Cptn Hooch Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 1 hour ago, Radford said: Prepared to be shot down but I think the club could do worse than bring someone like Billy Dodds in on a part-time basis to work with the forwards. It's something I hope Livi are looking at too. We had John Hartson come in last season to work a day or 2 a week with the strikers and there was a definite improvement. He left when Kenny Miller got the job and, other than Hardie's short run before Christmas, had that same goalscoring touch. A lot of the points we've dropped since Christmas have been down to poor finishing on our behalf...granted we've barely played a striker upfront this season due to injury. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 14 minutes ago, Radford said: Manager thought he did alright yesterday remember! I think he's had an alright season when played out wide and offers a bit more protection to Foster than anyone else. And yes, I remember that the pair of them looked like they'd never met before in the Hibs game. I think he was superb on the left v Dundee and another game I've forgotten, and at Ibrox, but hes another who's not contributing any goals or assists, for some reason he gets a pass on that front despite being a winger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
St Innes Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 Something needs to be done. Alston and Callaghan are two obvious changes to consider in midfield and why not let Hendry see what he can do up front. Can’t be worse than our current first picks. Limited alternatives at the back with the keeper shortage but perhaps Foster, Joe and/or Tanser could do with getting a fright by being dropped for a game or two if alternatives could be found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7-2 Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 2 hours ago, Radford said: You pretty much give up being an attacking threat with Shaughnessy at right back but then you could maybe play Kennedy or O'Halloran in front of him and they wouldn't have such an onus on them to fill in when the full back (Foster) bombs on. The thought of JS with Alston or Wotherspoon ahead of him isn't an exciting one. As you say, Foster's distribution has been rank and it's exacerbated by him being determined to take on so much responsibility. Just do the basics, Richard. He's definitely suffered for Wright's absence. The Sunday Mail take on Shaughnessy yesterday is amusing. I don't think he was that bad - and part of the reason he's attracting extra criticism is the contract issue - as the stuff with the ball was as much down to his teammates not giving him options as it was him but the portrayal of him as some sort of rock is well wide of the mark. I shall obviously bow to your knowledge. Tommy obviously has a Plan B from within the current players he's not using though, the obvious candidates being Joe or Spoony no matter how much it fills fans with dread, as both have experience there, albeit limited. He'd have surely brought in another Michael Doyle type of signing if not. One injury to Foster and we'll find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andylivi1 Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 1 hour ago, Cptn Hooch said: It's something I hope Livi are looking at too. We had John Hartson come in last season to work a day or 2 a week with the strikers and there was a definite improvement. He left when Kenny Miller got the job and, other than Hardie's short run before Christmas, had that same goalscoring touch. A lot of the points we've dropped since Christmas have been down to poor finishing on our behalf...granted we've barely played a striker upfront this season due to injury. I believe David Bingham is coming in to help coach our strikers just now, but not 100% Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloPerth Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 3 hours ago, Radford said: Totally agree about Wotherspoon (yesterday) and Goss (in general). Maybe I'm looking for the Swanson that left us but he lost the ball a lot yesterday for me and so often when Shaughnessy or Tanser had the ball was never in position for a pass, despite asking for the ball. We had a bit of joy in behind Brown early on but Swanson was never in the opposite area against Gallagher. In saying that, and tied in with what I said about Kennedy, I'd give Swanson another go next weekend. I still like Kennedy but he's below the level he set at the end of the year. I remember his impact off the bench away at Motherwell and just feel it might suit him to be introduced like that again for a week or two. Whilst I agree Kennedy is not at the level he was before Xmas (who is really?!), if I was him and I got dropped this weekend to make way for Wotherspoon and Swanson out wide, I'd be tempted to go full Mark Hurst. He contributes far more than both. When he was dropped earlier in the season, Drey Wright was flying, Wotherspoon was playing well, Alston was contributing.. and Kennedy reacted the right way when he was brought on through the middle. No one is undroppable (apart from Wotherspoon and Shaughnessy), but I feel Kennedy is our one player who currently poses a threat to the opposition so would keep him in. Agree with what you say about Joe getting far more stick because of the contract situation. Sadly that's just going to get worse the longer the results stay bad. Ironically, if he was still undecided, Saints fans might well help make up his mind to leave if the booing gets worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloPerth Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 On 09/03/2019 at 16:52, Jamie_Beatson said: Saints have just thrown this season in the bin. This is catastrophic now. Even a below average run of form since Christmas would have had us top six at the moment. What we've served up since then has been diabolical. That's the thing. We could still have taken only one point from the 5 games against Celtic twice, Rangers, Hearts and Aberdeen but beaten Accies and Hibs and drawn with Livi, and we'd be sitting 2 points off 4th place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Widge Posted March 10, 2019 Author