Motherwell vs Aberdeen 3/4/18

[MJC]

1 hour ago, betting competition said:

When  Aberdeen are missing there two best players in McLean and Shinnie our midfield will be a lot weaker and also we won't have a right back playing so I see a lot of scenarios where Aberdeen could lose the match.  

That's true, but we don't have the creativity or quality in our ranks to exploit that. And in any event, we are ourselves without McHugh, Hartley and Tanner (our only player who could be described as in any way creative).

The only way Motherwell win this tie is if we repeat May 2014 at Pittodrie or someone unexpected does what McHugh did against Hearts in the last round after we've rode our luck. 

[Casagolda]

1 hour ago, Desp said:

Have we scored from a set piece since Hartley when out injured? 

Cadden's deliveries have been diabolical as well. 

Including pens, I make it 4 set piece goals in 2018 so far..

Hamilton - Tanner pen
Hearts- Main's late equalizer from a free kick
Hearts- Main's opener from a corner
Rangers- Main pen

Compared to, just having had a quick look, 17(SEVENTEEN) set play goals during the first half of the season...

1 hour ago, capt_oats said:

Bowman was obviously out with his fractured eye socket so missed a few games but looking at the scorers in the league since the end of the winter break we've scored 10 goals:

Main - 5
Campbell - 2
Ciftci - 1
Tanner - 1
O.G - 1

Even chucking the cup games in you're adding another 6 goals: Tanner (2), O.G (2), Main (1), McHugh (1) so barring McHugh's wonderstrike it's hardly broadening the names chipping in by much.

So, own goals are tied with Tanner as our 2nd top scorer in 2018?

[ekfootball]

I think Robinson summed it up last night when he said when it comes down to it Aberdeen just have better footballers. Motherwell's asset is there physical presence all over the park and have a great energy but if they are matched in those areas then they will lose most matches against the top 6 sides in the league. The only difference previously was Louis Moult who could score a goal from nothing and earn them a point or 3 with a touch of class.

Main seems ok but last night struggled as he was up against two international defenders with a good physical presence. Now I know he bullied Alves and Martin on Saturday but McKenna and Arnason are far more up to the task of handling a striker of that mould.

Motherwell have a good foundation with a solid goalkeeper and decent defenders but the likes of the lad Frear and Bowman just aren't good enough and probably would struggle for a game at most premiership sides.

Aberdeen will be missing 3 key players for this match but Motherwell are also missing McHugh(I think), Hartley and Tanner who are arguably just as important to Motherwell as McLean, Shinnie and Logan are to the dons.

The Dons had a bench last night of GMS, Rooney, Ball, Wright, Woodman, Reynolds & Cosgrove and at least 5 of them would walk in to Motherwells team. That's not to mention the likes of Nwakali, McGinn & Devlin who are also out injured.

To sum it up Motherwell have a decent manager, decent squad and can beat any team in this league on their day due to hard work and being organised. However if Aberdeen turn up and perform the way they can then regardless of those three missing then they should be winning this match as comfortably as last night.

[capt_oats]

1 hour ago, Casagolda said:

Including pens, I make it 4 set piece goals in 2018 so far..

Hamilton - Tanner pen
Hearts- Main's late equalizer from a free kick
Hearts- Main's opener from a corner
Rangers- Main pen

Compared to, just having had a quick look, 17(SEVENTEEN) set play goals during the first half of the season...

On this, I just had a quick look and until the point where the good league form came grinding to a halt after the 1-1 against Celtic at Fir Park we had scored 21 goals in 14 games (vs 10 in 11 since the winter break). So we've gone from 1.5 goals per game to 0.9.

The scorers between 6/8/17 - 29/11/17 break down like this:
Moult - 8
Bowman - 4
Hartley - 2
Rose - 2
Tanner - 2
Tait - 1
Heneghan - 1
O.G - 1

So based on that and pure numbers we've by and large replaced Moult (8 goals in 14 = 0.57 GPG) with Main (5 goals in 11 = 0.45 GPG) the difference is where we had 8 different scorers early on, since the winter break we've only had 5.

