Stenhousemuir -vs- Edinburgh City

[Francesc Fabregas]

You can't really argue with the new system - we've used it in the last two matches and beaten two of the league's better sides. As Neilly says, it suits the midfielders and gives us enough cover across the pitch.

I wonder if Colin McMenamin knows what his best XI is and which players work the best together.

[beaver1]

Chris O'Neil spent a lot of last season playing in a back 3 at Airdrie - I think he performed better there than at full back - so probably not a surprise that we seem to be heading that way, although it looks like McLaughlin is ahead of him in the pecking order at the moment. 

[Francesc Fabregas]

And he absolutely deserves to keep his place in the team! Scott McLaughlin's probably been the steadiest player in the squad over the first few games of the season, and fair play to him.

[Neilly]

2 hours ago, beaver1 said:

Chris O'Neil spent a lot of last season playing in a back 3 at Airdrie - I think he performed better there than at full back - so probably not a surprise that we seem to be heading that way, although it looks like McLaughlin is ahead of him in the pecking order at the moment. 

I think O'Neill will play more at right wing back in the current system. He done well there on Saturday when he came on.

It's unrealistic to think Scullion can do that shift every week in this league at 17 years old.

[Whatif]

Utter Shite - 90 minutes of utter shite.  How long is it going to be before someone realises the continual high ball up to McGuigan is not working.  A low driven ball across the box in 5 minutes and we score. Anderson's shot crashes of the bar and that is basically it nada for the rest of the match. Unable to compete in midfield and unable to clear a ball out of the box.  4 shots on goal in a home match - great stuff.

Smith MOTM - unable to catch a ball and only appears interested in argueing with the opposition and and shouting at the crowd.

That today was genuinly embarrassing and if it continues McMenamen will be lucky to see the end of September.  Our signings look poor, we do not seem to have a game plan other than the hoof up the park which is done slowly with no urgency to our game and there is certainly no plan B.

Congrats to City - you wanted the win and played hard and well for it. When you got the ball you knew what you were doing with it.

[Moonglum25]

On 23/08/2019 at 10:10, Francesc Fabregas said:

You can't really argue with the new system - we've used it in the last two matches and beaten two of the league's better sides. As Neilly says, it suits the midfielders and gives us enough cover across the pitch.

I wonder if Colin McMenamin knows what his best XI is and which players work the best together.

Until it goes down the toilet and we switch to 442 and it is still rubbish.

That today was woeful.  Does he know what his best XI is and which players work the best together - I think we got that answer today - no he does not have a clue.

Really angry about what was on offer today.

[AllyMonc]

On 21/08/2019 at 18:10, AllyMonc said:

Missing this one which is a pity as it’s a lovely wee away day. Despite our generally rubbish record against Stenny since we got promoted I think we’ll win this time.

The retirement of Josh Walker is probably a blessing in disguise as Marc Laird + an aggressive ball winner in the middle of the park (Liam Brown on loan from Motherwell doing a lovely job stepping in for Andy Black) is by far our best option in midfield. Despite a few slack moments defensively we looked more like ourselves against Stirling and hopefully that continues on Saturday.

I liked the idea of Harris playing off a striker (reasonable argument that striker should be Court and not Henderson but that’s for another time and isn’t a universally held opinion) and it lets us play Harris and Handling in the same side.

Going for a game of the day contender 2-3 victory for City which I’ll have to follow on my phone as I attend some substandard comedian at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Antell - Thompson, Balatoni, Henderson, Crane - Handling, Laird, Brown, Rab Mac - Harris, Court would be my choice in a 4 - 4 -1 - 1 formation

Basically correct. Well done Ally

[Neilly]

We were hilariously bad today. I couldn't even be arsed getting on the players back it was that bad.

The change to 4 at the back at half time was bewildering and we went from poor to the worst performance I have seen since the bone era. The personell change from Scullion to Oneil made sense but not to change back to a system that doesn't remotely work for us.

Edinburgh looked a good team though as shite as we were. They get the ball down and play football. Good luck to them for the rest of the season they will be up there.

[beaver1]

I haven't seen much of the team this season, but based on results and comments I'm reading, how long can it continue? The budget is a decent one by all accounts but the results and performances aren't backing it up. And it takes a lot for our support to turn on the team. This doesn't look good.

[Ancient Warrior]

I was hoping to come on to P & B and see that McMenamin had resigned or been sacked.

His tactics and team selection are baffling and his close season signings are absolutely hopeless. 

You could get 3 folk out of  the crowd that would be a better midfield than McKernon, Gibbons and the anonymous Dylan Dykes.

I fear that if our board do nothing all we can hope for is that we take more points off Stirling than they take off us and keep us in 9th place or it's the Lowland League .

No doubt some people will say I am overreacting but our performances since McMenamin took over have been anything but inspiring and in some cases like today absolutely dreadful.

