YassinMoutaouakil Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 I actually quite enjoy cup ties away to teams in the same league. Always a much better atmosphere in the away end than the equivalent league fixture. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
well fan for life Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Great luck being drawn away to pie & beans in the cup. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillips455 Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 40 minutes ago, Busta Nut said: My mates were saying the Broomhill game will be on telly, why is everyone so sure of that? It's more that it's one of the stand out ties, as well as having the manager for BSC glasgow appear in sports scene. They clearly have an interest and since it will be a big team playing away it is probably the most attractive time of the round. Aberdeen v kilmarnock or the abroath/Falkirk vs hearts will most likely be the other TV fixture. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisGRAEME Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Buzzing for going to Paisley like. @AndyRoss, Hylton was illness, rather than injury, so hopefully some cold and flu and he'll be right. Last night was fine, Dundee were terrible and we aren't, but it was stark how much worse we were when Seedorf went off, and how much better we were when Donnelly came on. Fortunately, that's an easy fix, play Hylton and Donnelly, don't play Seedorf and O'Hara, thanks for listening. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellboy1991 Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 Hopefully this is moved to the Sunday or even the Friday night. Just purely for selfish reasons. Can’t make the Saturday as I have a stag doo all day. One I can’t even get out off. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim McLean's Ghost Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 3 hours ago, Casagolda said: I thought Polworth played well enough first half and seemed to be involved in most of our chances. Including winning the free kick for 1st and setting up the 2nd. Like just about everyone else though, he disappeared 2nd half. We only really regained control when he went off, although I think that had more to do with Donnelly coming on than anything else. To be fair to him, he was on the receiving end of a pretty poor tackle from Kerr as well. Studs right down the ankle, which somehow the ref gave as a foul against Polworth.. Polworth has the quality to set up plenty of goals. Having someone like that in the midfield makes a huge difference. How many awful games did we see with Campbell, McHugh, Rose, Grimshaw etc in midfield. Until Turnbull comes back we have Polworth as our only creative midfielder. The reason we look so bad when teams press up on us. Dundee at points last night but mainly against Accies and County at home is because we don't have an out ball. Our forwards need to either hold up the ball better or be more effective at running the channels and winning throw ins or free kicks up the park. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casagolda Posted January 20, 2020 Author Share Posted January 20, 2020 8 hours ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said: The reason we look so bad when teams press up on us. Dundee at points last night but mainly against Accies and County at home is because we don't have an out ball. Our forwards need to either hold up the ball better or be more effective at running the channels and winning throw ins or free kicks up the park. Fully agree. Massive fan of Long but his game is about pace and movement- see the 2nd goal on Saturday. When we’re on the back foot, he has a tendency to almost switch off and drift out the game. We could do with a forward who has a bit more experience and a bit of a physical presence. Cole was probably the pick of the bunch and we’ve replaced him with yet another inexperienced winger. It’s a huge ask to go through the rest of the season with Long as our only senior striker. He’s scored 5 of our last 8 goals and if anything happens to him, we’re humped. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigkillie Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Polworth has more domestic assists this season than any other top flight player. Only Forrest matches him in the league, and its only those two who are in double figures. ICT fans also had this weird need to absolutely slate him and claim hes shite despite the fact he, almost literally, set up almost all their goals.Surely part of it is that a lot of his assists come from set pieces, and therefore it doesn't necessarily reflect his contribution to open play. A bit like counting penalties can inflate a striker's goal tally.I'd argue that being able to deliver good quality set pieces is underrated (we scored 5 goals from them at the weekend), and Polworth is one of the best in the league at that. However, I think he can have a tendency to go missing when it turns into a scrap, so you can see why folk wouldn't necessarily rate him as a central midfielder. