Looking for th offside flag

[Aim High]

Noticed in the BBC highlights that Grant's arm goes up looking for offside against the Dons first crack at goal. Think the Caley defenders did this a fair amount last session.Seem to remember we were 2 down in minutes against Hibs at Easter Road last year for precisely this. Surely the players have to carry on irrespective of whether they they think its offside. Ok the linesmen are often wrong but the defenders shouldn't stop running in the hope the flag will be raised.

[DJS]

I noticed that too.

You're right. The arm up strategy was a regular feature last term.

[Aim High]

I noticed that too.

You're right. The arm up strategy was a regular feature last term.

It was certainly noticeable last year and I'm quite sure hesitancy cost us a goal or two. Players should be fully committed and not holding back expecting the flag to be raised. Grant Munro does it quite often and it doesn't have any influence on the linesman, so what's the point?

[Tug]

this has been the topic of discussion around where i sit for a good season now. personally i think they aer all guilty of it not just grant. the other bit that i find uncomfortable to watch is how often there is acres of space behind rosscoe

[CaleyD]

Rossco isn't doing anything he hasn't done for as long as I can remember. The difference at the moment is that we have nobody covering his back. In the days of Mann or Dods they always had him covered and it was never a problem, and when Wilson was playing in front of him he would do the sprinting back to cover if they had both pushed forward to give Ross time to get back.

That hasn't happened since Dods left and since Wilson has been spending less and less time on the park. It really is something that Brewster should have picked up on (and CC before that) to rectify the situation, but they haven't. Rossco needs to be told to stop pushing forward so much or someone needs to be given clear instructions to go and fill the hole when he does.

As to the "hands up" for offside and fouls....that does my nut in no matter where it happens on the pitch. In every team sport I've played the first thing a coach should teach/tell you is that you play the whistle. You might influence the ref/linesman once in a blue moon if your lucky enough to catch them in two minds, but if they aren't already thinking of sticking the flag up or blowing the whistle then your just asking for trouble.

[Guest LB]

Noticed in the BBC highlights that Grant's arm goes up looking for offside against the Dons first crack at goal. Think the Caley defenders did this a fair amount last session.Seem to remember we were 2 down in minutes against Hibs at Easter Road last year for precisely this. Surely the players have to carry on irrespective of whether they they think its offside. Ok the linesmen are often wrong but the defenders shouldn't stop running in the hope the flag will be raised.

Completely agree, we see this all the time and it is very frustrating to watch!

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Good feckin point - it fair concerned me last season. To play the offside trap you have to either have a very organised, together defence or a defender with real pace to recover - we have neither,

Last season the main culprits were Rosscoe and Hastings who often dawdled when the shout came. Maguire on the other hand was often edgy and tended to hold back. Granty was guilty of putting the hands up on several occasions but surely he would have been responsible for the initial shout. I feel that Granty learned the "push" form Dods who regularly held his hand up but was always in the stance to try and recover.

Fraser used to be of little help but he improved last season when he played the "sweeper" role a lot better.

Surely this has been practised in feckin training. I dont mind Granty giving the shout and putting his hands up as long as the line comes out together, the central defenders position themselves to play on and recover and Mikey is on his feckin toes to "sweep".

[4ize]

Nothing new, unfortunately - this has been going on for much of our time in the SPL. Given the confidence most of us have in most of our wonderful match officials I find it baffling that the defence remain so optimistic, but there must be fifteen or twenty times each season where the back four are caught looking like something out of a deodorant advert while an opposition player closes in on goal and the flag stays firmly down. And that's just at home games.

Edited August 15, 2008 by 4ize