DMAA

And there it is

3 minutes ago, craig said:

And yet strangely enough in the second half they are the ones hanging on.... thus far

Can’t question the commitment of the players in this half. We are penning back a much better team we are just badly lacking quality. 

.

1 minute ago, craig said:

Cruising they may have been a bit that doesn’t negate the fact they haven’t troubled McGregor.

 

They were the better team first half but they didn’t force McGregor into one save.

I acknowledged that but it was a bit much to say they wouldn’t score tonight without a penalty. 

Kamara looks like Iniesta at the moment. 

Kent is the most frustrating player to watch ??‍♂️

1 minute ago, Uilleam said:

One where the opposition had not troubled our goalkeeper. What game are you watching?

There is more to it than that though. We look knackered already. They look a lot faster, fitter, stronger and better. It looks like men against boys, even if they haven’t tested the keeper yet. I think their strategy is to be patient and tire us out and pounce if we shoot ourselves in the foot which we did and probably will again. 

1 minute ago, Uilleam said:

Exactly, and despite our sloppiness 

They are cruising and tiring us out. If they keep this up spaces will start to open up as we tire. 

5 minutes ago, Uilleam said:

Actually, it was the only way they were going to score. 

What game are you watching?

2 minutes ago, Bill said:

Wouldn’t matter who we were playing if we can’t string three passes together. 

Front players aren’t taking any pressure off the team, they just keep giving it away, Kent in particular. 

Playing a world class side and this is how we gift them a goal

What a stupid way to lose a goal if this penalty is given. 

You can tell that this is a Champions League level side. Easily the best side we’ve played this season. 

17 minutes ago, cooponthewing said:

I hate to be "that guy" but it's just a glorified friendly tonight. Strange feel about it?

It feels strange for a number of reasons. Return leg will be behind closed doors which itself is an injustice. The competition almost certainly won’t be completed and even if it is it will be without crowds for a lot of the games which is just not the same thing. 
 

It also feels strange because I feel like e season is already over and it’s just the same as it was going into European game earlier i the season. Hopefully the players prove me wrong but I don’t have a good feeling going into this one. 

11 minutes ago, MoodyBlue1872 said:

and even though Jack hasn't been performing since the break, it shows how much we miss him.  

I feel sorry for Jack because he has been hampered by injury since our season turned around. Even when he has played I don't think he's been 100% and the fact he's had a re-occurrence of it maybe confirms that. I think @Bill has been proved right in highlighting his importance to the side for a long time.

10 hours ago, Gonzo79 said:

We have no chance on current form.  

 

I've been watching us, except for the 1st half of the game at Tynecastle and we are all over the place, with no spine, no desire and a complete lack of confidence. 

 

Unless something drastic happens, the vermin will finish about 20 points ahead of us.

A change to 3-5-2 would be pretty drastic and only something like that could rejuvenate our season like the change to the 4-3-2-1 did last season.

We simply can't keep playing the current formation or the current formation with tweaks, the players have lost confidence in it like they had with the 4-3-3 last season.

18 hours ago, Rousseau said:

It looked more like a situational back three towards the end (I saw Beale telling Kent to get wide): Polster tucked in, with Barisic high and wide on the left and Kent high and wide on the right -- this suits Kent, as @DMAA has been saying for a while. 

 

Also lets us get two strikers on.

 

 

At long last! He could do very well wide right in a 3-5-2. And in games where the opposition are camped in it gives us an extra man in an attacking position. 

14 minutes ago, ian1964 said:

 

It’s a shame because if we had maintained our 2019 form his value would be far higher. What you can ask for shoots up when you win the league and qualify for the CL. 

Quote

 

Morelos season overall:

30 goals (expected goals of 28.3)

194 shots (4 shots per game) 

 

Morelos 2020 overall:

1 goal (expected goals of 4.25)

36 shots (4.5 shots per game)

 

I saw this on Twitter. He had two goals wrongly chopped off but they would have pushed the expected goals number up too. He'd needs to get his focus back.

3 hours ago, cooponthewing said:

Andy Halliday is one of the phew who can't be accused of lacking fight or desire! Why was he sent out to face the press? What's happening?

That is bizarre. 

I think the mentality theory is without question now. We had a shaky start in January but still won 3 home games out of 3 without conceding a goal. It was worrying but in the context of two new signings coming in and a number of key players being out it wasn't a reason to panic.

But rather than find our feet and gradually improve as players came back from injury and suspension and new signings bedded in, we have gradually got worse and have only now hit what must be rock bottom on the 4th of March.

What's worse is the nature of the goals conceded and chances missed. It is clear that something is badly wrong in the psychology of the players. Our forward players are spurning easy chances repeatedly. Our defenders have gifted almost every goal we have conceded. Something has clearly gone in their heads. 

I've no idea how to fix it other than to make bigger changes than Gerrard has been prepared to make up until now. Bringing in Kamberi for Kent was a sign of progress, Gerrard crosssed a red line he hadn't crossed all season when he dropped Kent. His staunch defence of Kent after his goal in Braga was worrying. Morelos, Goldson and Tavernier should probably be next. 

Total humiliation. 

4 minutes ago, PoohBear said:

Only one reason it happened today and that's an absolutely appalling piece of defending by Goldson.  Just what he was trying to do I have no idea.

There’s something badly wrong in the psychology of the players at both end of the pitch

1 minute ago, Rousseau said:

They've done nothing, yet score.

How does this keep happening just now? Teams create nothing against us and yet keep scoring. 

23 hours ago, Rousseau said:

With the injuries it's a good opportunity to try something different. 

 

I think Kamara will be drafted in -- He's had a wee break, anyway. 

 

Davis needs a break. 

 

I'd like to see a front two.

 

Gerrard was known for a 3-4-1-2 / 3-4-2-1 with the Liverpool Youths, so: 

 

Kamberi - Morelos

 

Hagi

 

Barisic - Kamara - Aribo - Tavernier

 

Edmundson - Katic - Goldson

 

McGregor

That’s exactly the team I would like. But there is next to no chance of it unfortunately.