BlackSocksRedTops

1 minute ago, buster. said:

Over the years we have often had a bad spell at this time of year.

 

Need to come out of it at St.Mirren and start scoring goals and winning matches again.

Agreed. I'm genuinely gutted tonight as I feel that the league is essentially done and dusted now. I really thought we were building momentum but it appears now we look like a team that will struggle that will put together a sustained run. Draws are as good as defeats these days and now that the Tims have ironed out much of their early season rustiness, our league challenge is over IMO.

3 minutes ago, rbr said:

You simply cant escape the effect the ref had in this game , yet another absolute roaster ,he saw things that no one else did , fouls you expect to go one way went the other , continually stopped play , and was very very lenient with his cards . 

The ref was poor but we didn't drop points because of him. We were just poor

3 minutes ago, Franc Ergs said:

Was really hoping for a reaction from the players after Sunday, but unfortunately just turned out to be more of the same, a lot of huffing and puffing ,with little substance.

Agreed. I hate to say this and single out a player but I'm beginning to be slightly concerned about the wisdom of bringing Lafferty in. I just don't see him fitting into our team and playing in a 2 with Morelos

Just now, der Berliner said:

We've been on top of them nigh all night, they simply set up to destroy and block ... get their worldy and have booters like Broadfoot who gets away with elbows and clear penalties.

 

Not much more we can ask from our players, we stay fourth and one hopes Killie shows that same effort against every team they play. 

 

To think some Bears wanted that chap Clarke as our manager gives me creeps ...

We need to define what being on top of teams means. Killie let us have the ball tonight so it's a given we are going to be more dominate with possession etc. Aberdeen did the same. To me that is not being "on top of teams". We created nothing over the last 3/4 games and barely gave the oppositions keepers anything to do.

13 minutes ago, Gaffer said:

We aren't doing much wrong.  We are moving the ball quickly, switching it well, and the movement is good too.  We just don't seem to be able to create a chance though.  There's not a lot wrong though, and we can't fault their effort.

Not creating many chances over the last 4 games suggests to me we are not doing much right at the moment.

4th game in a row we have created very, very little

This is brutal. We look like a team that has lost it's way. 

Not sure about Wes in goals. McGregor can be the difference between winning and losing. Strange one

Fantastic measured debate as ever. Bravo

As much as I hate our recent history of bringing back ex-players, if Davis is anywhere near the standard of 2/3 years ago, then it makes sense on a short term level. Our team was crying out for a player like Davis on sunday. 

3 minutes ago, DMAA said:

I don't see why not. I think it is a great thing for any team to be able to switch between 1 up front and 2 up front comfortably depending on your opposition or as an in-game change in response to how things are going. We're not there yet because we've only tried 2 up front for part of the Motherwell game I think. I think 1 striker with 3 attacking midfielders not far behind can and should work too but we need to start giving Middleton and Grezda game time, there hasn't been anywhere near enough rotation.

Fair points DMAA but I can't see SG playing the 2 up top. 

40 minutes ago, DMAA said:

Well if one thing's for sure it's that Gerrard can't complain of a lack of options to mix things up for Killie, and most of us will be demanding he does.

1. Go with 2 up front with Lafferty coming in and Coulibaly dropping out
2. Replace Coulibaly with Arfield and switch to a 4-2-3-1. Arfield increases our goal threat significantly when played in front of the midfield two.
3. Start Middleton ahead of Kent and maybe Grezda ahead of Candeias. Grezda hasn't proved himself yet but he certainly looked a player with real end product in his Wyscout video. Middleton for me is a far better shooter and is more likely to play a killer pass or put something on plate for Alfie or Lafferty.

Plenty of options. Gerrard better use at least one of them and not go with the same tactics and style because we've toiled to create anything in the past few games.

With regards to point 1, does anyone else think Lafferty and Moreles aren't suited as a front 2? I just can't see SG playing the 2 of them together. Would prefer to see Morelos with a creative player with an eye for goal just off him (hopefully Grezda).

3 minutes ago, Whosthedado said:

Advocaat in his time of charge would have changed it at half time or maybe even earlier. That's my main gripe with Mr Gerrard to date - the lack of subs or the timing of them 

Who the hell came up with the mind set of making subs at 60/70 mins (or even later). It's crazy. It was obvious to all that it wasn't working so make the changes. I would have hoped SG would be a proactive manager as opposed to reactionary when it came to subs.

There is no hoodoo as such but what seems clearer by the days/weeks is that we are  a very different team away from Ibrox.

12 minutes ago, Frankie said:

Another really frustrating day at Hampden.

 

We were by far the better team but once more we lacked composure in key areas and we're guilty of wasting too many set-pieces as well. Manager also culpable in terms of not changing things earlier. Given the 90mins we'd just played on Thursday, a sub around the hour mark wouldn't have done any harm.

 

I would say that as much as I understand people being upset, it is important not to be too downbeat though. Progress has been made and we needn't throw the baby out with the bath-water. In saying that, a win on Wednesday is vital and the ideal way to increase confidence once more.

 

PS: I thought Sadiq did fine yesterday - yes he probably fell out of the game a bit towards the end but in the first half he quite impressed me.

Agreed Frankie. I think the most frustrating thing was how we struggled make any impact on a truly dreadful Aberdeen team. On what I've seen this season Livingston are a level above Aberdeen (the table backs this up). It just feels like 2 steps forward then one back at the moment. Anyhoo...onwards and upwards. Sunday's game has added more spice/pressure/urgency to the game on wednesday. 3 pts is a must but I think we all want to see an improvement all over the park

4 minutes ago, Waltersgotstyle said:

I think you are underestimating how many chances Morelos creates for the team. His work rate and hold up play is forever improving. 

