Perth Saints v Hamilton Academical

[tree house tam]

23 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

we've only got one player out injured,

Aye but he's our best one.

[Valentino Bolognese]

28 minutes ago, RandomGuy. said:

Just posted on WAP, but it sums us up that this is arguably the most important game we've had this season (first home game in a run of them, win here and momentum could follow), we've only got one player out injured, yet absolutely nobody knows what our strongest line up/formation is.

I'm not usually one of the negative ones, but I just made the mistake of watching Tommy's prematch on Saints TV.  Considering how vital this game is I thought he gave off a pretty resigned and frustrated vibe and seemed again to be (wilfully or otherwise) oblivious to how rotten we were on Saturday (dominated the first half ... really Tommy?).

Sure by tomorrow the hope will be back but I'd advise Saints fans to avoid watching the interview. 

Edited October 25, 2019 by Valentino Bolognese

[andrewh]

Just posted on WAP, but it sums us up that this is arguably the most important game we've had this season (first home game in a run of them, win here and momentum could follow), we've only got one player out injured, yet absolutely nobody knows what our strongest line up/formation is.

It’s nothing if not interesting.
Season starts tomorrow.
Must win.
Dominating - winning = useless.
I hate the main stand.
Our best player is injured.

[RandomGuy.]

47 minutes ago, tree house tam said:

Aye but he's our best one.

Constantly injured though.

44 minutes ago, Valentino Bolognese said:

I'm not usually one of the negative ones, but I just made the mistake of watching Tommy's prematch on Saints TV.  Considering how vital this game is I thought he gave off a pretty resigned and frustrated vibe and seemed again to be (wilfully or otherwise) oblivious to how rotten we were on Saturday (dominated the first half ... really Tommy?).

Sure by tomorrow the hope will be back but I'd advise Saints fans to avoid watching the interview. 

I havent watched it yet so wont bother now I've a horrible feeling we're going to set up to shitfest and draw 0-0, which doesnt help us at all, only to be told by TW it's a massive step forward.

[Jamie_B]

I’d like to see May start with a partner up top. It was always how we got the best out of him before. Arguments for Kennedy, Kane or Hendry are valid and tbh I’d be happy with any of them.

Clark
Ralston Kerr Duffy Tanser
Wright Davidson McCann Wotherspoon
May Kennedy

If Craig came back in or Holt played I wouldn’t be upset. If we go for Kane or Hendry then move Kennedy to LM.

Kane may not have been great earlier this season but he might work better concentrating on being a pest and working the defence rather than trying to finish one on ones and missing. Hendry is a weird one for me-not always too involved but equally comes up with goals. Kennedy worked well with Watt last season and has the spark to change do something a bit different.

Who knows...

[Valentino Bolognese]

53 minutes ago, Jamie_Beatson said:

I’d like to see May start with a partner up top. It was always how we got the best out of him before. Arguments for Kennedy, Kane or Hendry are valid and tbh I’d be happy with any of them.

Clark
Ralston Kerr Duffy Tanser
Wright Davidson McCann Wotherspoon
May Kennedy

If Craig came back in or Holt played I wouldn’t be upset. If we go for Kane or Hendry then move Kennedy to LM.

Kane may not have been great earlier this season but he might work better concentrating on being a pest and working the defence rather than trying to finish one on ones and missing. Hendry is a weird one for me-not always too involved but equally comes up with goals. Kennedy worked well with Watt last season and has the spark to change do something a bit different.

Who knows...

Who knows. That's it in a nutshell. 

To the point where there's a suggestion of playing a striker with the instruction not to bother trying shots on goal, because he's not actually very good at, well, scoring goals.

So in a change to my previous post my tombola team ... Hendy on the bench ahead of Kane. 

                        Parish

Ralston - Duffy - Kerr - Tanser

MOH - Holt - Craig - DJ Spoony

                May Kennedy

 

 

McCann could be swapped out for either Davidson or Holt? I'd like to see Wright in the team as looking back on last week he actually played well in sort bursts and if we're going to get him back he needs to play. 

I have a feeling that Holt would work well with MOH. He likes a quick ball through to wide and MOH has the pace and touch to capitalise and Kennedy should give him runs inside to pull the defence wider. Ideally Wright should be in the team, looked inventive in short bursts last week and needs the game time. 

But again, who knows. 

