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League Cup Group F


Reid

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First game back for me after missing all the friendlies. Clyde playing quite well but McNiff is finding life a bit tricky with Hamilton’s full backs pushing on too. Impressed by Mitchell so far. Howie doesn’t look too bad either from what I’ve seen.

A fairly pedestrian pace from the game but it has been encouraging considering McStay, Rankin and Goodwillie are all missing.

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We really should have scored a goal or two. McNiff being absolutely rinsed by Smith(?) and Johnston physically unable to match McMann's runs forward. 

Midfield doesn't look like they're in sync with each other.

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Much better than Saturdays performance.

Going forward we had something about us, Smith looked very dangerous and thoroughly deserved his first goal. Oggy and Miller look like a decent combination too.

Defensively though we look really poor, I'm not convinced Gogic is a footballer. McMann and McGowan looked good going forward but McMann in particular was getting caught out at the back.

When we went 2-0 Rice dropped Miller back to midfield and left Oggy up top himself and I don't think that really worked and against a team like Clyde I think we should've just kept 2 up top.

Overall an improvement and Smith looks a player.

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Not too bad tonight but out midfield didn’t really work IMO. Wallace in particular looked a wee bit out of place. Difficult to judge too harshly but it was three poor goals to concede. I don’t think we really pressed the ball in our own final third too well which was a bit disappointing. No point in competing well for most of the game but then conceding three goals like that. 

However, we looked quite handy going forwards until we started to tire towards the end. Smith looked a pretty handy out-ball and hopefully gets a goal soon after missing a few chances tonight and in the friendlies (from what I’ve heard). Johnston was a handful and I’ve no doubt he will be a handy player for us this year. Mitchell was solid all evening and I think he’s an upgrade on Currie. Goodwillie getting some minutes tonight too is pleasing and he’ll hopefully not be too far away from starting. The Norwegian Prince again continuing to show his potential. Duffie also had a pretty decent game going forwards, I like to see him doing well.

Still quite a bit to go based on that but I’m certainly interested to see how we get on against Airdrie.

As a final point, Smith for Accies looks to be a #baller. A local lad, who grew up supporting the team, scoring his first goal? You love to see it (just not against my team).

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Couldn’t make it tonight as I was just returning from holiday. Haven’t seen any of the friendly games either. Worries me that we’re losing so many goals but it’s early days I guess. From what I’ve read, Syvertsen seems to have done well. Could be a right good find if he continues to improve. Towards the end of last season he was starting to make a real impact. 

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2 hours ago, accies1874 said:

Definitely better but still a bit shite. Smith doing really well.

He the boy at right mid that scored the 3rd? Gave McNiff a torrid time but at the same time he had no protection on the left hand side for most of the game.

We competed well for the most part especially going forward but the goals conceded were entirely preventable, unfortunately I can see us conceding quite a lot of goals similar to the first one where we fail to clear our lines a couple of times and get punished for it. I would love Howie to do well but we really need better tbh. Duffie was fine but as a result of his inclusion Cuddihy had a quiet game in midfield.

Can't believe Fon-Williams save from Johnston at 0-0 hasn't been mentioned yet. I know tipping it onto the woodwork always makes saves look better than they actually are but it really was top drawer.

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He the boy at right mid that scored the 3rd? Gave McNiff a torrid time but at the same time he had no protection on the left hand side for most of the game.
We competed well for the most part especially going forward but the goals conceded were entirely preventable, unfortunately I can see us conceding quite a lot of goals similar to the first one where we fail to clear our lines a couple of times and get punished for it. I would love Howie to do well but we really need better tbh. Duffie was fine but as a result of his inclusion Cuddihy had a quiet game in midfield.
Can't believe Fon-Williams save from Johnston at 0-0 hasn't been mentioned yet. I know tipping it onto the woodwork always makes saves look better than they actually are but it really was top drawer.
Yeah that's Smith. Tonight was his first start for the club and he's a lifelong Accies fan (not many of them playing football). He looked brilliant, hopefully he starts on Saturday and shows the same sort of performance.

Your keeper also pulled off a great save from Smith in the first half tipping it onto the post.
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Much better tonight. The attack looked more fluid as much as he may have been sloppy for the Clyde goal I really think Miller and one of the big guys is the answer if we are going two up top. As has been said Smith looked good but it was only Clyde I’d try him again against Patrick and see how he goes there.

The defence is still an absolute holocaust and Gogic is horrendous.