[Francesc Fabregas]

That was absolutely vile and one of the worst performances I've seen in years. It was so bad that I wanted to leave the ground and go home during the interval, even although we were winning at that point. Other than Mark McGuigan's goal (which was quite glorious) and a Kieran Anderson shot that inexplicably hit the bar, we offered nothing. Edinburgh City are a good side, and looked much better than they did last week in our Challenge Cup encounter, but we played right into their hands - ceaseless long balls towards Liam Henderson and Conrad Balatoni, a failure to put any real pressure on Marc Laird in the middle of the park - and I don't think they'll get a more straightforward three points all season.

Stenhousemuir started the match well and McGuigan's early goal was lovely, with the big striker finishing Alan Cook's low centre after a fine series of passes. The home side could have doubled their lead shortly afterwards when Anderson somehow found himself in on goal but rather than placing his shot, he opted to smash the ball beyond Calum Antell instead and hit the bar. Why did he shoot with so much power from close range? It seemed to me as though he wanted to show he had "arrived" by finishing so empathically; instead he squandered a wonderful opportunity.

From that point on, Edinburgh City took control of the match. They got a grip on the middle of the park and forced our backline into a series of panicky clearances. Andy Munro twice played short, unsighted backpasses to his goalkeeper and Graeme Smith twice bailed him out by saving with his knees. As we've mentioned on this thread and several others, our team isn't really designed to scrap for first or second balls - we're more capable when we try to play football - so it was alarming to watch us bypass the middle of the park and hope something fell McGuigan's way. Yes, for a big lad he could do better when battling with defenders but why do we insist on playing neck-high balls up towards him? What's he supposed to do with that? We've got three central midfielders who are all decent enough on the ball, why aren't we giving it to them?

At half time, I thought we had made the right call to take off Liam Scullion for Chris O'Neil - Scullion had been struggling to keep big Robbie McIntyre in check so it made sense to replace him - but I couldn't believe we changed from the 3-5-2 to a 4-4-2. We were losing territory in the middle of the park since about the 11th minute, so why did we weaken ourselves further? Needless to say it didn't work. We looked ragged and dishevelled and spent the rest of the game trying to repel Edinburgh's attack without ever really getting back into it.

The defending for the first of their two goals was appalling. The ball was allowed to pinball around the box before Blair Henderson hooked in the equaliser and O'Neil failed to deal with a deep cross, knocking it straight to Laird who took his time and planted a neat finish into the net. We briefly rallied at this point and pegged Edinburgh back but we never really look like troubling Antell. Scott Shepherd added a third late on (I didn't see the build up to it because I was reading a tweet) but it prompted some members in the crowd to start shouting at Smith, who argued back. It was all very unedifying.

I can understand why supporters jeered the team off at the end. That was truly hopeless stuff. I saw someone on Twitter saying that if you want to build a team to play long-ball football, then that's fine, sign the appropriate players, but don't punt balls up top when our principle striker isn't all that great at operating as a target man and the midfield don't seem to be capable of pushing up and supporting him. Judging by some of the comments on here already and the views of people I spoke to at the match, Colin McMenamin has a bit of work to do to win the trust of supporters. after that What is his best XI? What formation suits them best? I don't know, and I'm not too sure he does either. Annan Athletic next week will be an interesting encounter, particularly given they were the team that relegated us in May. You know what you're going to get from Peter Murphy's side but are we capable of dealing with it? I don't know.

[beaver1]

I really feel that beating Falkirk last season was the worst thing that could have happened.

[drs]

1 hour ago, Francesc Fabregas said:

Anderson somehow found himself in on goal but rather than placing his shot, he opted to smash the ball beyond Calum Antell instead and hit the bar. Why did he shoot with so much power from close range? It seemed to me as though he wanted to show he had "arrived" by finishing so empathically; instead he squandered a wonderful opportunity.

Nope, its his thang - doesn't matter if he hasn't scored or if he's already scored 30 in the season.

He blooters it when given a sight of goal, never seen him play a daisy cutter or something deflected off the inside of the boot. He has great power in his shot but for me he's clearly been coached over the years to batter the ball in an attempt to emphasise that power rather than play it softly.

[Vimto90]

I really feel that beating Falkirk last season was the worst thing that could have happened.

An absolute disgrace that today.

 

I highly doubt colin is going to be a success. He's not gona do, end of. He's had a while now. Got us relegated, assembled a rotten squad and as has been said doesn't seem to know his best 11.

 

Edinburgh are a good side and will be up there with Cove. Alex Harris a particular stand out.

 

[The Mariner]

First chance to see Anderson since last season thanks for the ticket sir.

 

Thought Stennie were poor just lumping balls up in the direction of McGuigan  who for being a big lad doesn't really win much.

The Stennie goal looked a decent finish from the City player. Anderson had a chance on his left foot that he powered of the bar and it may have come down over the line, maybe highlights will show the above two better.

Noticeably the young lad Scullion was having a really bad time trying to defend and looked out his depth , the number 7 for Stennie was also poor and had three chances to challenge before City scored . The backline of Stennie just seemed to panic every time the ball come in the box and just lumped it up the park aimlessly.

Stenhousemuir will have to find a way to involve the midfield. Basically they miss them out and continually give the opposing team the ball putting pressure on themselves every time.