[PauloPerth]

3 hours ago, Valentino Bolognese said:

I'm not usually one of the negative ones, but I just made the mistake of watching Tommy's prematch on Saints TV.  Considering how vital this game is I thought he gave off a pretty resigned and frustrated vibe and seemed again to be (wilfully or otherwise) oblivious to how rotten we were on Saturday (dominated the first half ... really Tommy?).

Sure by tomorrow the hope will be back but I'd advise Saints fans to avoid watching the interview. 

I wouldn't read too much into interviews and manager's comments. 

Confidence is everything in football, and Tommy will know how fragile our players are right now.  Constantly reminded we've not won a game, and social media telling them all they're no good all the time.  He's trying to emphasise positives to get some belief back.  He'll be feeling it worse than any of us just now.

Its either that or just tell the players they've been shite and must do better. They'll know we need to play better, and really could do without being told they're not good enough, as that thought might already be creeping in.

 

Also wonder about Kane alongside May to make life difficult for the Accies defence and get us playing higher up the pitch.   Think st Mirrens defence must have had one of the easiest games they've had for a while last week, and we can't let that happen again. I'd probably start Matty K and May, but couldn't argue at whatever partnership is chosen.

[Valentino Bolognese]

1 minute ago, PauloPerth said:

I wouldn't read too much into interviews and manager's comments. 

Confidence is everything in football, and Tommy will know how fragile our players are right now.  Constantly reminded we've not won a game, and social media telling them all they're no good all the time.  He's trying to emphasise positives to get some belief back.  He'll be feeling it worse than any of us just now.

That was my point PP - he looks and sounds like a man with zero confidence. He should be a lot more upbeat, but he looks worn out and going through the motions. 

Obviously hope I'm wrong and that it's very different on the training ground and dressing room. 

[RandomGuy.]

Theres your motivation Hamilton. Seems to he a general consensus among the Saints support that anything other than a win today sees us pretty much relegated. 

Hamilton have won the last two meetings between the sides.

Suspect this thread will be full of Dundee fans come the final whistle.

[tree house tam]

RanDOOOOOOM

[RandomGuy.]

17 minutes ago, tree house tam said:

RanDOOOOOOM

I'm calling it. 1-1 draw, dominate the first half half, score after 40 minutes, only to be pegged back almost immediately from a corner when a Hamilton player gets a free hit 6 yards out. Second half is a total non-event.

Lose 2-0 a few days later to Hearts. TW walks, and we get relegated regardless of who comes in.

Edited October 26, 2019 by RandomGuy.

[Radford]

I was apprehensive about our prospects this season after the summer we had but can someone explain to me the benefit of displaying the sort of defeatist mentality expressed above? What is achieved by that? Both on a personal level and in terms of supporting the club? 

I want a reaction today from that second half last week and a big one but if it doesn't happen then you just have to move on to Hearts. What is the alternative? Seven months of self-pity? Screw that for a game of soldiers.

[RandomGuy.]

8 minutes ago, Radford said:

I was apprehensive about our prospects this season after the summer we had but can someone explain to me the benefit of displaying the sort of defeatist mentality expressed above? What is achieved by that? Both on a personal level and in terms of supporting the club? 

I want a reaction today from that second half last week and a big one but if it doesn't happen then you just have to move on to Hearts. What is the alternative? Seven months of self-pity? Screw that for a game of soldiers.

*shrugs shoulders*

I'm just being honest, I think we're done this season if we dont win today. I was there last weekend and already have my tickets for the next three games. I've not booed or criticised the players beyond a forum that, frankly, they shouldn't bother reading, and at game I do try to actively encourage them whenever I can. 

You can look at all that, and the fact I'll continue to go to games even if we're down by Christmas, and claim I'm somehow not "supporting the club" because I've made a couple of negative posts if you like.

[PauloPerth]

You're getting a bit defensive there RG, and obviously we're all entitled to our opinion. 

I just agree with Radford a bit that we all have to try to avoid constant negativity as it can become a self-fulfilling prophesy, amongst players and other supporters.

I really hope during matches our support develops a siege mentality and gets right behind the team, whatever we're seeing or up against, rather than start to turn on them as soon as things go against us. Our support is usually not too bad for that, compared to the likes of st Mirren or Dunde etc.

We've still got 28 matches after today, and in reality we could lose a couple then go on a run of 3-4 wins and be off the bottom.

Its a big game, but there's a lot of season to go.

 

[RandomGuy.]

