The Friendship Derby: Clyde vs Berwick

[David W]

Best bit of today was watching Dylan Easton doing some jogging and keepy-uppy in the warm-up. How we have missed him and Scott Linton

[HibeeJibee]

Poor quality game from 2 poor quality sides. However from a Berwick perspective it was refreshing not to cave-in on going 1-0 down (more so as news of Cowdenbeath's goal filtered through) and instead fought-back for a deserved equaliser.

Indeed it was disappointing not to turn the late pressure, most particularly striking the post, into a winner which would've tied things up today.

Plenty talk of the permutations next Saturday but I say keep it simple. No need to focus on what's going on in Moray or Angus - just focus on getting something at home v Ed City.

[Adolfo Rios]

The only positive was we didn't lose. Many a time this season we have lost matches exactly like that.

[cfcuk]

Atleast the tunes were decent 

Acceptable [emoji6]

[sydney]

3 hours ago, The_Pit_Owns said:

Is everyone still friends after the game? Does everyone still love Pat?

Didn't realise Pat was playing until he played a 50 yard pass out the park. Then I knew instantly it was him. 

[berwick-the-unbeatable]

Fair play to the berwick fans today, thought they turned up in decent numbers and made a fair bit of noise. Got to admit I was pishing myself laughing when a bunch of lads poured out a taxi with half full beer bottles to hand singing and shouting "friendship derby" [emoji38]. Hope they lads had a decent day

This is my all time favourite P&B post. Im glad you could be a witness.

On the contrary to the unhappiness that appears to be rampant on here, yesterday panned out exactly as it should have. Two gash teams playing out an absolute shitfest to ensure the league's two biggest clubs have the best possible chance of staying up.

Here's to Elgin pumping Cowden. Up the OKI [emoji173]

[berwick-the-unbeatable]

Also, I have huge man love for Euan Spark who looked the only man capable of playing football yesterday other than Goodwillie. Dunfermline have a player on their hands I reckon.

[BrigtonClyde]

£7 admission was much closer to the right price for what was an absolutely brutal standard of football

You can analyse tactics all day, it's just down to lack of ability with maybe 1 or 2 exceptions. This level is unwatchable, people only turn up because theyre a fan of one of the teams playing so have a vested interest in the outcome

In our case I felt sorry for Goodwillie and Gormley. They were being fired long balls and asked to make something of it against 4 defenders. That's because there was absolutely nothing in midfield with pace or touch, so we just by-passed it. Taking Gormley off was never going to change that when they should have brought on the young lad we have on loan from Dunfermline

If we get out of jail this season, and I think we probably will, it'll take a massive sea change at that club so they're able to put out a team people actually look forward to seeing, even allowing for one or two returning from injury. Otherwise it'll just be more of the same year on year. 

[haufdaft]

Our midfield is dreadful. In almost every game they are or became completely unable to control a game or contribute defensibly or offensively. I include every player that played yesterday.

We have dropped every midfielder for periods of the season except our captain, who had been close to ever present in the team. Why?

I'd suggest that he is the biggest problem as he lacks pace, tackling ability, stamina and a range of passing.

Why he gets selected every week I'll never know.

To have a team that for two seasons play the long ball game because of the lack of a midfield has been terrible to watch and shows (amongst other things) why Ferguson was a failure.

I pray that Easton and Linton sign new contracts and that we have a new Captain for next season.

Jings! I even miss Sweeney it's so bad

[sydney]

24 minutes ago, haufdaft said:

Our midfield is dreadful. In almost every game they are or became completely unable to control a game or contribute defensibly or offensively. I include every player that played yesterday.

We have dropped every midfielder for periods of the season except our captain, who had been close to ever present in the team. Why?

I'd suggest that he is the biggest problem as he lacks pace, tackling ability, stamina and a range of passing.

Why he gets selected every week I'll never know.

To have a team that for two seasons play the long ball game because of the lack of a midfield has been terrible to watch and shows (amongst other things) why Ferguson was a failure.

I pray that Easton and Linton sign new contracts and that we have a new Captain for next season.

Jings! I even miss Sweeney it's so bad

You were doing so well up to that point 

seriously, spot on with that. Midfield simply doesn't exist. McLaughlin offers nothing, absolutely zilch. 

[David W]

The thing with McLaughlin is that he's continued to be picked by the new managers when the likes of Higgins and Perry have been dropped. Even though JP has played in the same midfield as him.

He's also had a similar reputation at previous clubs where his selection has been consistently debated.

What are we mortals missing that "football folk" see? To play devil's advocate he did well when the team was doing well. He's two footed, decent in tight areas and I think he does know when and where to cover and he can definitely lead a press. However, if he's not in the deepest midfield role then he dies out of the game after about 50 minutes and his attacking contribution is negligible anyway. The fact he's never then subbed, when we've got Lochhead and McMillan on the bench, makes it more confusing. 

I can only assume he's outstanding in training.

