RandomGuy. Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Dundee fans gloating while sitting 2 points above the worst Saints side in about 15 years will never fail to amuse me. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Jenkins Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Honestly at this point I would be tempted to go with Gilmour, Ferguson and Northcott in the midfield. At the very least they may be fucking mobile 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankChickens1 Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 19 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said: Dundee fans gloating while sitting 2 points above the worst Saints side in about 15 years will never fail to amuse me. I just checked the table for the first time in weeks, been too scared previously, and was shocked to see its only two points. Obviously form-wise we look dead and buried, but it would only take a small amount of faith in the manager and squad to believe we could claw back 2 points and hold it over a season. Maybe someone has it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 (edited) I think the Cleary signing hints that we won't be changing the shape any time soon. Just have to hope the players coming in are good enough to make it work, as I've zero faith the manager can resolve this tactically. Edited December 23, 2021 by RandomGuy. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saint Stevo Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 I think the Cleary signing hints that we won't be changing the shape any time soon. Just have to hope the players coming in are good enough to make it work, as I've zero faith the manager can resolve this tactically.Yep I think you're spot on. No sign of a tactical change so it's going to be finding players that can fit the fixed system. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radford Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 A system every other team has sussed now. This is by no means a sleight (and he'll appreciate that) but if @RandomGuy. can throw together a perfectly lucid takedown of a glaring failure in our shape in just three simple tweets, what are full-time, paid analysts at other clubs doing? It is square pegs in round holes so things can improve on that front but I still worry we've been massively sussed out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloPerth Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 2 hours ago, Kyle said: Honestly, what a fucking mess Davidson has made of this squad, such a young and vibrant one when he joined barely 18 months ago just looks completely bereft of everything. A mix of signing shite, 'do a job' signings and loans with no skin in the game have just completely killed us. He can try and build a narrative in the press that he's not been backed or that he's been let down by those at the club for not getting things done quickly enough, but look at what he has brought in. They have to put it right in January, no excuses. It was potentially the best young Saints squad in a generation, that just needed a couple of good quality additions in attacking areas. I think guiding Saints to the double last season was one of the greatest managerial achievements in the history of Scottish football. But if we were to go down, with a squad that a lot of people were tipping for third at the start of the season, it would massively tarnish last season’s achievements. Complete mis-management from the club over the past 6-7 months. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radford Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 (edited) I'm still not sure what will happen next month and if he'll be true to his word/make the changes required. Will it be decisions made for the good of the team or a case of your face doesn't fit? I think he'll move Vertainen on for example but we aren't where we are because of a guy that hasn't been given a chance. If the figures are straight to hand, could @RandomGuy. provide the xG and xA for all our attacking players? Edited December 23, 2021 by Radford 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valentino Bolognese Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 1 hour ago, Fifespud said: Hate to say it (to be honest I fucking love saying it) but I told you so. CD is as thick as mince. It’s down the shitter for the Sainties CD's clearly not a stupid man, I don't think that's true at all. He does seem to be arrogant and inflexible though, and going back to the early days of his appointment I'd say his seeming lack of passion/charisma/engagement has been a worry. Thinking back as to how he managed to pull us off the bottom and back into some sort of form last year it's not really that clear (to me anyway), but Gordon coming back into a settled defence which included Kerr has to be a factor. We still weren't scoring goals though. Don't see how he can pull it off again when we don't have the assets and everyone's seen the trick before. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dee Bliss Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 1 hour ago, Fifespud said: Hate to say it (to be honest I fucking love saying it) but I told you so. CD is as thick as mince. It’s down the shitter for the Sainties The Saintees are very fortunate McPake had one of his many brain fart games against them up at the farm or they’d be as good as gone by Christmas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 40 minutes ago, Radford said: If the figures are straight to hand, could @RandomGuy. provide the xG and xA for all our attacking players? Just a quick squint on my lunch. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valentino Bolognese Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 So E2 should have 2 goals by now, but he's getting into more scoring positions than anyone else? Is that how to read it? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akuram Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Why did all the technical genius we pay for at the club fail miserably to see that for the last few YEARS what we have needed is a goal scorer.We NEVER sign Young strikers.Probably the worst management decision was the return of Stevie May.His goal scoring record since his return has been pathetic.This goal problem should have been sorted long ago. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 34 minutes ago, Valentino Bolognese said: So E2 should have 2 goals by now, but he's getting into more scoring positions than anyone else? Is that how to read it? You'd expect the average striker to have 2 goals from the culmative chances Vertainen has had, but probably worth looking at how many shots he's actually had because, and this will sound weird, 10x0.1 shots is less likely to result in 1 goal than 1×0.5 shots, despite both resulting in 1xG. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mizfit Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 I remember reading in The book about last season, Davidson admitted he got spooked by changing shape v Livingston and immediately went back to 3/5/2 5/3/2 as a result. Could it be a fear of changing shape that’s causing him to stick with it? I’ve said before it is very effective but it does feel like we’ve been sussed out and people now know what to do with us. Changing formation and adapting is a must for any manager and it should’ve been the first thing considered after the departure of McCann. We could’ve rode our luck without Kerr in the back 3, but McCann was built for playing in that system. We need to move on but I fear nerves, caution and possible arrogance will ruin us. The 3 weeks after Boxing Day will make, or break our season. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trackdaybob Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 3 hours ago, RandomGuy. said: Dundee fans gloating while sitting 2 points above the worst Saints side in about 15 years will never fail to amuse me. Awwww let them have their wee moment. It's Christmas, a time for giving. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radford Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 Even now, bringing in Butterfield probably makes Bryson less effective. The latter is trying to bring energy but he's 35 now and can't do what he once did. He's lost the ball player role as Butterfield is doing that. Without Wotherspoon (and Conway), we have no one intelligent enough to play the AM roles in the 5-2-3 and certainly don't have the legs in midfield, so which system (5-2-3/3-5-2) is going to require fewer players in January? Probably the latter as I'm not sure you find another McCann. Would also be interested to see if Ballantyne could come back in as an advanced midfielder in the second named. A risk of course but we are at that stage I truly believe. The 5-2-3 played right would probably be more attractive with the right wingers/tens but we are past the stage of entertainment. Would mean keeping Solomon-Otabor would be kind of pointless, even if he did want to stay. I'm not fixed/decided on a shape I'd prefer to see moving forward (assumption being it has to involve a back three) so really just thinking out loud. Interesting reading other people's takes. In a way, you kind of hope Rooney and McCart sign PCAs in the next few weeks and it might settle them down again. We know there are effective players in there. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widge Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 I think the main issue is that other teams know exactly how we’ll play and can set up to counter it and the players we have are simply not better than the rest in the league. I genuinely think throwing a curveball in against a couple of teams would help make us less predicable. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PSJ.84 Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 (edited) Would love to know how many of the goals we’ve conceded have come after giving the ball away - such as the first last night. Regarding change of shape; we changed to a four at the back against Motherwell and it was even worse than the 60 minutes that preceded, suspect that’ll stick in the managers mind. Edited December 23, 2021 by PSJ.84 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Van Dyke Posted December 23, 2021 Share Posted December 23, 2021 22 minutes ago, PSJ.84 said: Would love to know how many of the goals we’ve conceded have come after giving the ball away - such as the first last night. Regarding change of shape; we changed to a four at the back against Motherwell and it was even worse than the 60 minutes that preceded, suspect that’ll stick in the managers mind. Were we not already 2-0 down and it lasted about 6 minutes? Surely asking players to play a competent back 4 isn’t that much of an ask? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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