 

We also missed the drive of Arfield in midfield. 

 

The result is frustrating as Aberdeen were rank rotten.

I agree about Morelos but we have been equally toothless when he has played. 

3 minutes ago, Crimson Dynamo said:

For all the mentions of Gerrard having no Plan B yesterday. I feel it needs to be taken into consideration that yesterday was probably Plan C.

 

If Morelos hadn't have been booked then he starts which is Plan A. He got booked, therefore he was suspended so Lafferty would normally be Plan B.

 

Lafferty was cup tied so Sadiq was Plan C.

 

Was Sadiq a good Plan C? Probably not, Gerrard could maybe have played Middleton through the middle or taken a punt on Grezda.

 

But I think Gerrard seems to prefer Middleton as an impact player in the last 10 - 15 mins due to his pace and directness.  He might not have the same effect if he started and I'm not sure what the story is with Grezda.

 

Our squad is paper thin and the number of games and injuries may be starting to impact the team. Hopefully come January we can add a bit more depth which we don't really have at the moment. The future is still looking extremely bright as far as I'm concerned.

All the plans you have outlined revolve around the strikers. We should be able to change the game regardless of the striking personel (including Sadiq). If we made tons of chances and Sadiq couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo you could point fingers at him but we created next to nothing. That suggests to me that the striker option is not the core problem but our failings lie in the way we are set up behind the strikers. 

22 minutes ago, DMAA said:

And by the way, I wasn’t a Windass fan but there’s no doubt that we haven’t replaced his goals. And he’s actually been replaced by a central midfielder which has made us more defensive and less threatening. 

Windass was not the answer but I get where you coming from with regards to goals from midfield. I thought Coullibaly was the guy to do that but he is playing too deep IMO

32 minutes ago, JohnMc said:

Losing a match we should have won is always going to create a lot of anger. When that match is a cup semi against an average Aberdeen side it's even more galling. We dominated yet Aberdeen created the best two chances, that's the most damning thing. Our inability to carve out a proper clear cut chance has been shown before this season, if sides can defend in numbers against us we're largely incapable of breaking them down currently. 

 

That said, Morelos or Lafferty would have made a difference, a fit Barasic would have opened up the left flank, Flanagan simply doesn't offer an attacking threat. I also questioned the timing of the subs. It was clear to me 10 minutes into the 2nd half that we weren't going to break them down, something needed to change. No Rangers player ever made a front post run, our crossing was diabolical and there was a lack of speed throughout, although that was Aberdeen's tactics, stifling space and bogging us down. 

 

It could have been different, had Jack played in Candeias instead of shooting he'd have been in on goal with just the keeper to beat. Also, ironically, the bad injury their player took helped them. Candeias was skinning him every time they came together, but he was less effective against the sub they brought on. 

 

I don't think it's fair to single out Sadiq, he's barely played at all this season and, it seems, he's not at the standard required anyway. The goal we lost was poor, a simple cross into the box needs to be defended better than that. Our whole team played poorly, our tactics were wrong and our changes, when they finally came, were strange. This will sound primitive but I was surprised we didn't send Katic on for the last five plus injury time and play him up front, we were winning nothing in the air as it stood and something needed to change. 

 

It's a sore one, and not entirely unexpected either, we've struggled to create chances in recent matches. In the end Aberdeen played the match to a game plan that worked, we were culpable in letting them. 

 

Come January, we need a creative midfielder and another striker, without them we'll continue to stutter when it matters most. 

Good post John. Pretty sums up my own thoughts on the team and where we are at the moment

5 minutes ago, Gonzo79 said:

Coulibaly and Jack shouldn't be on the pitch at the same time, unless we're playing a side with better players. 

 

Tav should no longer take corners.

All players should be doing double sessions on crossing. How many times did we hit the first man today? I lost count

7 minutes ago, trublusince1982 said:

Gerrard is dreadful at making in game changes. Blame him today he should have changed things up earlier.

 

That aside same issues week after week. Sort the god damn corners out and tell them to drill the crosses when we get out wide and keep them low. This constant floating crosses and hitting the first man is infuriating.

 

Coulibaly is a defensive mid we are wasting him in the position we are playing him. We don't need two defensive mids against teams who sit deep and let us play. Grow a set and get another attacking midfielder in there.

That particular type of cross is a pet hate of mine. It's easy to defend as it sits up in the air for so bloody long. Please ban this pointless tactic Stevie

3 minutes ago, Bill said:

More than somewhat. You'd think after all we've been through we of all people would understand the extent of the job in front of Steven Gerrard. 

Hope is a bastard sometimes. Especially in football  We are making progress and we've brought in some good players. Another thing to remember is that outwith McGregor, Lafferty and Arfield the average age of our squad is very young

10 minutes ago, Bill said:

Seriously, did anyone really think Steven Gerrard, with limited funds, was going to get the entire rebuilding job done in a single transfer window?  If not, then why are we finding it so difficult to maintain composure over today's defeat?

I don't think anyone thought that to be fair. I think people are just venting a bit because despite coming a long way (since last season), we still struggled to make any impact on a dreadful Aberdeen team. The EL run has probably skewed perspective somewhat

2 minutes ago, rbr said:

Don't disagree , but think of where we are now , where we were at the end of last season and the turnover of players in and out .

 

I still maintain we are in a really good place and the good times will return , every team suffers from injuries and suspensions , we have been unlucky with these IMHO , and the manager held his hands up re Morales in the Ayr game .

 

However the over the top stuff is mental it really is , Im actually worried im getting old as I don't feel as bad as I would have 30 years ago.

Well said. I know I'll feel like this after a good nights kip. I think it's harder to stomach as it feels 2 steps forward then one step back.

Thanks for being a voice of reason