What lineup would you like to see us play?

[johnnyk 158]

On his game Barry is the best midfielder we have IMO and arguably the best in Scotland, but he has not been playing well for some time and should maybe be dropped/rested (he's not the only one) but only if we have players good enough to replace him or players playing better.

 

Hemdani has also been poor and I wouldn't drop BF for him, and I wouldn't even quote Adam and Faye

 

We should maybe see how Thomson and Davis do together when Thomson gets back to full fitness (soon hopefully) and put BF on the bench?

 

Dare I say it we could even try buffel but he's certainly not the long term answer for me no way but maybe due a chance as we have been very poor in midfield recently.

 

The problem is we don't have that many players who can come in and at this stage of the season bringing in a young player could be suicidal so that's a no go as well.

 

IMO Barry has the experience we need and want at this crucial time and I can't see WS dropping him at all and he has a case as we have not got many to come in and take his place.

 

:cheers:

[calscot 0]

Nonsense IMO

 

So just because someone is first choice means they should play whatever? Thats why there is such a split on Ferguson as it is, because a lot of fans know how inconsistant he is. If a player knows he is guarenteed to be picked then whats the point in him even training during the week?

 

And if 3rd pick isnt doing the business he should continue ahead of those untried who may do better (Gow).

 

Hey, I think it's nonsense to continually want to play unproven, fringe players ahead of established players who have proven themselves by taking us to the top of the SPL, into the CL (with a decent enough showing), to the League cup final, and keeping us in the Scottish cup and UEFA cup.

 

Your preferred formation is the same one that was a previously a disaster for us and you would like us to play a team full of players that most people think are second choice or substandard - including our very successful manager for whom you unfathomably have no respect for.

 

All this at a time when we haven't won a trophy for two years.

 

It is no wonder that you are never happy with the team selection.

 

The nearest Walter came to pleasing you with his team, including dropping Ferguson is when we were gubbed by Hearts...

 

You may be great at FM but in the real world, it's pretty obvious that WS easily trounces you for management skills.

[Gazza_8 233]

I see what you're saying Calscot but I agree with Gribz to an extent too. When a player is off form he should be dropped/rested. Now, I'm not saying the likes of Buffel or Gow should get the dropped/rested players place but we have a squad strong enough with players that WS likes and trusts to do a job for us.

[ascender 352]

Fergie is a strange one though, you have to admit that? He's obviously playing nowhere near the levels that he can do, but he obviously brings something to the team, contributes "something" that we miss when he doesn't play. So is that something that I, who's never been a pro footballer, just can't see or understand?

 

Does that make sense? He's been playing and we've been winning, but while I'm not one for making knee-jerk team changes, he has been awful at times, particularly recently and does seem to spend his time moaning at team-mates and insisting everything goes through him. Which is difficult when he's not on form.

 

I don't think any player should be an automatic pick as it just leads to some players getting lazy and resting on their laurels. But at the same time, the team is still winning.

[craig 5,199]

The tricky thing with Ferguson is that we need to be maintaining our 4 point lead at the moment and when we DID drop him (or rest him...) we got pumped.

 

Do we risk dropping him and getting beat ? We havent lost in the league since October with him in the team. Could it be that even not playing well he brings out the best in others ?

 

Could it be that we expect so much more from him yet even his mediocre displays are better than most in the SPL ?

 

I hate players being automatic picks as they arent as motivated - but at this stage of the season it is very difficult for the manager to simply drop your most influential player to bring in someone who is untried, untested, hasnt played or who you simply dont trust.

 

One thing for sure is that WS is damned if he does and damned if he doesnt with Ferguson - if he doesnt drop him and we lose points it will be WS' fault for not dropping BF. If we drop him and we lose points it will again be WS' fault for dropping him.

 

The only situation that WS wins in is if Gers keep winning (lets hope..) - and I just cant see him dropping BF when we havent been defeated in the league for so long !

[Gribz 847]

Hey, I think it's nonsense to continually want to play unproven, fringe players ahead of established players who have proven themselves by taking us to the top of the SPL, into the CL (with a decent enough showing), to the League cup final, and keeping us in the Scottish cup and UEFA cup.

 

Nobody continually wants unproved players to be played, but some of us want them to get a CHANCE especially when others are struggling. You've said it yourself above we are in 4 competitions so our squad should be used a lot better and first team picks should get a rest so there form doesnt dip.

