The Falkirk FC Thread

[PedroMoutinho]

Too many who simply didn’t turn up for us today. We have a good number of players who can’t cope when we play a better side or are in a physical battle.

To be 7 points behind Dunfermline at the start of November is simply unacceptable.

Burrell was far too isolated first half, with Morrison and Nesbitt offering very little. I’d have had Alegria on beside him at half time but in all honesty none of the subs had much impact.

Edited November 5, 2022 by PedroMoutinho

[Grangemouth Bairn]

3 minutes ago, Tea and Busquets said:

Two terrible teams where a 0-0 draw wouldn’t have looked out of place. In games like today we need to defend set pieces better. Neither keeper I think had a save to make. Referee was atrocious. 7 points is a big gap and now puts the pressure on to beat them twice later in the season. 

Said this on the match thread but the big problem we have is we struggle massively to beat the teams who you’d expect, and I mean expect, to be in the playoffs ie. Dunfermline, Airdrie and Montrose. Played them 5 times already and not a win yet with 3 points from 3 points from 15.

That needs to change pronto - is it psychological ? Not sure as it’s not my job to break the cycle but it needs changed quickly if we want out of this league.

[Bairnardo]

Today slots absolutely perfectly into the bracket of totally mediocre performances we get when a big crowd shows up. This has basically been the case since Houston left.

[Tea and Busquets]

3 minutes ago, Blame Me said:

I thought we were decent without creating much. 

The play acting from them was embarrassing and bar the set piece they had not much more than us.

I thought we were slightly the better team, a 6/10 performance. They are brutal however brutal has got them clear now. Time wasting in the first half, faking injury and getting every decision under the sun probably helped. They will drop points but we need to be better.

[Grangemouth Bairn]

1 minute ago, Tea and Busquets said:

I thought we were slightly the better team, a 6/10 performance. They are brutal however brutal has got them clear now. Time wasting in the first half, faking injury and getting every decision under the sun probably helped. They will drop points but we need to be better.

We knew they were going to be like that and should have been set up tactically to combat it.
 

Listen, McPake is a dinosaur of a manager for such a young man, and I honestly don’t want coaches like him anywhere near Scottish football as he’s from the dark ages and it holds our overall game back, but his tactics are proving to be effective at this level as his teams have only lost 1 game and are 7 points ahead of us.

Don’t be surprised if McPake secures promotion at the end of this season.

[Shodwall cat]

Played right into their hands unfortunately. They're a hard watch Dunfermline but very solid eleven men behind the ball don't create much at all. Both teams created very little . We didn't bring out a save from their keeper till about the 90th minute. Too many long punts up the park and those long throws were a joke. Yes try it a couple of times but don't keep doing it when it's not working. They're a big physical side you need to keep the ball on the deck and play the good football we are capable of.  I had a feeling if they were going to score it would be through a mistake and so it ended up with someone not doing their job and wighton getting a free header from two yards out.  No idea why mcguffie was brought on and not lawal. Very disappointing performance all round.

[unused sub]

Thought we were very poor today, we have no spark in midfield nobody that can split a defense with a pass. 

Kai Kennedy doesn't look like he can take on and go past a player. 

Nesbitt looks busy but really just runs with the ball diagonally from one side of the pitch to the other. 

Both teams were poor but Dunfermline scrambled a goal from a corner, I can only remember both keepers having 1 save each to make in the full game..... Dire

[bridge of allan bairn]

We simply weren't good enough today, a 0-0 draw would have been about right.

Today reminded me why I don't go to much Scottish football now. Dunfermline time wasting after 20 minutes, shirt tugging, going down everytime we were in the box. They are within their rights to try these tactics but why oh why do the referees never deal with it? Awful game between two awful sides continually stopped flowing by poor gamesmanship and refereeing.

I thought Henderson and Nesbit were our best players. Tactics were poor from the start and took way too long to change. No idea how burrell got motm however in his defence he was completely isolated.

As others have said yet again we fail to impress against the top teams in the league and when a large crowd turns up.

[Tea and Busquets]

2 minutes ago, bridge of allan bairn said:

We simply weren't good enough today, a 0-0 draw would have been about right.

Today reminded me why I don't go to much Scottish football now. Dunfermline time wasting after 20 minutes, shirt tugging, going down everytime we were in the box. They are within their rights to try these tactics but why oh why do the referees never deal with it? Awful game between two awful sides continually stopped flowing by poor gamesmanship and refereeing.