[Karpaty]

3 hours ago, BrigtonClyde said:

£7 admission was much closer to the right price for what was an absolutely brutal standard of football

You can analyse tactics all day, it's just down to lack of ability with maybe 1 or 2 exceptions. This level is unwatchable, people only turn up because theyre a fan of one of the teams playing so have a vested interest in the outcome

In our case I felt sorry for Goodwillie and Gormley. They were being fired long balls and asked to make something of it against 4 defenders. That's because there was absolutely nothing in midfield with pace or touch, so we just by-passed it. Taking Gormley off was never going to change that when they should have brought on the young lad we have on loan from Dunfermline

If we get out of jail this season, and I think we probably will, it'll take a massive sea change at that club so they're able to put out a team people actually look forward to seeing, even allowing for one or two returning from injury. Otherwise it'll just be more of the same year on year. 

The fact we have a young midfielder who is full time at Dunfermline on the bench when we need legs in midfield is embarrassing. Similarly, we have the second top goalscorer on the bench and we're in a relegation scrap. I mean, for f**k sake. Stick Bryn Halliwell in the dugout for all anyone cares. JP and Peaso should either be players or not at the club.

[Sao Paulo]

I don't agree with anything written about McLaughlin above other than that he's been a waste of a jersey for most of the season.

It's perfectly easy to understand why. Look at it this way: he's done best in a midfield two with Linton. Why? Well, if you want to say it's because he was the deeper of the two, occupying space strategically between the midfield and defence, and using the ball cleverly from there, then fine. Clearly that describes his contribution accurately. However, if he'd been trying the same - as he sometimes has been - in a two beside one or more of Flynn, McGovern, Lochhead, Higgins etc. it'd matter not a jot what job he was asked to do. What would matter, and what has mattered, is his lethargy and that of whoever he's played alongside. Without Linton, there's hardly any energy and battle about the midfield. McGovern is a small exception re the latter quality. But for every ten loose balls there are in there, we come away with maybe two. With Linton it's maybe as many six. That is a profound difference. If your midfield is forever on its heels, then your defence has its work cut out big time.

Until Linton became a midfielder for us - perhaps the only position-changed player we've profited from - we'd went without any proper ballast in midfield since Graham Roberts/Joe Miller. And even then, teams like St Mirren and Morton, memorably, could overpower us with their size. Alan Kernaghan/Billy Reid's Clyde were probably the last to be able, week-on-week, to confidently seize control of the midfield and take it to teams from there. Anyone doubting this need only reflect on how close, relatively, those teams were to winning the old first division. Indeed, were there play-offs back then, I expect we'd have gone up on at least one occasion.

I was delighted with Linton and McLaughlin's cooperation for the first few months. Anyone that doesn't remember how much midfield leverage they got us need only go and watch the highlights of the first Forfar game (0-1 at Broadwood). Don't get me wrong here, though. Both Linton and McLaughlin, through injury and otherwise, saw their fitness wane through the season. So that humped us too.

Before this season started, I and others were crying out for a proper, hard-grafting, ball-winning midfielder. We were told that there were no such players on the market; at least, none who'd want to come to us. I'll dig up the posts if need be. The truth is these players are out there. We even managed to make one out of Linton. Maybe let's learn the lesson this season, eh? You won't win a league without a battle-ready and battle-hardened core; I say that so as not to overlook the importance of experience.

[Sao Paulo]

3 hours ago, haufdaft said:

Jings! I even miss Sweeney it's so bad

[haufdaft]

.
Jings! I even miss Sweeney it's so bad

To protect my credibility, I should point out that Sweeney was shit but he at least had a long throw and he ran about. McLaughlin could only dream of such talents.

[Clyde01]

Got to admit, I was embarrassed to announce that and in hindsight I should've waited until full time as the reaction was no good whilst the game was happening...

You should have refused to read it out. Whoever came to tell you that was the sponsors motm should have been swiftly told to get to f**k and pick again. The wee lads picking balls out the away stand were more entertaining and made a bigger impact on the match than our shitebag 'captain'.

[LiviClyde]

The fact of the matter is that our co managers need to grow a pair (even a pair between them would do) and put their apparent loyalties to some players aside and pick the best, most committed and industrious players available on Saturday.

They are both experienced footballers and they must be able to see the same problems that we can all identify easily.

They simply have to get to grips with these problems and let their heads rule their hearts for this last chance saloon game when it comes to team selection.

[Bully Wee Charlie]

Captain useless will still get 90 minutes. 

[cfcuk]

The fact of the matter is that our co managers need to grow a pair (even a pair between them would do) and put their apparent loyalties to some players aside and pick the best, most committed and industrious players available on Saturday.
They are both experienced footballers and they must be able to see the same problems that we can all identify easily.
They simply have to get to grips with these problems and let their heads rule their hearts for this last chance saloon game when it comes to team selection.

Hope the co managers and players aren't reading this [emoji6]

[LiviClyde]

16 minutes ago, cfcuk said:

 

 

Hope the co managers and players aren't reading this

 

 

Why not? I'm offering some constructive advice, not pulling named individuals to bits.