 

Your preferred formation is the same one that was a previously a disaster for us and you would like us to play a team full of players that most people think are second choice or substandard - including our very successful manager for whom you unfathomably have no respect for.

 

Why was it a disater for us last time - because players were played out of position. I dont like to use Celtic as an example but MON get the best out of 3-5-2. Anyway Im all for 4-4-2 if we have the correct players aswell.

 

All this at a time when we haven't won a trophy for two years.

 

Precisely - And why is that? Maybe becuase its those who I mention as playing poor continually still being in the team. Maybe of others were given a chance we may have had silverware in the past 2 seasons and not went thorugh out worst patch in some of our lifetimes.

 

It is no wonder that you are never happy with the team selection.

Is anyone happy with it week in week out? No

 

The nearest Walter came to pleasing you with his team, including dropping Ferguson is when we were gubbed by Hearts...

Mind reading now are you? IMO he dropped him at the wrong time. Id have dropped him for Gretna last Sunday with Hearts in mind this Wednesday.

You may be great at FM but in the real world, it's pretty obvious that WS easily trounces you for management skills

Nope, I dont play FM if you must know. WS would rightly trounce my football management skills due to experience at the real thing. But Im not alone in saying I dont know what he see's in Adam and i wouldnt be playing him right now - thats one decision id be better than WS right now.

[Gribz 847]

PS - Ferguson has been very poor / average of late and a rest would have done no harm.

 

I agree with Ascender and Mike that if he is guaranteed a start then it leads to players getting lazy.

 

But there is a correct time to rest Ferguson and that would have beenlast Sunday. I know he is capable of turning a game for us and he is due a good game so id have rested him on Sunday with a big game against Hearts coming up.

[calscot 0]

I'm sure a season or so ago, you would have been saying Adam needs a chance, so who is to say that he would not benefit with more of a run in the team? After all he's contributed far more than Sebo...

 

Thing is Adam is 3rd choice in that position so he's not getting a game just because Walter likes him, it's because he's considered one of the best of the rest for that position.

 

In the end he did get dropped against Gretna for our 4th choice, Naismith, who I hear had a poor game.

 

For someone who complains of players being played out of position, I can't fathom why in the world you would want Gow to get his chance there...

 

So it seems to me that, unless McCulloch is fit and on form or Beasley has a miraculous recovery, Adam is likely to have a good shout for the left mid position.

 

As for Ferguson, few teams drop their captain and we were bitten the last time we did.

 

Just because it's "only Gretna" does not mean we should be complacent - they were better than Celtic not so long ago and only lost to a couple of terribly naive late goals. Imagine the furore if we had dropped Bazza and lost or drawn?

 

WS has to live with that as he doesn't have the luxury of counting points in the bag before the game has been played. Armchair managers do that all the time.

 

He did shuffle the pack and we still didn't play particularly well; however, we didn't for a minute look like we'd lose - a big change from the last two seasons.

 

We easily have the most successful team since the treble and this squad still has time to eclipse their more expensively assembled predecessors.

 

Walter seems to know what he's doing, so why can't we get behind him?

[calscot 0]

PS Ferguson may have been average of late but IMHO he's still been better than Hemdani. If anyone should be dropped it should be the latter, which his injury has forced Walter to do anyway.

 

Davis may have had a good game but it still didn't lift the team and he's looked ordinary most of the time since he got here. Faye will hopefully never play for us again and so whether you like it or not, Ferguson has pretty much been our best central midfielder of late, even though he's way below his own standards.

 

When there is someone genuinely competing for his place, then maybe it's time to drop him.

 

To mention Buffel to do this would be insulting to Barry as the Belgian has shown nowhere near the commitment of our captain and wants to leave in any case. Tam has been dropped by 3 managers so it's unlikely to be too personal from WS.

 

So the point is that while Fergie and Adam are not on form, we have few proven choices to come in and replace them without a huge risk to our 4pt lead.

 

Walter is going to give players the chance just for the sake of it, this year is too important and winning the league really is far too crucial. His reputation and job are on the line, and there's no way he's going to blow it by messing with the core team in an attempt to produce more "entertaining" football.

 

He and many others will be very happy if we win the league ugly.

[Guest Stephen Rankin]

Stephen,

 

There is no way Papac could play right back. He is far too one footed to be able to play over there. He has played well but I reckon he would be like a fish out of water at RB.

 

I don't see why we don't play him there. Whittaker is a RB, we play him LB sometimes. Broadfoot played LB for a short period of time against Panathanaikos, surely it can work the other way?