The Sons v East Fife, Tuesday 19/7/16

[untitled00]

I think we're missing a Josh Falkingham style midfielder and a a striker with genuine pace and a poaching instinct.

Ah, sound. We'll just pull a rapid 20 goal a season striker from out of our arse then? Problem solved.

We were woeful. You're probably right that we can get better because if we can't, we're fucked.

Tonight was 2 things : bad tactics and dreadful organisation. The amount of times runners would bypass our midfield untracked was criminal. We looked disorganised and lacklustre going forward, often taking far too long to move the ball - I'd expect this to improve with match sharpness etc but it's still downright concerning how little a threat we carried tonight.

Echo the points about lack of subs. We're down to 10 men getting beat 2-0. No-one is expecting miracles, what's the worst that can happen? Surely in a game where the result is more or less assured either way is as good a time as any to give a couple of players a chance to see what they can do?

[cameron2000]

He started at centre half.

Gallagher was in midfield and the fullbacks were Docherty and Pettigrew. It wasn't a back 3 as the 2 wide men weren't covering as wingbacks. Fleming was playing beside Buchanan but was regularly out of position, leaving Bucky on his own.

We played 4 at the back the majority of the game Gallagher, Buchy, Petitigrew, Docherty. For no reason at times Fleming dropped in as a 3rd centre back and Gallagher and Docherty bombed forcing Stirling and Smith to come inside where they were largely irrelevant.

[sonsism]

First of all, East Fife were great tonight and played us off the park.

Gallagher is a fucking idiot - red card all day long.  Thought he might have been turning a corner after Saturday, clearly not.  Stirling looks like a threat going forward but needs to stop with the dramatics.  Fantastic tackle by an EF player on him to start off the move that ended with their 2nd goal and he's on his arse on the ground crying about something.  Bit too much throwing himself to the floor for my liking too. 

That game was reminiscent of so many games last season.  Very concerning.  I wasn't Aitken's biggest fan last year but I thought after his first campaign with us he'd improve, change up the game-plan and have the chance to build a new squad for this season.  Granted it is still 'pre-season' but it certainly seems like the "same old shit". 

As for the few positives, Todd looked lively and I can see why we've recruited him.  McCallum is a good wee player to have to run at tired legs and he definitely contributed during his small time on the park.  Smith didn't have his best game but he's an absolute grafter.

As has been said, it is still early doors but I've never felt this pessimistic this early on in the season.  The thought of us playing a full-time team in a league game currently is frightening. 

 

[Naught A Chance]

Fleming was definetly playing a defensive midfield role, he sat back to allow our full backs to push further up.

[BallochSonsFan]

Gallagher was nowhere near right back early in the game. Pettigrew had to go wider to cover. Fleming dropped back to partner Buchanan. It was why Buchanan and Fleming were arguing with each other after the East Fife opener. Gallagher didnt even particularly stick to wide midfield early in the game as a fullback pushing forward would perhaps have been expected to.

If Gallagher was told to play right back from the start of the game then he was ignoring his gaffer's instructions because he was playing everywhere but fullback at the start of the match.

 

[cedrick1]

Well let's wait stevies post match views this time. 

I back other comments made about he use of subs in these games . 

Mad with Saturday doc pushing forward too much and both goals came from his side . Also as good as pettigrew had been at right back he had disappointed at centre . 

Gall stevo and fax could/ should all have walked tonight as we appeared to lose it. 

Worrying times I'm afraid 

 

[squeezeboxson]

I thought it was quite clearly a back 4 with Garry sitting in front. When the full backs (Docherty and Gallagher) pushed forward Gaz dropped Deeping essentially creating a back 3 with wing backs.

[supersons]

Another point to add, if Kevin Smith scored against us we must be honking

[lorenzo71]

garry shouldnt be in that position....should be gallagher.fleming and thomson up front supported by stevo  stirling and smith.

[Jan Vojáček]

9 minutes ago, squeezeboxson said:

I thought it was quite clearly a back 4 with Garry sitting in front. When the full backs (Docherty and Gallagher) pushed forward Gaz dropped Deeping essentially creating a back 3 with wing backs.

Aye that's how I saw it. Although I think the FBs got lazy, stayed to high up (thus marking their wingers out of the game) and forced Gaz deep. The amount of times EF players ran at us with our full-backs jogging from the halfway line (in the first half especially) was ridiculous. 

We have no formation, and no shape. The fact that we don't even know who played where can only highlight how woefully organised we were.

Edit: Meant to add, and I know he'll be horrific, but I don't see what we can lose by playing Barclay on Saturday. Might as well see if he looks half interested - and failing that he'll fill the goal pretty effectively. 