6 minutes ago, PauloPerth said:

You're getting a bit defensive there RG, and obviously we're all entitled to our opinion. 

I just agree with Radford a bit that we all have to try to avoid constant negativity as it can become a self-fulfilling prophesy, amongst players and other supporters.

I really hope during matches our support develops a siege mentality and gets right behind the team, whatever we're seeing or up against, rather than start to turn on them as soon as things go against us. Our support is usually not too bad for that, compared to the likes of st Mirren or Dunde etc.

We've still got 28 matches after today, and in reality we could lose a couple then go on a run of 3-4 wins and be off the bottom.

Its a big game, but there's a lot of season to go.

I think you and Radford are both hugely over thinking the effect of a post an anonymous football forum. Theres about 10 regular Saints fans on here, out of around 2000 regulars at games, who'll be seeing my apparent constant negativity. What I say on here literally doesnt matter in the slightest to anyone.

I'll get behind the players today, but frankly it's not my posts on this forum that has us sitting bottom with no wins less than a week from November.

Edited October 26, 2019 by RandomGuy.

[PauloPerth]

Have to say as well, I watched that Tommy interview/ press conference on Saints TV and thought he came across well.

He just answered all the questions about being bottom and winless in a calm way without getting frustrated at all, emphasising one game at a time and not looking too far ahead.

The girl asking the questions was excellent. She didn't shy away from asking a fair few straight out questions about our current predicament.  Her questions were direct and to the point.

She gets it that her job is to get the best answers out of the manager, and not hog the interview herself.  This was my big criticism of the lad that was doing it previously, he used to ramble on his opinion and then stop and ask Tommy if he agreed with him.

Was probably just inexperience in his case, but you take the likes of Chic Young and he's brutal for that, wants to slaver on about how he sees something and make it like his opinion is as relevant as the interviewee, and then just ask if the manager agrees etc. 

[PauloPerth]

1 minute ago, RandomGuy. said:

I think you and Radford are both hugely over thinking the effect of a post an anonymous football forum. Theres about 10 regular Saints fans on here, out of around 2000 regulars at games, who'll be seeing my apparent constant negativity. What I say on here literally doesnt matter in the slightest to anyone.

I'll get behind the players today, but frankly it's not my posts on this forum that has us sitting bottom with no wins less than a week from November.

I personally wasn't  just talking about you.

It was a general point on the back of your doomsday post. To be honest, we're probably all guilty of it on here recently, me included.  And I meant going forward, a constant cycle of negativity and criticism is going to feed itself, and others.

I guess there is an argument that posts on social media/ forums don't make any difference whatsoever, but I'm never convinced players etc aren't aware of what's being said about them.

[RandomGuy.]

Just now, PauloPerth said:

I guess there is an argument that posts on social media/ forums don't make any difference whatsoever, but I'm never convinced players etc aren't aware of what's being said about them.

I imagine they see plenty on Twitter, since folk actively tag them in tweets criticising them, I'd be surprised if they bothered looking on forums for opinions though.

They just need to win. We can talk about this and that being positive and negative for the players, but the most important thing by far is winning a game. I made the point on WAP that a win here, a win against Hearts, and we're back on track to stay up and at home to a poor Hibs side with momentum behind us.

[Valentino Bolognese]

OK so now I feel guilty 

Yes, my post about the interview was negative. I put this down to one thing, which is that I still feel massively butt-hurt about last Saturday. I think it's down to the fact that in pretty much every single game except the Celtic opener I've been able to see positives in the performance and a team who looked like they had another gear, and a bit of fight. When they needed to really turn that on they seemed to shit the bed. I honestly thought we'd been building to a good performance and result but that was just abject. One small positive was at least TW came out and said that he, and the players, were letting themselves and us down. Personally I think that was only really true of the St Mirren performance. 

I'll be fine come about 2.45 today and fully behind the team as always. I've got a couple of quid on 4-0 (at 92/1), so pretty confident this is where the season turns. And if not, we go again on Wednesday. 

FWIW I agree that the interviewer was much better then the normal guy (who still did the Wallace Duffy one). 

 

[tree house tam]

For what it's worth I'm still pretty upbeat about the season ahead. I also think we may struggle today though, Hamilton just seem to have the type of players that can hurt us and exploit our weaknesses. 

However, if we click I think we can give someone a good skelping, hope it's sooner rather than later tbh.

Edited October 26, 2019 by tree house tam
Fat fingers