Personally I would have taken your striker of and tried something different and kept it on the deck.

[tamthebam]

It's funny how two different sets of fans can see a game differently. 

City go 1-0 down, a rather well worked goal from the Warriors and I think "here we go again". The boy then hits the bar and the ball falls kindly to be cleared and later on Tommo manages to stretch and clear a dangerous ball which if it had fallen to the Stenny striker would most likely have been 2-0.  At the other end City passed up a few chances to equalise and Stenny defence blocked a few shots. 

So 1-0 at half time and slightly mumping of gums from yours truly. We'd hit the post and you wondered if it was going to be one of those games, at a ground that has proved a bogey ground since coming into the League. Also a lot of wasps about- "f*ck off back to Alloa ya pests". And the lights in the bogs weren't switched on either. Girn. Complain. 

Into the 2nd half and Henderson equalises and there's a sense of 1) relief and 2) perhaps a point from Ochilview isn't too bad. City continue to press, the ball pings about the box like a game of "pass the parcel" and Lairdy fires it in. Woo! So we've scored two goals of the type we usually concede! Warriors fans start mumping of gums in the main stand. 

The best is yet to come. Sheps comes on and scores a goal of beauty. Scenes! 

The after match pint in the Warriors club is rather sweet and the home fans are generous. Based on teams I've seen so far I think you'll still be there or thereabouts. Receive news that City leg-end Big Fozzy was one of the match stewards in the main stand which just puts the icing on the cake. 

Three in a row, second in the League. Not too bad after the slow start to the season. Will probably all go to shite at Elgin as usual though.... mump, mump, girn. 

 

 

[Hard Graft]

Much has already been said about yesterday.

Prior to getting relegated someone posted that it would be good if we went down as we would see our team winning a lot of games and challenging for promotion. Someone countered that if we went down then we were only a season away from the Lowland League. Which of these statements sounds more likely?

It is obvious that McMenamen was the cheap option to the board but was untested at managerial level and that is coming home to roost.  His signings have been poor and his gameplan would appear to be the hoof up the park. 

As previously stated we were struggling in midfield so his tactics is to drop to a four and give them more control of midfield.  Any time we play the ball on the ground we look reasonable but it appears that is not the gameplan. 

Losing faith in Smith at the moment - seems more intent in arguing with the opposition that concentrating on his game. Seems to flap at the ball now rather than catch it and has been lucky/unlucky at giving away penalties. However the alternative of Marley does not seem a good choice but obviously the gaffer saw something in his or would not have signed him.

Andy Munro is a blood and thunder centre half who now thinks he is a footballer and keeps playing balls back without knowing who is near him or in trying to play football gets himself into difficulties. Just do the simple thing and get rid of it.

Gibbons hardly showed before he was subbed yesterday, and by no means was he alone,  but Thomas Halleron must really not feature in McMenamen's plans when he cannot even get on.

As Beaver1 said beating Falkirk now looks like the worst thing that could have happened and obviously gave the board false hope in him. The next few weeks are going to be interesting and give the board some thinking to do.

 

 

 

[Francesc Fabregas]

21 minutes ago, Hard Graft said:

Losing faith in Smith at the moment - seems more intent in arguing with the opposition that concentrating on his game. Seems to flap at the ball now rather than catch it and has been lucky/unlucky at giving away penalties. However the alternative of Marley does not seem a good choice but obviously the gaffer saw something in his or would not have signed him.

Graeme Smith was probably our best player yesterday and bailed out the team on a number of occasions before Edinburgh City really took control of the match. Yes, he let himself down by getting involved with some daft shouts from the crowd but he's been largely very good for Stenhousemuir. Don't forget it was a couple of weeks ago when he turned in a world-class performance against Heart of Midlothian.

[The Mariner]

6 minutes ago, Francesc Fabregas said:

Graeme Smith was probably our best player yesterday and bailed out the team on a number of occasions before Edinburgh City really took control of the match. Yes, he let himself down by getting involved with some daft shouts from the crowd but he's been largely very good for Stenhousemuir. Don't forget it was a couple of weeks ago when he turned in a world-class performance against Heart of Midlothian.

I forgot to mention the above, if it hadn't been for your goalkeeper yesterday the scoreline would have been double after that defending.

[Hard Graft]

1 hour ago, Francesc Fabregas said:

Graeme Smith was probably our best player yesterday and bailed out the team on a number of occasions before Edinburgh City really took control of the match. Yes, he let himself down by getting involved with some daft shouts from the crowd but he's been largely very good for Stenhousemuir. Don't forget it was a couple of weeks ago when he turned in a world-class performance against Heart of Midlothian.

Agree in general with what you are saying he is an excellent shot stopper but in some of the other games he seems to have lost a bit of his edge and does not seem to be catching the ball as much, prefering to palm or punch the ball away, and too busy arguing but still a better bet than Marley.  The one incident that really cheesed me off and made me wonder about him was the ludicrous penalty he gave away against QP. Yesterdays arguing with the crowd was a let down as well.