I thought Henderson and Nesbit were our best players. Tactics were poor from the start and took way too long to change. No idea how burrell got motm however in his defence he was completely isolated.

As others have said yet again we fail to impress against the top teams in the league and when a large crowd turns up.

You hit the nail on the head. A 0-0 draw would have been exactly what that game deserved had we managed to defend one cross. I don’t buy into this from Dunfermline that McPake went with this grand plan. His grand plan lead to nothing of note from open play.

[Raith_Raver]

I thought Falkirk would beat that mob. How a team that bad can keep sneaking results.

[Grangemouth Bairn]

9 minutes ago, bridge of allan bairn said:

We simply weren't good enough today, a 0-0 draw would have been about right.

Today reminded me why I don't go to much Scottish football now. Dunfermline time wasting after 20 minutes, shirt tugging, going down everytime we were in the box. 

Listen no football fans like to see this from an opposing team but McPake has been a manager for 3 years now so what did we expect ? That’s how he sets his teams up. Yes it’s awful, yes it’s not how I want Falkirk to play, yes it’s not helping our overall game progress but he got 3 points.

I’m more worried that we were unable to counter it.

 

[Guest Ecosse83]

1 minute ago, Raith_Raver said:

I thought Falkirk would beat that mob. How a team that bad can keep sneaking results.

They are honking mate but we were shite today as well. Wouldn’t mind swapping Benedictus for Henderson, he gives me the fear at the back! 

[parslad]

2 minutes ago, Raith_Raver said:

I thought Falkirk would beat that mob. How a team that bad can keep sneaking results.

[Guest Back Post Misses]

Dunfermline were set up not to lose. Said so early on. They actually got more than they set up for. One bit of lack of concentration and it was game over. Frustrating 

[Bairnardo]

Dunfermline were set up not to lose. Said so early on. They actually got more than they set up for. One bit of lack of concentration and it was game over. Frustrating 

That's what can happen, even when a team sets up not to lose, if you completely fail to carve out any actual chances.

[Guest Back Post Misses]

6 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

16 minutes ago, Back Post Misses said:

Dunfermline were set up not to lose. Said so early on. They actually got more than they set up for. One bit of lack of concentration and it was game over. Frustrating 

That's what can happen, even when a team sets up not to lose, if you completely fail to carve out any actual chances.

Still frustrating 

[Grangemouth Bairn]

17 minutes ago, Back Post Misses said:

Dunfermline were set up not to lose. Said so early on. They actually got more than they set up for. One bit of lack of concentration and it was game over. Frustrating 

We never really looked like scoring tbh and that’s what’s frustrating. They are not a good team, they aren’t pretty on the eye, there coach is horrible tactically but they are an effective team and that’s evident from the league table.

[AGPar]

11 minutes ago, Back Post Misses said:

Dunfermline were set up not to lose. Said so early on. They actually got more than they set up for. One bit of lack of concentration and it was game over. Frustrating 

And, like the mugs we are, we played right into their hands with an utterly predictable, gutless, identikit shit-the-bed in an important home game in front of a big crowd performance and a "game plan" that started and ended with long, aimless, hoofed diagonals in the vague direction of a hopelessly isolated Burrell. Their defence must have been laughing at us. They would not have required a shower after the match.

I could not give a toss how Dunfermline how set up when our deficiencies are myriad and glaring. We were not flat-track bullying a Clyde or Peterhead today so most of our team reverted to type and simply vanished for the entirety of the ninety minutes. McCann one of the few exceptions. That performance was truly pitiful. Pathetic stuff. We never change.

[Bairnardo]

3 minutes ago, Back Post Misses said:

Still frustrating 

Of course. Frustration is exactly what I felt especially once a goal down. 

Today was that pass getting played off Morrisons heel but for 90 minutes. 

[Bairnardo]

Another thing that fucked me off, was the desperate need for someone in the central area to be able to do something in the space in front of their box, pick a pass, place a shot, go by a man, and Ola Lawal once again didn't get off the bench.

The changes only really sought to load up the wide areas. We needed someone in that area who could take the ball into feet and let Alegria and Burrell be in the box trying to cause problems. We pushed it out wide relentlessly and barely managed to get a decent cross in.