rake in the bins round the back of Poundland these days!

[caley1]

Let’s just all get behind the team on Friday and act as the 12th man . More important we all keep the positives for now and put this play off spot to bed . 

Edited April 14 by caley1

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]