Share Posted March 10, 2019 All Wright had to do once Drey Wright got injured was swap either Alston/Swanson or latterly O’Halloran onto the right hand side. Instead he’s punted Kennedy all over the team and the same with Spoony. I think people are forgetting that him and Scott Tanser were working really we together and we’re actually ripping teams apart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afro Posted March 10, 2019 Share Posted March 10, 2019 I know Saints have been on a very poor run of form but it’s refreshing to see us square away a week established Premiership side. The 3-5-2 has served us well and probably has a place in some matches, but the new 4-2-3-1 has seen us play our best football in well over 18 months recently. Neither keeper had much to do, but we look are more proficient outfit going forward with Robinson in the side. Hopefully he can get his injury problems behind him and get a real run in the side now. Thought it was a foul on Brown for the Saints goal and having seen it again I’m surprised there’s not a foul given in there. Disappointing we’ve not reacted well to the ball coming in regardless, and tbh at that point I thought it was going to be more of the same given how resolute SJ have been in the previous meetings this season. What a ball from Alan Lithgow though for the equaliser! The second half was a great example in how we should’ve been seeing out recent matches (see: Dundee at home, St Mirren away). Happy to concede the possession to SJ and save for Watt’s sitter, I can’t recall them creating much from open play. Pleased in particular for Sibbald getting a goal given the effort he’s put in in morphing from a fairly tame midfielder into a fairly committed member of the midfield. The third goal owed everything to Steve Lawson though, IMO our best player since Christmas which isn’t saying much, but it was clear he has a bit of quality about him and it’s interesting to see him sit quite adept in holding and attacking midfield. A terrific finish from Pittman, and there is something just so satisfying about the ball rifling into the net to seal a win. I’d almost forgot what it felt like to see us win a match, so I’ll enjoy it whilst it lasts. Top 6 is probably beyond both sides I’d say given the form of Motherwell and the steadying of the ship at Hibs, if we could be mathematically safe come the split that would be some achievement in itself tbh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RandomGuy. Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 3 hours ago, PauloPerth said: Agree with what you say about Joe getting far more stick because of the contract situation. It has nothing to do with my complaints. Both Hamilton goals in that defeat can be traced to him not reading the game. First goal against Livingston has him caught under the ball. Second goal has him passing to an opposition player, theres further errors, but if he acts like a defender and thumps the ball out of play we avoid that whole situation. Third goal hes dreaming and leaves a player unmarked eight yards out. I wouldn't be stunned if theres multiple more goals/close shaves due to his errors over the course of this run, and probably the whole season. If Gordon and Hendry won't get a chance, when Shaughnessy and Watt are miles out of form and probably both off in the Summer, then its no wonder players get complacent and performances dip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PauloPerth Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 5 hours ago, RandomGuy. said: It has nothing to do with my complaints. Both Hamilton goals in that defeat can be traced to him not reading the game. First goal against Livingston has him caught under the ball. Second goal has him passing to an opposition player, theres further errors, but if he acts like a defender and thumps the ball out of play we avoid that whole situation. Third goal hes dreaming and leaves a player unmarked eight yards out. I wouldn't be stunned if theres multiple more goals/close shaves due to his errors over the course of this run, and probably the whole season. If Gordon and Hendry won't get a chance, when Shaughnessy and Watt are miles out of form and probably both off in the Summer, then its no wonder players get complacent and performances dip. I wasn't defending his form, I think he's appeared undroppable during several dodgy periods in his time at Saints over the past few seasons. But I do think folk turned on him on Saturday more than might be expected and there were a few shouts along the lines of him fucking off to Aberdeen sooner rather than later. Hendry and Gordon should definitely be given a shot, not holding my breath though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cptn Hooch Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 10 hours ago, andylivi1 said: I believe David Bingham is coming in to help coach our strikers just now, but not 100% Good to hear we're addressing this and nice to have a Livi legend return if true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thruthenight Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 I'm nonplussed about Bingham coming in tbh. Yeah, he was great with us as a player, but he has limited coaching experience and his playing experience wasn't on the level of Hartson for example. On the other hand, up front is where we've struggled this year and pulling in a specialist isn't a bad idea at all, so I hope it works. Regarding Shaughnessy, didn't realise how bad he was at the time but after watching sportscene last night then you could blame him for all 3 goals. Certainly the 3rd was his fault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radford Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 17 hours ago, 7-2 said: One injury to Foster and we'll find out. Begins with Aar and ends with Com... petition winner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7-2 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 2 hours ago, Radford said: Begins with Aar and ends with Com... petition winner. ...if he's on the bench, which he never is for apparent obvious reasons! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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