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swello Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Polworth does go missing at times when we're struggling and there are games where he doesn't contribute much - but he is capable of consistently doing game winning "things" - whether it's good set piece delivery or defence splitting passes, and I've always thought that there is room in any team for players like that. Scottish football is chock full of honest pro's , hard workers and players who do the simple things well but there aren't so many players who do the difficult stuff - and it's a basic part of a manager's job to compensate for any weaknesses these players will inevitably have at our budget level. Having Polworth come in with no fanfare and go a decent way (sans goals) to compensating for the loss of Turnbull has been a huge bonus for us and is one of the reasons we're sitting third in Jan and comfortably into the next round of the cup. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, Casagolda said: Fully agree. Massive fan of Long but his game is about pace and movement- see the 2nd goal on Saturday. When we’re on the back foot, he has a tendency to almost switch off and drift out the game. We could do with a forward who has a bit more experience and a bit of a physical presence. Cole was probably the pick of the bunch and we’ve replaced him with yet another inexperienced winger. It’s a huge ask to go through the rest of the season with Long as our only senior striker. He’s scored 5 of our last 8 goals and if anything happens to him, we’re humped. For avoidance of doubt I agree 100% with that so the below is slightly Devils Advocate. There was a quote from Robinson a while back where he acknowledged that Cole was actually better played through the middle but we had been starting him out wide because Long had the #9 spot (or words to that effect). I think most of us looked at Cole and thought similar tbf. The hat-trick on Saturday obviously inflates his numbers a bit but that's Chrissy Long on 9 in 23 apps (5 in 14 league starts) so unless he's away this month or his leg falls off or something it wouldn't be a massive surprise if he ends up around 15 for the season - which is kind of a benchmark figure. With him apparently having been offered a new deal and having preferred him to Cole as the central striker it looks like we're backing him as our #9. In turn we've brought in the vaguest approximation of Cole in Ndjoli and arguably someone who's closer to a winger than centre forward rather than the other way around. The knock on of us saying to Long that he's our guy, I suppose, is when it comes to recruitment we're asking whoever we're approaching "would you like to come and sit on Motherwell's bench?". Looking at it from that POV then finding a forward with a bit more experience and physical presence but who will be (initially) behind Long in the pecking order probably limits it a bit. The upshot is that we've amassed this coterie of "options" who can play "anywhere across the front 3" although having said that I'd be surprised if there wasn't some absolute fucking unit kicking about in some English PL academy who'd have done a job as opposed to just stockpiling another option who is ultimately similar to what we already have. Regardless of ICT fans thinking he's dugmeat the Jordan White link makes more sense in that context (I saw he scored at the weekend again fwiw). Looking around Scottish fitba' there aren't many traditional #9s knocking around on the fringes of teams who might consider a spot on Motherwell's bench a viable career move. Edited January 20, 2020 by capt_oats 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supermarv Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 1 hour ago, capt_oats said: Regardless of ICT fans thinking he's dugmeat the Jordan White link makes more sense in that context (I saw he scored at the weekend again fwiw). Looking around Scottish fitba' there aren't many traditional #9s knocking around on the fringes of teams who might consider a spot on Motherwell's bench a viable career move. I really like Chris Long and he’s a fantastic player with pace and can score, so I’m chuffed to see him doing well but as before he isn’t exactly a target man as he likes to dribble with the ball or get in behind. However someone like Jordan White would be a very good option. Scored at all levels, big physical player, probably deserves a chance at the top level and I’m sure he’s a local lad. I’ve watched him a few times for livi a few seasons back and he was really good for them. If it comes down to the last week or days and we haven’t signed our main striking target then I’d think he’d be a good option for us on an 18 month contract or something. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazylegsjoe_mfc Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 We seem settled on the front three template of a genuine winger, a centre-forward and a forward-come wide player. In the first half of the season we had options to alternate Seedorf and Hylton for the first slot and then Cole, Long and Scott for the other two. I think we'd all agree that Scott has looked far better whilst playing in one of the wide berths, whereas Long and Cole were almost interchangeable. It almost feels to me now that if Long or Scott are unavailable, we would have to change the whole dynamic of how we play. I feel now that if Scott is either out the team or playing as a #9 (where he is less effective) and have to play with two genuine "wingers" if you like, then we lose his robustness and having a different type of outball. Cole was cover for this type of thing as well as being an alternative to Long at centre-forward. A further problem in that regard is that Seedorf seems to be the first man in if any of Scott, Long and Hylton are unavailable. He obviously scored two crackers against Hearts and Hibs, but hasn't a single assist (albeit on reduced minutes than others) and for me, has looked utterly ineffectual most times I've seen him. Him being number 4 in options for the front three is as much of a concern as the change in dynamic that would come with it. I was hoping that when we signed Ndjoli that would be his place at the very least, but thinking about it, he may have been first on in Saturday had it been a second half sub, rather than a first half one. I'm glad we're not just signing a striker "for the sake of it", but if going forward Ndjoli is behind Seedorf in the pecking order, that strikes me as signing a winger "for the sake of it". Then you add in Manzinga, Ilic and MacIver and it makes us seem bloated and thin in the forward department all at once. I guess we'll see where we are when the window shuts. