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Motherwell v Aberdeen. A fixture so big, they played it twice!


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After last night, my main worry is that we can't summon up the same intensity again as every player knocked their pan in for 90 mins. I know you're not meant to change a winning team, but it might be smart to swap a couple and bring in some players that are bursting for a game - we've got a good squad now, possibly time to use it.

The key last night was in midfield, which has gone from being our weakness to our main strength IMO. I hope McLean starts for the Dons again - because as a good a player as he is, he's not the type that fancies the physical stuff. I also thought we got a lot of change out of O'Conner - so you'd have to hope that Bowman and Moult would fancy another game against him...

We all said that we'd take a win in the cup game over the league - but a win here would have us a point off Aberdeen in 2nd place - so it's time to be greedy.

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One thing from last night at least, is that Arnason will start in place of Reynolds, which should have happened last night as well. I would imagine that Wright and Stewart will come back in, with Tansey so long as he is fit enough to start. Much as I like Kenny, surely, surely he has to be on the bench on Sunday, he just has to be. So I would go with Lewis, Logan, O'Connor, Arnason, Shinnie, Ball, Tansey, Stewart, Christie, Wright and May.

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To be honest, I'm struggling to name a preferred starting XI after our last three games. Is it too kneejerk to suggest that Harvie might be worth a shot at left-back? If he's not out on loan again, that would suggest that McInnes thinks he's capable of doing a job if called upon. I heard he had a knock a week or so ago, but don't know what the situation is now. 

Wright should come back in; when he has played this season, he has looked a better and more confident player than Mackay-Steven. None of our defenders looked at all convincing last night, but I'd probably partner O'Connor with one of Arnason or Considine at centre-back. McLean should obviously be dropped, with Christie deployed centrally behind May. Stewart should probably start as the other winger, even though he has looked a fairly big downgrade on McGinn since the Apollon first-leg. I'd play Shinnie in midfield, partnered preferably by Tansey if fit enough - Ball will likely have to suffice if not, even though he was a total passenger last night. 

Anyway, I expect Motherwell to win again. Hopefully we can make more of a game of it this time. A draw would be a good result off the back of last night, but I'll go for a 2-1 defeat. Moult is the best individual player between the two teams at the moment, and I fully expect him to score at least once. 

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Back to basics for Aberdeen for Sunday although most of us could see that result coming with the last 4 games although not expected that bad from both manager and players which is the worst under McInnes. 

Big test for our manager - obviously he doesn't know our best 11 (does anybody!) but the one thing from last night was how badly he set up the players playing the likes of McLean out of position as a wide player leaving 2 on the bench.  I think one of the problems this season has been our wide players don't track back like Haynes and McGinn did. Another problem is we haven't replaced Ryan Jack and was hoping that Ball is that type of player but he doesn't look good in the 2 matches I've watch.

The players have got to look at performance and think they can do better and hopefully put in a much better performance along with our manager picking the team and play them in correct positions.

Next 5 games are going to shape the season for us and we are now into the tough games so will be interesting times to see how we do until November. 

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Aberdeen have so far failed to get the best out of Stevie May. I’d try playing Greg Stewart and Ryan Christie ‘tight’ on either side of him. Defensively I’d move Shinnie to left back, Considine to centre back alongside Arnason and Logan to right back. In central midfield I’d go McLean, Ball and Tansey if fit. It’s a real mess so who knows what the McInnes tombola will throw up.

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Definitely Shinnie to LB. Him and Logan are the best full back pairing in the league outwith Celtic.

Might as well keep AOC and Reynolds in the middle.

Arnason in the midfield holding role. He did fine there in a far worse team, I don't think you need to be an incredible player to play that role either, you just need to keep it simple. Perhaps gives us a bit more of a spine too.

Tansey and Christie ahead of him. Yes we'll miss Shinnie in there (not on recent form granted) but Tansey and him seem to be similar types of midfielder.

Wright and Stewart. Persist with them.

May up front.

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I see in McInnes's post-match presser last night he said of 'Well - "A lot of their play is very simplistic but gets the job done". Aside from being a touch patronising, the inference being that Aberdeen play a superior, complex style of football - I thought it was an interesting comment.

My guess is that most Scottish football supporters actually enjoy high tempo, simple football of the type we are trying to play this season. Ironically, I think Aberdeen were at their best playing simple football (defined by McInnes as "they get the ball wide, they get crosses into the box") when Hayes & McGinn were still there. Games against Aberdeen for the past few years gave me the fear as they were quick and direct and we couldn't cope with it. 

On the flip-side - I've never enjoyed all the complex systems that are the flavour of the month in the big leagues at a given time - that simply don't work very well when you try to implement them with players much further down the skill levels as we have. In Scotland, these systems all seem to morph into "hunners of midfielders with one forward standing on his own miles from his team mates".

'Mon the simple fitba!

 

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13 hours ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

I'm honestly struggling to give a f**k about this :lol:  

Likewise, last night was the far more important of the double header and we did the business. I'm still absolutely buzzing about it.

Sunday will be a tough game especially given the effort we put in last night. We ran our socks off all night long so it's a big ask to repeat that just three days later.

That said I think we'll get a point here which will be a good result and keeps the unbeaten run going.

1-1

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