Playoff Semi Final , 18th October 2020

[Dunning1874]

Obvious squad selection. I'd have Findlay ahead of Gallagher at this point but you'd just be swapping fifth choice centre backs behind Tierney, McKenna, Cooper and Porteous (not including McTominay as an option because I have a brain) and when you're back to a 23 man squad neither would make it so it doesn't matter really.

When everyone's fit you'd have Forrest and Gilmour in instead of Burke and McLean, possibly Griffiths if he's ever playing regularly again, but we can pretty much put out our strongest team here.

For me only a few positions are up for debate.

Marshall

Palmer - Cooper - Tierney - Robertson

McTominay - McGregor

Armstrong - McGinn - Christie

Dykes

You can have Tierney at right back or centre back, debate which of Cooper & McKenna drops out if the latter and which of McGregor/Jack/Fleck is in the middle with McTominay but otherwise everyone there should be a guaranteed starter. Christie and Armstrong both have the ability to produce something from nowhere that should keep them ahead of Fraser.

It obviously has to be a back four rather than the rampant stupidity of the last two games, you can change the shape of the midfield to be more of a 4-3-3 with McGinn deeper rather than a 4-2-3-1 and you could switch Armstrong and Christie to the other wings, but I can't see any better options.

Fully prepared for a 2-3-5 with McTominay & Paterson in defence and McLean starting.

[TheGreenElves]

3 hours ago, The Moonster said:

Do you know what he's done to be emptied? He was always an idiot but being banned from here requires a special level of idiocy.

[The Golden God]

Maybe Clarke has found out that Tavernier and Morelos are actually Israeli, Czech or Slovakian and has decided to pick Porteous so he can get them both absolutely seething once again? That or he knows Boyd will be on the Sky team covering the games.

[ewan14]

3 hours ago, Dunning1874 said:

Obvious squad selection. I'd have Findlay ahead of Gallagher at this point but you'd just be swapping fifth choice centre backs behind Tierney, McKenna, Cooper and Porteous (not including McTominay as an option because I have a brain) and when you're back to a 23 man squad neither would make it so it doesn't matter really.

When everyone's fit you'd have Forrest and Gilmour in instead of Burke and McLean, possibly Griffiths if he's ever playing regularly again, but we can pretty much put out our strongest team here.

For me only a few positions are up for debate.

 

 

Marshall

Palmer - Cooper - Tierney - Robertson

McTominay - McGregor

Armstrong - McGinn - Christie

Dykes

 

 

You can have Tierney at right back or centre back, debate which of Cooper & McKenna drops out if the latter and which of McGregor/Jack/Fleck is in the middle with McTominay but otherwise everyone there should be a guaranteed starter. Christie and Armstrong both have the ability to produce something from nowhere that should keep them ahead of Fraser.

It obviously has to be a back four rather than the rampant stupidity of the last two games, you can change the shape of the midfield to be more of a 4-3-3 with McGinn deeper rather than a 4-2-3-1 and you could switch Armstrong and Christie to the other wings, but I can't see any better options.

Fully prepared for a 2-3-5 with McTominay & Paterson in defence and McLean starting.

Tierney instead of McGregor

McKenna and Cooper centre halves

Did you not know Tierney can play defensive midfielder as well now !

Sorted !

[ewan14]

7 hours ago, Marshmallo said:

When I've got a spare 10 mins today I'm going to RangersMedia to get their take on the Porteous call up

well ?

[Guest Rscot]

14 minutes ago, ewan14 said:

Tierney instead of McGregor

McKenna and Cooper centre halves

Did you not know Tierney can play defensive midfielder as well now !

Sorted !

We couldn’t keep a clean sheet against Cyprus, ranked 98th, Kazakhstan, ranked 95th or Israel, ranked 93th and were very lucky only to concede 1 against a 2nd rate Czech side that had never met each other before the game. So let’s play the same midfielders and hope for a different result

Edited September 29, 2020 by Rscot

[DAFC.]

We couldn’t keep a clean sheet against Cyprus, ranked 98th, Kazakhstan, ranked 95th or Israel, ranked 93th and were very lucky only to concede 1 against a 2nd rate Czech side that had never met each other before the game. So let’s play the same midfielders and hope for a different result [emoji106]

Ooooh, see when you put it like that, it is awfully damning how shit we are.

Guess Clarke just puts out players in random positions and hopes for the best, as well as letting the opposition have all the possession.

[Guest Rscot]

12 minutes ago, DAFC. said:

 

Ooooh, see when you put it like that, it is awfully damning how shit we are.

Guess Clarke just puts out players in random positions and hopes for the best, as well as letting the opposition have all the possession.

 

In my opinion we’re lacking in midfield, our supposed strongest area. We are too easy to score against. Now we know we don’t have the greatest centre halves, but that’s only part of the problem, we are missing a good defensive midfielder. Which is why, out of desperation I suggested trying Tierney in there.

Edited September 29, 2020 by Rscot

[forameus]

10 hours ago, Rscot said:

In my opinion we’re lacking in midfield, our supposed strongest area. We are too easy to score against. Now we know we don’t have the greatest centre halves, but that’s only part of the problem, we are missing a good defensive midfielder. Which is why, out of desperation I suggested trying Tierney in there.

Midfield can be our strongest area, and still be lacking.  Just like most of the players we pick are the best we could get, while we'd still tear our arms off for something better.

The midfield thing is overplayed anyway.  On paper, the sheer number of talented midfielders we have would suggest we should be fine there, but there's little evidence that we can mould the best of them together into a good unit.  We don't have the best forwards, and the midfielders struggle to get forward to support whatever jobber we have up there, and we don't have the best defenders, and our midfielders struggle to give them the cover they need.  Makes you wonder what they are actually doing.

