Walking Down The Halbeath Road

[101]

8 minutes ago, JFPar said:

On a separate note, did anyone see Turner and Shields in the middle of the pitch after the game. Shields went on to shake hands with the players and approached Turner. I’m not sure what was said but it looks like they were going back and forth and a few of the Thistle boys were looking in. Might have been nothing but given what happened last season I wonder if a few words were had. Someone in the main stand may have had a better view and it may have been all polite but didn’t look it from my angle.

I did see that, to be expected the boy is a complete rocket. 

[DAFC.]

Rangers game isn’t massive in the slightest for me. We could have a decent side and manager and still lose comfortably. Rovers game does feel important early doors for both sides.
No idea where you get the idea that Petrie would jump at the Pars job considering he seems more than happy staying part-time.

Watch his acceptance speech to the Hall of Fame and try telling me he wouldn’t jump at the chance at managing “[his] team”, to quote him precisely.

Anyway, that’s all wind and pish for now. Grant’s going to be here for a while, but the fans will be very unhappy unless he turns it around pronto.

I would say the Rangers game is a big game. Not in the context that we should be putting on a performance and looking to win, such as the Raith game, but more for the fact it is on TV and we are playing the league winners at their home stadium, just after we are back to “normal” post-COVID. If it is anything like the cup game in 2017, then it will be embarrassing, especially, as I’ve alluded to, because it is on TV.

[Cardle is Magic]

2 minutes ago, DAFC. said:

 

Watch his acceptance speech to the Hall of Fame and try telling me he wouldn’t jump at the chance at managing “[his] team”, to quote him precisely.

Anyway, that’s all wind and pish for now. Grant’s going to be here for a while, but the fans will be very unhappy unless he turns it around pronto.

I would say the Rangers game is a big game. Not in the context that we should be putting on a performance and looking to win, such as the Raith game, but more for the fact it is on TV and we are playing the league winners at their home stadium, just after we are back to “normal” post-COVID. If it is anything like the cup game in 2017, then it will be embarrassing, especially, as I’ve alluded to, because it is on TV.

 

Petrie comment is, with all due respect, the proverbial “birthday caird pish” and has no bearing on his career choices.

No idea why getting pumped on TV is more significant than getting pumped otherwise. It’ll be no more surprising or embarrassing.

[Rob1885]

An absolutely wretched performance today. The only positive was Ryan Dow coming on as a sub. Nothing apart from that.
 
A lot of us were absolutely against Peter Grant getting the job, and I have no doubt that his appointment cost the club quite a lot of season tickets. He might come good, but it isn't looking that way so far. Obviously I hope he does, but I have my doubts. Unsure why anyone said his Alloa team played good football last season. To me, you need to win to play good football (although you can play shite and win mind; my point is that winning is a prerequisite of 'good' football). Grant and his Alloa team won 5 league last season, the 5th being against us when we rested quite a few players for the playoffs in the very last game of the season. The club said he interviewed 'well', and I am not inclined to doubt that. However, I imagine a lot of us on here could interview 'well'. My impression is that he was the first guy they interviewed and thought he would do. I think they didn't bother to interview anyone else, as they thought (inexplicably) that they had 'their man'. The German lads don't get a pass on this, as 3 of them were on the board. Peter Grant strikes me as a total Taser Face of a manager. I hope I'm wrong and he gleefully gets it right up the many fans who have doubted him. I'd happily gorge on humble pie if that happened. He said he's entertain the fans, but so far he's only really entertained the away fans in the two league games.
 