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Thought Accies were very meh but scored with 1st real attack. Thats the difference and not sure we could have pressed for 90 mins n created so many chances like we did for first 25/30... If were not careful thats our downfall. One chance one goal against compared to shite weve played for years before[emoji106]

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Our wide players (Smith and Johnston) didn't track back well enough when Accie's fullbacks came forward. Duffie did okay but McNiff, with the added threat of Smith running at him, was all over the place. 

After scoring we changed to a diamond with Johnston at the top and he was a huge threat, it was a shame we gave up the third goal as we were threatening at that point and about to introduce Goodwillie. I'm really looking for Howie to read the game better and take a booking at that stage but Smith, who was the best player on the pitch, deserved a goal.

Hamilton were particularly good pressing in midfield and they'd obviously done their work on stopping Grant building from the back. Cuddihy was very poor; I just don't see him and Grant as a pair in central midfield, they'd really need a third guy in there. Syvertsen was excellent. Mitchell had a good first start, which will make a difference, and his distribution was enough to suggest we'll not lose a huge amount from Currie being released.

At a higher level, Rumsby, Howie and McNiff will need to up their game considerably. Back four as a whole will need to play a lot tighter. We'll cause teams huge problems at the other end when everyone is settled in, and Goodwillie is fit.

Hamilton were the better side, deserved to win. In Smith and McMann they had the two players who influenced the game most with their pace. Number 99 was a donkey though, didn't move our centre halves about at all.

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Enjoyable game with chances and mistakes defensively at both ends.

Great to see Smith start as plenty of us have advocated since last season and he looks physically more capable than Mimnaugh to make some sort of impact in the top League.Hopefully some others in the great youth side will make an impact also.

Defensively ropey at times although could have doubled our tally with the chances created.Impressed by Clyde's small midfielder and the Norwegian lad supposedly was offered to us the same time as we signed that Molde striker Brustad who didn't exactly set the SPL alight last season.

Must win Saturday,more confident after tonight but the central defence still scared me as miles weaker than it was with Kilgannon/Ziggy.

 

 

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speaking to few guys who were at the game seems we played pretty well . We were playing a premier league outfit. looking forward to see how we do against Airdrie who are in our league this year [emoji106]

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Would echo was David's written above, generally.

Accies superior fitness and quality from out wide really shone through, particularly in the second half. Our defence was easily broken through. McNiff had no protection in front of him on the left but, even if he did, I'm not sure it'd have mattered; he was made a spectator by Accies' man coming in from the right. Rumbsy and Howie couldn't deal with being closed down as quickly as they were, nor with the physical threat and work-rate of Accies attackers.

In midfield, frankly, we picked a bad line. Cuddihy was utterly ineffective and had a diminishing effect on Ray Grant's performance in my opinion. And while Tony Wallace wasn't all that bad, he'll never have the nimbleness and work-rate to play in the centre. Grant was run ragged and made a lot of late or timid challenges as a result of the configuration - and Accies ability, let's be clear - and, crucially, he wasn't alway able to position himself with his usual wisdom, where he's apt to snuff out attacks through the middle of the pitch, leaving our back four exposed.

Johnston was out MOTM, for me. Brilliant, creative performance. Found space brilliantly and moved the ball really quickly. Mitchell, Smith and Syvertsen done well too, and Duffie was just about a 6/10 for his reading of play and relative solidity on the right.

What's really irritating to reflect on is Lennon's blind-spot when it comes to defenders. You'd have to say, he does have a knack for doing the right thing - as supporters see it - when he's  exhausted all other possibilities. Think Lang in the centre; McNiff in the centre; Stewart on the left; Cogill in the middle. I think we need a serious quality injection at the back: a new left back is a must and at least one more, imposing and - ideally experienced - centre back. Howie, if he makes the grade, will be using this season as a season to find the ropes. It's already clear that he's not going be an instantly accomplished league 1 centre half. And as for Lennon's comparison to Lang? Please. He's got three inches on him but he's worse in the air, less aggressive and - maybe - just about as good in distribution terms, but more nervous. If we had a solid defence behind our midfield and attacking options, even as they are right now? Damn. We could dish out some doings.

If we're not going to recruit more defenders, I'd be playing 3-5-2 with Wallace as the LWB. Falkirk, for instance, would do to us exactly what Accies done if we didn't. We need to crowd the defence out if we don't have four guys who can win there every header and cover ground fast - we don't have that right now; nothing like it, in fact.

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