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, supermarv said: I really like Chris Long and he’s a fantastic player with pace and can score, so I’m chuffed to see him doing well but as before he isn’t exactly a target man as he likes to dribble with the ball or get in behind. However someone like Jordan White would be a very good option. Scored at all levels, big physical player, probably deserves a chance at the top level and I’m sure he’s a local lad. I’ve watched him a few times for livi a few seasons back and he was really good for them. If it comes down to the last week or days and we haven’t signed our main striking target then I’d think he’d be a good option for us on an 18 month contract or something. For clarity I'm definitely not banging a drum for us to sign Jordan White. Very strong Ally Graham vibes with that one IMO but it's really more to illustrate a point in terms of what's realistically available as a squad option. If Osman Sow hadn't already played for 2 teams this season and also wasn't a perma-crock he might have fitted the niche role of "unwanted damaged goods who could offer a different "option" and whose lifeless corpse of a career we thought we could resuscitate" - but he has and he is so... Also, having listened to Robinson on The Longer Listen and his pressing the point about how the key attribute he's looking for these days is pace (doesn't apply to White obvs) it feels like he's been burned last season by ending up with a landfill of "physical" strikers: Bowman (1st half of the season), Main, Sammon and being able to do f**k all with them. Whether it's a conscious decision or not it looks like he's decided that quick, lightweight "forwards" offer a bit more flexibility than big lumps - and in fairness there's probably some merit in that. Edited January 20, 2020 by capt_oats 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) Sloth's Gorrin-esque ascent to greatness starts here lads... He's starting for the Reserves along with Carson, Ndjoli, Ilic, Semple and MacIver Fwiw: I'd say that's Carson Brown Devine Hussain Johnston Cornelius Sloth Semple Ndjoli MacIver Ilic Edited January 20, 2020 by capt_oats 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
well fan for life Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 1 hour ago, capt_oats said: Sloth's Gorrin-esque ascent to greatness starts here lads... He's starting for the Reserves along with Carson, Ndjoli, Ilic, Semple and MacIver Fwiw: I'd say that's Carson Brown Devine Hussain Johnston Cornelius Sloth Semple Ndjoli MacIver Ilic Cannae wait to watch Sloth cementing folk while he's on a booking in that case. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor Manhattan Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 1 hour ago, well fan for life said: Cannae wait to watch Sloth cementing folk while he's on a booking in that case. 2-1 Motherwell, Ilic double. No idea whether your prediction came true, though. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Doctor Manhattan said: 2-1 Motherwell, Ilic double. No idea whether your prediction came true, though. There was a Motherwell player booked according to the in-play. No idea if it was our Danish Prince though. County had a man sent off as well. Edited January 20, 2020 by capt_oats 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazylegsjoe_mfc Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 7 hours ago, craigkillie said: Surely part of it is that a lot of his assists come from set pieces, and therefore it doesn't necessarily reflect his contribution to open play. A bit like counting penalties can inflate a striker's goal tally. I'd argue that being able to deliver good quality set pieces is underrated (we scored 5 goals from them at the weekend), and Polworth is one of the best in the league at that. However, I think he can have a tendency to go missing when it turns into a scrap, so you can see why folk wouldn't necessarily rate him as a central midfielder. That may be the case, but his set pieces are absolutely paramount to where we are this season. He has 10 assists in the league and our next biggest contributor is Declan Gallagher with 3. All 3 of his assists have been him heading a Polworth delivery in the direction of the eventual goalscorer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Brightside Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Safe to say Sloth has got off to a slow start, hopefully he can still turn things around. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) There they are... Edited January 20, 2020 by capt_oats 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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