We haven't kept a single clean sheet under Grant. It's all good and well playing an expansive formation against dross like Stenhousemuir and Dumbarton, but the warning signs were there against St Mirren and even Partick Thistle in the league cup group stage. Last week we were terrible, but grabbed a draw. The formation didn't work at all. We could barely string passes together and our central midfield was just puzzling. It was weak and disjointed and couldn't keep the ball. We punted the ball loads too. A big striker, Ugwu, terrorised out defence, especially Graham. When we have a central back 3 and someone runs at them, it seems like they don't know to do. Happened today with Rudden and Graham, especially Rudden in the first half. We again struggled with possession in the middle of the pitch. There were times we just needed someone to stop and look around, but that isn't Thomas' game, and Dorrans hasn't done it yet. Thomas should never be a central midfielder or, worse, a free role Zidane type. He's a winger, so fucking play him as one. We really need Wilson back, but who does he play with? Both Cole and Dorrans have looked rank so far. Ironically a good option was playing against us today (Turner). We have no balance in the centre of the pitch.
Which brings us to the biggest issues, heavily hinted at above. The formation. I fucking it when some formations become popular and jobber managers think they fancy it. The 3-5-2/5-3-2 is quite the thing in international football just now, but those players are the best of their country, and not Scottish Championship players. You can't expect to crowbar players in to a formation and for it to work. You need to sign the players for that formation, and drill them on it. We don't have the players against Championship teams. Against League 1 teams it looked great, but it hasn't worked against teams a level above. As noted before, what is our central midfield?! The back three has a total jobber and right back in it. They aren't skilled enough to pass it around when pressured. AJ tried this formation, and whilst it worked for one game (2-3 at Tannadice), it was very quickly exposed and, because he signed players for that formation, when he changed back to 4-4-2, he struggled, and ultimately it was a big part of him being punted. 
Also, if we're signing players because they are left or right footed and therefore can only play in the right or left of a central defence, then we're signing the wrong players. It's fine to have a stronger/dominant foot, but it is absolutely unacceptable to have players who are can't use their 'other' foot, or are so uncomfortable doing so that they can't pass with it (or aren't confident enough to try it). What utter prehistoric pish. It's 2021. Any c**t who is one footed is simply lazy. It takes 20/30 minutes of work a day to practice with your weaker foot. That's all. Any player too lazy to do so needs to f**k off. It's unreal how widely accepted this bullshit is. No one is asking for or expecting every player to be brilliant with both feet, but we absolutely should expect full time players to be able to comfortably pass the ball with both feet.
 
We need to settle the f**k down. Send Graham back to Dundee United. He is nowhere near good enough. Why is he starting before Gaspuitis?! Vytas should be starting every game. Him and Watson should be the central pairing as part of a back 4. Vytas has looked solid in every game he's played for us, and he's and experience international player. Why the f**k is he behind a shite LOAN player?!!!
Craig Wighton, our best striker, should be starting almost every game. Todorov is a good player and a good signing, but no way he should be in before Wighton. Either start Wighton and Todorov, start Wighton and O'Hara, or start just Wighton alone. Don't give me the pish about a small and big guy, or bollocks about 'holding play up' or, even worse, 'winning flick ons'. Todorov flicked the ball on a few times right to the Thistle defence, because he was the furthest guy forward.
 
The captaincy changed arms twice today. When Thomas was subbed it went to Comrie, and when Comrie was subbed it went to Watson. That's an issue. Give it to Watson for f**k sake, and reinstate Dow as VC.
 
 
P.S. Is the East End Bounce now in the business of censoring criticism? I noticed there was a thread on there called 'Fans moaning' which was a rant about fans questioning the performances and the manager, and also noted my post on here asking questions about the finances of the club. Apparently some folk were saying that the club were spending irresponsibly, or something to that effect. Either way (*), that thread was deleted from the EEB forum. Very .net behaviour. I still haven't heard anything about the (what I thought were at least) reasonable questions about the club finances. Worth noting that they posted a huge loss a couple of years back that was more than all of the profits of recent years combined. There are absolutely questions to be answered and it doesn't help if folk choose to attack other fans over legitimate questions.
Talking of which, that's why I don't post there. I used to post on that site. One day I was discussing something with another member. They started in the in on the 'seething' patter, so I called them out on it and told them to f**k off with that nonsense. Turns out it was an admin, who started with the "How dare you! Do you know who am I?! You can't dare question admin" pish, then banned me for a day or 2 (can't mind the exact time) so that I could 'cool off' (code: so he could 'win' the discussion as I couldn't respond). I could not be fucked with that .net level of admin c**t behaviour, so never posted since, and won't again (but obviously still read it on occasion).
 
P.P.S. Folk who have 'inside knowledge' and post it here are utter rats. Just utter snitches who betray the confidence of the person who has told them stuff (or even if they've overheard it). They betray the confidence of the person they know for attention on a football forum.
 

Possibly the longest post in pie and bovril history.

TLDR

[DAFC.]

Petrie comment is, with all due respect, the proverbial “birthday caird pish” and has no bearing on his career choices.
No idea why getting pumped on TV is more significant than getting pumped otherwise. It’ll be no more surprising or embarrassing.

Call it what you want, but the man is a club legend and clearly has a strong affinity to the club. Who knows? Maybe he would see it as the opportunity he has been waiting on to go full-time and has ambitions to make a career out of football rather than staying part-time forever?

Anyway, as plenty have said, there is still time for Grant to get things right and I sincerely hope he does, but the early signs are quite worrying.