Edit: Also, aye on O.G being tied with Tanner as 2nd top goalscorer in 2018.

Also add in the cup games and that GPG is a bit more respectable at 16 goals in 14 games (1.14 GPG) but even still, it's pretty short of where we were.

[thisGRAEME]

There's some really, really bold statements from some Aberdeen fans here.

[well fan for life]

1 hour ago, ekfootball said:

I think Robinson summed it up last night when he said when it comes down to it Aberdeen just have better footballers. Motherwell's asset is there physical presence all over the park and have a great energy but if they are matched in those areas then they will lose most matches against the top 6 sides in the league. The only difference previously was Louis Moult who could score a goal from nothing and earn them a point or 3 with a touch of class.

Main seems ok but last night struggled as he was up against two international defenders with a good physical presence. Now I know he bullied Alves and Martin on Saturday but McKenna and Arnason are far more up to the task of handling a striker of that mould.

Motherwell have a good foundation with a solid goalkeeper and decent defenders but the likes of the lad Frear and Bowman just aren't good enough and probably would struggle for a game at most premiership sides.

Aberdeen will be missing 3 key players for this match but Motherwell are also missing McHugh(I think), Hartley and Tanner who are arguably just as important to Motherwell as McLean, Shinnie and Logan are to the dons.

The Dons had a bench last night of GMS, Rooney, Ball, Wright, Woodman, Reynolds & Cosgrove and at least 5 of them would walk in to Motherwells team. That's not to mention the likes of Nwakali, McGinn & Devlin who are also out injured.

To sum it up Motherwell have a decent manager, decent squad and can beat any team in this league on their day due to hard work and being organised. However if Aberdeen turn up and perform the way they can then regardless of those three missing then they should be winning this match as comfortably as last night.

 

43 minutes ago, thisGRAEME said:

There's some really, really bold statements from some Aberdeen fans here.

There's about 6 of them in that one post alone. 

 

[kingjoey]

57 minutes ago, thisGRAEME said:

There's some really, really bold statements from some Aberdeen fans here.

The semi final has got absolutely nothing to do with what anyone says on here, but soley on what the two teams do on the park on the day.

[williemillersmoustache]

There's some really, really bold statements from some Aberdeen fans here.

They'll be from the fucking idiots who were singing "who the f**k is Stevie May?" before half time at the semi against saints at Ibrox.

Us older mutton molestors know better.

[RussellAnderson]

1 hour ago, thisGRAEME said:

There's some really, really bold statements from some Aberdeen fans here.

Stevie May is better than George Newell.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

55 minutes ago, kingjoey said:

The semi final has got absolutely nothing to do with what anyone says on here, but soley on what the two teams do on the park on the day.

Hot take, this.

[MJC]

Not that it's relevant atall, but has it been said anywhere if either or both sides will wear their away kit for the Semi? With the exception of two occasions in 2016, Aberdeen have always wore their change kit at Fir Park and we often, but not always, wear ours at Pittodrie.

[Drammer]

37 minutes ago, MJC said:

Not that it's relevant atall, but has it been said anywhere if either or both sides will wear their away kit for the Semi? With the exception of two occasions in 2016, Aberdeen have always wore their change kit at Fir Park and we often, but not always, wear ours at Pittodrie.

I was almost certain I read that Aberdeen had opted to play in their away kit. 

[Cammit1964]

Can't believe I've already bought tickets for the semi , no point going now as according to the Dons support it's a done deal , [emoji12]

[tweed275]

I thought Aberdeen were all right last night but nothing special, and thoroughly deserved to win.  Any time Motherwell have been good this season it has been based on harrying in the midfield and that means whoever wins the ball is able to lay off to someone else and with Campbell, McHugh and Rose we have that option.  Last night with a 4-4-2, we were outnumbered in there and that left us punting the balls to channels in some sort of throwback to a former age.  It doesn't work and it didn't work.  I can't help but feel Maguire should have played and let us keep our usual formation.  