[M0rtonfc]

It HAS to be a back 4, although performances weren't the most pleasing on the eye before the last couple of horrendous games we were still getting results, in a back 3 we just look so unbalanced and the players don't look comfortable at all, the performances are also even worse than they were before. In goal, of course Marshall, the back 4 picks itself, bin the McTominay patter and have him in, you know, his natural position! Back 4 should be Palmer - Cooper - Tierney - Robertson, 2 sitting in front should be McGregor - McTominay/Jack/Fleck, not too fussed which one, all can do a job there and then the front 3 behind Dykes should be Armstrong - McGinn - Christie with Fraser as an option off the bench.

It's not rocket science, that's by far our best team and formation with the players we have available, none of this throwing players into positions and hoping for the best, revert back to what we were playing before and all players in positions they are comfortable in, I would be pretty confident going into the game with the above.

 

[Guest Rscot]

4-4-1-1

                       Mashall

Palmer Gallagher McKenna Robertson 

Mctominey Mcginn Tierney Fraser

               Christie

             Dykes

I think that’s the best balanced team we have with the squad. Admittedly Gallagher hasn’t  been good for Motherwell, but is right-footed and was ok with Mckenna the couple of times they played together.

Edited September 30, 2020 by Rscot

[M0rtonfc]

11 hours ago, Chairman Mao said:

At club level Tierney plays in a back 3 while Cooper plays on the right of a back 2.

So you are contradicting yourself 

Your just being an arse, you know what I mean, McTominay is not a CB......We have played the back 3 with Tierney at the left hand side, yes his current natural position at Arsenal but it's not working, the whole defence didn't look comfortable and the rest of the team looked unbalanced, not to mention that Robertson, maybe our best player looks completely lost at LWB. We should just have a back 4 with Cooper - Tierney as the 2 CB's, 2 holding in front of the back 4 with 3 behind Dykes, it's by far our best formation, what's yours? 

Edited October 1, 2020 by M0rtonfc

[Bad Wolf]

My effort at a team -

Marshall; O'Donnell, McKenna, Tierney, Taylor; McTominay, Jack; Armstrong, McGinn, Robertson; Dykes

I also think that 4-2-3-1 is our best formation by far, if we have the players to play it, which is a rather large if. On current international form, Robertson doesn't deserve to play at either left back or wing back, but perhaps playing him as an out and out winger who will track back as needed could work. If not, hook him for Christie, who I'm not entirely convinced by but never mind.

[Binos]

16 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

My effort at a team -

Marshall; O'Donnell, McKenna, Tierney, Taylor; McTominay, Jack; Armstrong, McGinn, Robertson; Dykes

I also think that 4-2-3-1 is our best formation by far, if we have the players to play it, which is a rather large if. On current international form, Robertson doesn't deserve to play at either left back or wing back, but perhaps playing him as an out and out winger who will track back as needed could work. If not, hook him for Christie, who I'm not entirely convinced by but never mind.

Stopped reading at O'Donnell

[Bad Wolf]

37 minutes ago, Binos said:

Stopped reading at O'Donnell

Fair enough! FWIW though, I do think he's a solid right back. Tierney and Robertson are both much better than him, clearly; but equally clearly are not right backs.

[The Moonster]

11 hours ago, Rscot said:

I think that’s the best balanced team we have with the squad. 

Why would McTominay playing right midfield, a position he's never played in his puff, give us more balance than playing an actual right midfielder?

Why would playing possibly our best left back in centre midfield, instead of a guy who plays there for Manchester United, give us more balance?

And can people stop saying Tierney isn't a right back. We know, but he's been better there than any of the other jobbers we have, so he should play right back.

 

[Bing.McCrosby]

Just now, The Moonster said:

Why would McTominay playing right midfield, a position he's never played in his puff, give us more balance than playing an actual right midfielder?

Why would playing possibly our best left back in centre midfield, instead of a guy who plays there for Manchester United, give us more balance?

And can people stop saying Tierney isn't a right back. We know, but he's been better there than any of the other jobbers we have, so he should play right back.

 

That team was so daft I thought even commenting was pointless.

[Busta Nut]

On 29/09/2020 at 13:46, RossBFaeDundee said:

Considering the week they've had at their club, it's a bit of a laugh having Gallagher and O'Donnell in there.

Said that maself. Does Clarke actually watch these guys? Both of them have been horrible for Motherwell this year. Whether I am expecting too much I dunno but Gallagher is a shadow of what he was last year and O'Donnell is so beige it's unreal. Also seems suspect when marking guys.

1 hour ago, Bad Wolf said:

Fair enough! FWIW though, I do think he's a solid right back. 

I don't think he is.

[charger29]

Why would McTominay playing right midfield, a position he's never played in his puff, give us more balance than playing an actual right midfielder?
Why would playing possibly our best left back in centre midfield, instead of a guy who plays there for Manchester United, give us more balance?
And can people stop saying Tierney isn't a right back. We know, but he's been better there than any of the other jobbers we have, so he should play right back.
 

The main issue with Tierney playing RB now is he hasn't played there in 2 years. Maybe it's still the best option but the opportunity to get him more comfortable in the position has been and gone. Clarke fucked it when he messed about with the back 3 last month.

I'm expecting something like Palmer - Cooper - McKenna - Tierney - Robertson.

[The Moonster]

4 minutes ago, charger29 said:

The main issue with Tierney playing RB now is he hasn't played there in 2 years. Maybe it's still the best option but the opportunity to get him more comfortable in the position has been and gone. Clarke fucked it when he messed about with the back 3 last month.

I'm expecting something like Palmer - Cooper - McKenna - Tierney - Robertson.

I'd be willing to bet that Tierney will look far more comfortable at right back than Liam fucking Palmer.