[CALDERON]

10 hours ago, The Great Cornholio said:

Crawford got slated for saying top 4 was the aim, not ambitious enough and sets the wrong tone. Grant says the aim is to try and win the league, 2 games in and he shouldnt have said that., adds too much pressure and expectations, what do you want then? 

he also said he wants to win all the cup competitions, so when not if we lose at Ibrox he should get the sack then as he hasnt delivered what he said?

dont beat Raith, he should be sacked then?

 

 

 

I think if your manager comes out and says that, he puts a load of pressure on himself and the team from the outset.

Saying top 4 minimum with a hope for being in the mix for the title would have been perfectly reasonable, although granted I'm not a Dunfermline fan.

[parsforlife]

35 minutes ago, CALDERON said:

I think if your manager comes out and says that, he puts a load of pressure on himself and the team from the outset.

Saying top 4 minimum with a hope for being in the mix for the title would have been perfectly reasonable, although granted I'm not a Dunfermline fan.

It’s not just what he says, it’s the way he’s says it.   
 
You can say your aiming to win the league and believe you have to ability to do it without sounding arrogant.   He hasn’t managed that.

[Stellaboz]

We're going nowhere except the seasides with this system in place on the park, and for starters send that clownshoes boy back to Utd.

[TheScarf]

9 hours ago, parsforlife said:

It’s not just what he says, it’s the way he’s says it.   
 
You can say your aiming to win the league and believe you have to ability to do it without sounding arrogant.   He hasn’t managed that.

What was the quote he actually said?  

[Gigi Alabocheré]

Firstly I’d like to thank Peter Grant and his merry men for serving up a big, steamy pile of dugshite on Saturday. The spine of the team needs addressed promptly. 

The keeper needs to go. Nowhere near good enough for this level. Nice of PG to give it the ‘quality over quantity’ then give Mehmet a 2 year deal, what a complete head scratcher. Ross Graham is utter cat meat, the laddies shopping goals left right and centre yet we continue to see him on the park every week. Got a Lithuanian International on the bench and he’s brought Breen in. Why not give one of them a shot? If it’s cos they can’t play LCB then change the formation ffs. The team is massively unbalanced and the formation does not suit us. 
 

Cole and Dorrans in the middle together doesn’t work. Both passengers who gave the ball away for too much. Can’t even recall either of them putting a tackle in during the full 90 minutes. Not one of them up supporting, either. We are actually desperate for Iain Wilson to return otherwise the games going to just bypass our midfield every game. 
 

When we are in possession, there’s no where near enough options and movement from our players, along with fucking numerous passes straight to the opposition! We are so slow to get the ball moving, it’s just really, really shite. 

I don’t even think the players knew what the game plan was. PG talking about winning the league and playing the right way? Holy fucking hell. Under 19’s play better football.

 

[DAFC.]

2 hours ago, Stellaboz said:

We're going nowhere except the seasides with this system in place on the park, and for starters send that clownshoes boy back to Utd.

He is honestly fucking horrendous btw. Lithuanian international and Rhys Breen, who we have just paid a fee for, sitting on the bench. Needs a massive change for the Raith game. 

[Stoo61]

Not only is Ross Graham shite but he's a Dundee United player. 

Gaspuitis is better and ours

Even with all things being equal Vytas should be ahead of Graham. 

[CallumPar]

Usually I’d think that focusing on one player is harsh, but not with Graham. Why leave a youngster there, when he’s costing us a goal (or two) per game?

Partick away in the cup, first goal he watched the man run off Watson and didn’t do anything. Second goal, his man ran to the front post and he just watched.

Dumbarton goal, he played a great pass to the Dumbarton player in space, with no Pars players in sight. Good assist.

Morton game he got bullied all game and look d like a complete liability. First goal, he completely lost track of the ball, turned his back to it and it hit off his head, for Ugwu to run onto. Mehmet ended up charging into him, once Ugwu had knocked the ball past him. Second goal, aimless punt into the box was going out for a goal kick. Graham decides to leap up and head it into the air, to keep it in play and they score from it.

Game on Saturday, from memory at least one of the corners they scored from came from Graham losing concentration and getting caught on the break. Then there’s the own goal, where he gets his body positioning/attempt to kick the ball all wrong. Swipes with his right foot, misses the ball and it hits off his left leg and goes in.

He’s far from the only one who’s been poor, but he’s consistently been our weakest link defensively and has been an easy source of goals for the opposition.