The second half, we started to pass the ball about a bit and lo and behold we started getting into good positions - who'd have thunk it?  Unfortunately for us we gift wrapped Aberdeen a goal and then McLean scored a scorcher before we settled and that sucked the life out of the game.

We need to do what we're good at to beat teams and last night we barely tried it, we let the air out of our own balloon and Aberdeen took advantage.

As for Aberdeen they did OK in midfield but they seemed too keen to shoot and with the exception of a couple of chances Stewart created in the first half, for all they were well on top I was never concerned.  If we hadn't forgotten to mark Arnasson at a set play, it could well have petered out for 0-0.

Got to say in respect of the semi final, the only thing that worried me from last night is how poor we were rather than how good Aberdeen were.

Another stat is we only have lost four from fourteen since the winter break, Aberdeen have lost three from fourteen in the same time.

[kingjoey]

2 hours ago, Cammit1964 said:

Can't believe I've already bought tickets for the semi , no point going now as according to the Dons support it's a done deal ,

Yep, most of the Dons supporters that I’ve spoken to think that Motherwell are going to win. And every Motherwell fan thinks that Motherwell are definitely going to win. Only one winner then.

[Gianfranco]

Aberdeen have a nice away strip to be fair.

[Guest Bob Mahelp]

8 hours ago, Gianfranco said:

Aberdeen have a nice away strip to be fair.

It's blue, and many hate it.

I don't mind it. Apparently it's being sold in the club shop at something like 15 quid, so it looks like Hampden maybe its farewell performance (unless we have another away game against Hearts).

 

 

[Desp]

9 hours ago, Gianfranco said:

Aberdeen have a nice away strip to be fair.

Aberdeen have had a few cracking change kits in recent years, but not a fan of the one this season. 

It's just a bit weird seeing Aberdeen playing in blue. 

[Dons_1988]

Aberdeen have had a few cracking change kits in recent years, but not a fan of the one this season. 
It's just a bit weird seeing Aberdeen playing in blue. 

Agree. Much preferred our black one from last season

[coprolite]

12 hours ago, tweed275 said:

I thought Aberdeen were all right last night but nothing special, and thoroughly deserved to win.  Any time Motherwell have been good this season it has been based on harrying in the midfield and that means whoever wins the ball is able to lay off to someone else and with Campbell, McHugh and Rose we have that option.  Last night with a 4-4-2, we were outnumbered in there and that left us punting the balls to channels in some sort of throwback to a former age.  It doesn't work and it didn't work.  I can't help but feel Maguire should have played and let us keep our usual formation.  

The second half, we started to pass the ball about a bit and lo and behold we started getting into good positions - who'd have thunk it?  Unfortunately for us we gift wrapped Aberdeen a goal and then McLean scored a scorcher before we settled and that sucked the life out of the game.

We need to do what we're good at to beat teams and last night we barely tried it, we let the air out of our own balloon and Aberdeen took advantage.

As for Aberdeen they did OK in midfield but they seemed too keen to shoot and with the exception of a couple of chances Stewart created in the first half, for all they were well on top I was never concerned.  If we hadn't forgotten to mark Arnasson at a set play, it could well have petered out for 0-0.

Got to say in respect of the semi final, the only thing that worried me from last night is how poor we were rather than how good Aberdeen were.

Another stat is we only have lost four from fourteen since the winter break, Aberdeen have lost three from fourteen in the same time.

I would rather that the Dons win the semi by playing well, but if we win by Motherwell being shite then that’ll be just great too.

We will be shit because it’s a big game.

It will be a question of who plays less shit.

I estimate a 55% chance that we will be marginally less shit.