[lorenzo71]

1 minute ago, Sonsteam of 08 said:

Aye that's how I saw it. Although I think the FBs got lazy, stayed to high up (thus marking their wingers out of the game) and forced Gaz deep. The amount of times EF players ran at us with our full-backs jogging from the halfway line (in the first half especially) was ridiculous. 

We have no formation, and no shape. The fact that we don't even know who played where can only highlight how woefully organised we were.

Hopefully its a wakeup call.We have a decent first 11 if and when they are organized.Its early days but its clear we really need to get real and put in some decent performances.

[Bring Back Paddy Flannery]

Another point to add, if Kevin Smith scored against us we must be honking

Kevin Smith tore us a new arse tonight.

He was far superior to any player in a Sons shirt.

[squeezeboxson]

Also want to mention, it is great having wingers who are *meant to be* good/dangerous going forward. But it leave us ridiculously exposed at the back. I think the 1st goal really summed it up a's Stirling was in the centre circle whilst Sparky had a 2 on 1 situation before the cross went in for the header.

 

Also want to add, Smith and Lamont were the best 2 players on the park tonight...

[optimistic]

50 minutes ago, cameron2000 said:

Awaiting a huge over reaction. East Fife were brilliant. We were unbelievably bad but I'm certain we will get better. I think we're missing a Josh Falkingham style midfielder and a a striker with genuine pace and a poaching instinct.

Gallagher should have had a free kick, how he never, baffled me, but he fully deserved his red card for kicking out, 

Fleming shouldn't be near that team at the moment, Smith was a passenger, 

The defending was abysmal, both goals, where Docherty was nowhere near his man for the crosses, (again), a three doesn't work, 

Only positives I noticed, were, Todd was excellent coming in from the right, has to start there I think, instead of Smith

Stirling got stronger and better as the game wore on, things weren't working up top with Fleming and Thomson, but I do think the Pace is there in mccallum, he was excellent when he came on, skilful, definitely stronger, and I think there's undoubtedly a partnership to be developed with him and Thomson, and both unlucky not to score each, chances were definitely created, 

Stevie has a lot to decipher, or he won't be here at Xmas,

Congratulations to east fife though, clinical, dangerous on the break, clever once winning, 

Oh, and a clever cm who can pick a pass, and another striker please, undoubtedly required

 

[Howlin' Wilf]

Our league cup misery usually only lasts one or two games. This section format is prolonging the agony.

We looked totally lost. If it's any help, Garry lined up as centre back at the kick off and was definitely assuming that role earlier in the game. Pass marks for Todd but really there was very, very little encouraging out there tonight. I suppose there was a crumb of comfort in not conceding any more when Gal was sent off.

As has been said, East Fife looked fitter, batter organised and hungrier than we did.

In the words of the late David Francey, "Dear oh dear oh dear!"

[Nowhereman]

What an absolutely woeful performance.

Garry Fleming. As a centre half. Honest to fucking Jehovah, we started the game with Fleming as a centre half. Stevie realised that it was a complete wankpuffin of an idea and brought Pettigrew inside, punting Gallagher to right back but still...

No complaints tonight. We were utterly dire. That Sons performance was devoid of any quality. East Fife were simply better organised and hungrier. They closed us down well, took possession of the ball and looked to try to hurt us. Smith was ineffectual out wide tonight. Stevenson was the only person actually doing something in the centre of the park, although he didn't really do much, and Thompson was left to do a thankless task up front all night. 

It was little short of an embarrassment. 

Any ideas for Saturday?

Is it far from Dens Park to Broughty Ferry? There's a record shop there I could go to when the bus drops us off.  What about Grouchos records in Dundee? Or the Oor Wullie trail? A guid bucket might be the only thing that gets me through Saturday afternoon.

.

 

 

Went to Grouchos on the way to Forfar last Saturday. Can certainly recommend it over 90 minutes at Dens

[Frank Quitely]

I'm beginning to wonder if all that Raith malarkey is somehow having a bearing on things right now, with possibly the Board a wee bit wary of a Manager who himself is growing frustrated.

[lorenzo71]

Stevie saying that the lac of bodies has contributed to the result,but there is no getting away from the dis organization we saw over the 90 mins

[squeezeboxson]

2 minutes ago, lorenzo71 said:

Stevie saying that the lac of bodies has contributed to the result,but there is no getting away from the dis organization we saw over the 90 mins

Struggling for bodies... yet both on Saturday and today we used 1 substitution when we have others on the bench.

[Thommo90]

1. Gal was clearly playing right back and gaz had instructions to drop deep when him and sparky pushed on.

2. Gal was a red card all day, idiot lost the head, I actually thought it was a solid tackle from naysmith, he went in hard but took the ball. Dummy's were also spat from stevo and fleming, it's no good enough.

3. Shocking defending

4. Mark fucking brown

5. Feel sorry for big Thomson

6. No hope for the season ahead as it stands imo