[The Great Cornholio]

is he better? remains to be seen although its amazing how much better a player gets when they dont play. the one thing he definitely isnt is left sided which is what Grant wants which is why Graham was signed and also why Breen was brought in, it is up to Breen to earn the spot now. 

can get this pish about "our" players binned too. 

1 hour ago, Gigi Alabocheré said:

When we are in possession, there’s no where near enough options and movement from our players, along with fucking numerous passes straight to the opposition! We are so slow to get the ball moving, it’s just really, really shite. 

 

 

and it is slow because there is no movement, its been like that since half time against Stenny for some reason. 

[Stoo61]

I'm better than Ross Graham, shagger. 

[Skyline Drifter]

1 hour ago, Gigi Alabocheré said:

and he’s brought Breen in. Why not give one of them a shot? If it’s cos they can’t play LCB then change the formation ffs. The team is massively unbalanced and the formation does not suit us.

Breen spent the whole of his time with us playing left centre back and was absolutely fine, fairly comfortably our best defender. Gave away a daft last minute penalty that got Hearts a draw at Palmerston but no other especially obvious errors.

[CallumPar]

 
When we are in possession, there’s no where near enough options and movement from our players, along with fucking numerous passes straight to the opposition! We are so slow to get the ball moving, it’s just really, really shite. 
I don’t even think the players knew what the game plan was. PG talking about winning the league and playing the right way? Holy fucking hell. Under 19’s play better football.
 

Agree with your post, 100%. But wanted to focus in on this point. There are basics that we are getting totally wrong and it seems to come from the management’s instructions. When the CBs have the ball, the wing backs push right up, to be in line with the strikers. Now, everyone has seen us play and knows the plan. So everyone now has a deep defensive line, so we can’t get in behind them. What happens is someone (usually a midfielder) has to come back to get the ball. They get the ball with their back to goal, defender is close to them, so they can only play it backwards. If it can get played to a wing back, again, they get it with their back to goal and defender(s) are closing them down, so they can only move/play it backwards. Nobody is making runs so that they can be running forward with the ball, or run at defenders. You don’t want everyone to be moving/facing back to our own goal whenever they get the ball. Big part of that issue is the wing backs bombing forward to play with the strikers, even when it’s the keeper/another defender that has the ball, back in our own 18 yard box. It’s just stupidity.

PG talks a good game and you’d think he was some sort of footballing professor. In reality, he seems clueless. Grand ideas, but doesn’t understand the game well enough to realise how unrealistic/flawed his plan is.

He goes on about wanting players on the bench who let him change things. Then he brings in Wighton for Thomas and plays him in a number 10 role, where Thomas had been playing, despite the fact our tactics weren’t working. Then waited until the game was buried and we were 3-0 down to actually change the system. I’m all for giving him a chance and think he deserves time. But if there’s more games like that and he continues to show such naivety, I’m not sure he deserves time to prove himself.

[The Toun Clock]

Didn't realise Rangers are playing in Europe tomorrow night before playing us on Friday. Here's hoping it goes to extra time and they then rest some of the big guns because it could be a pasting. The only good thing about this tie is the share of the gate which could potentially be a sell out in terms of the home crowd.

OFW

Comrie, Watston, Vytas, Breen, Edwards

Cole, Dorrans, Pybus

Wighton, Toddy

I'd go for this team. I don't think OFW is necessarily better than Mehmet but Saturday was bad, really bad. Harsh on MacDonald but Comrie is a better fullback/wing back than he is a centre half so has to go back to a more familiar position. Graham shouldn't be in the 18 so I'd bring in Vytas and Breen to add some physicality. I've not seen much of Pybus but I'd start him for legs and energy in the middle. Play two up with Wighton and Toddy, I watched Livi play Rangers last weekend with Bruce Anderson as the lone striker and I don't think he touched the ball, completely isolated. I like O'Hara but I think we should be a bit more physical and out of the three strikers, Wighton and Toddy both had better games on Saturday. Hurts to say this but after Saturday, Rangers -5 is a safe bet.

[parsforlife]

1 hour ago, The Great Cornholio said:

is he better? remains to be seen although its amazing how much better a player gets when they dont play. the one thing he definitely isnt is left sided which is what Grant wants which is why Graham was signed and also why Breen was brought in, it is up to Breen to earn the spot now. 

 

I get grant wants a left footed center back. But he really should check they are a competent footballer first.

If Grant has somehow signed players worse than Graham he needs to immediately resign.

[Cardle is Magic]

Partick Thistle just pumped us so I really don’t see what difference it will make what team Rangers have out on Friday.

I think they win even if you gave us a 3-0 head start.