Dundee vs Greenock Morten

[vikingTON]

Ayr fans were slating Nicky Cadden when he joined us for having been garbage for them. We won't easily replicate that turnaround but the signs so far suggest that we might get at least a decent tune out of McPake as well. It doesn't mean that he wasn't utter shite for Dundee but a change of clubs and the very different demands placed on wide players by Hopkin's style of football can have a positive change. By the same token I don't think that Hopkin knows what to do with Nesbitt to get a consistent level of performance: he should be playing off a striker in the centre of the field IMO but we're no closer to seeing that work.

It's good to hear that Fjortoft looks like a find as the lack of proven quality in defence has been the massive, flashing red alarm signal over the close season. The goalkeeper not being another total haddy is encouraging in that department as well.

We should have punted the likes of Muirhead, Millar, Blues and steered clear of Oliver though and tried to get a single credible centre forward with all that wasted budget. Until we have one then shitfesting and narrowly losing is going to be a common enough outcome this season.

Edited October 24, 2020 by vikingTON

[Ludo*1]

That McAdams nearly let in the howler of all howlers today that doesn't seem to have been mentioned. Charlie Adam hit a long ball forward from just inside the Morton half for Afolabi to chase but he overhit it slightly too much, McAdams came to the edge of his box to collect but slipped and had to palm it away. It was all a bit bizarre, but he didn't look awful other than that moment tbf.

In regards to Josh McPake, it wasn't that he was terrible, he looked good in one sub appearance against Ayr at home, but he looked every bit like a wee boy. He got outmuscled and outfought in every game he played. Rangers seem have put him on a pedestal, at least they did before he came to us, so it might be that he's bulked up since then.

Based on a single game, I'd have Fjortoft and Salkeld from Morton. What is Salkeld's actual position though as he went from up front, to RW, to LW and prior to the game kicking off, I had it in my head he was a CM?

[Derry Alli]

9 minutes ago, Ludo*1 said:

That McAdams nearly let in the howler of all howlers today that doesn't seem to have been mentioned. Charlie Adam hit a long ball forward from just inside the Morton half for Afolabi to chase but he overhit it slightly too much, McAdams came to the edge of his box to collect but slipped and had to palm it away. It was all a bit bizarre, but he didn't look awful other than that moment tbf.

Pedantic : it was Mullen and without seeing it again I thought at the time he should have controlled it/touch it round the keeper. 

[Bigmouth Strikes Again]

29 minutes ago, Ludo*1 said:

McPake in regards to Ferrie, 'He's been frustrated, but he's now in and it's up to him to keep the shirt'.

Great for him to keep a clean sheet, confidence up, better than flapper, he's quite small for a keeper though, that's my only concern.

[port-ton]

That McAdams nearly let in the howler of all howlers today that doesn't seem to have been mentioned. Charlie Adam hit a long ball forward from just inside the Morton half for Afolabi to chase but he overhit it slightly too much, McAdams came to the edge of his box to collect but slipped and had to palm it away. It was all a bit bizarre, but he didn't look awful other than that moment tbf.
In regards to Josh McPake, it wasn't that he was terrible, he looked good in one sub appearance against Ayr at home, but he looked every bit like a wee boy. He got outmuscled and outfought in every game he played. Rangers seem have put him on a pedestal, at least they did before he came to us, so it might be that he's bulked up since then.
Based on a single game, I'd have Fjortoft and Salkeld from Morton. What is Salkeld's actual position though as he went from up front, to RW, to LW and prior to the game kicking off, I had it in my head he was a CM?

I'd need to see it again but I thought he slipped as you said and recovered excellently. Wouldn't say it was a howler if it was in fact a slip but it was definitely heart in mouth.

As for Mcpake I obviously never saw him for Dundee but one thing that struck me watching him this season is how well built he was for a young boy, so I wonder if he's bulked up over lockdown if you're saying he was always out muscled.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

That's a fucking take right there. Made me burst out laughing.

We were not brilliant but still more than enough to beat a dire Morton team.

 

Was he watching a different game?

 

[DeeTillEhDeh]

One Nicky Cadden in the team is better than 10 sand dancing idiots with no end product.
 
Could have nicked a point but didn't because final product was again awful.

If my auntie had baws . . .

[Dee Man]

2 hours ago, RossBFaeDundee said:

That's a fucking take right there. Made me burst out laughing.

I'll have two tabs of what Hopkin's on please. 

[Meeniedee]

dear MR Hopkin..we might have only had 1 bit of quality in 90 mins but it was still 1 more than your mob had.....typical manager talk after a defeat..keeps the fans onside.

[Dunning1874]

9 hours ago, virginton said:

We should have punted the likes of Muirhead, Millar, Blues and steered clear of Oliver though and tried to get a single credible centre forward with all that wasted budget. Until we have one then shitfesting and narrowly losing is going to be a common enough outcome this season.

Yeah, this is what's going to come back to haunt us this season. It's early days but already in the line up and performance yesterday you see that the policy of stockpiling attackers doesn't look like it's worked, and you can't afford 9 games of gelling to find the combinations that work this season.

Obviously they weren't necessarily going to be available to us as they've gone to a club with a higher budget, but where two attacking players of a high calibre in Cammy Smith and Bruce Anderson were available on loan we've gone for quantity over quality and found ourselves struggling to create chances so far. We could have not bothered with the four you mentioned and another couple of attacking signings, tried to use the budget we've spent on those six players on two attackers of genuine quality and we'd still have more than enough midfield and attacking options while not having to worry about where chances will come from.

Finding creativity with the squad we have is hardly a lost cause - you could have improved the line up considerably in that regard yesterday with Colville in place of Blues and Nesbitt in place of Orsi to play off Salkeld rather than having three holding midfielders and two physical lumps up front. It's already a huge concern though.

9 hours ago, Ludo*1 said:

What is Salkeld's actual position though as he went from up front, to RW, to LW and prior to the game kicking off, I had it in my head he was a CM?

Most of his appearances have been on the right wing with some up front - we haven't seen enough to be sure what he actually is. He's also had more than a few games as a right wing back when he isn't the best defensively, as for the second season running we have no one else who can play there. He's never played central midfield for us though and I doubt he'd be particularly good at it. I'd be giving him a proper go at centre forward now rather than what he's had to do so far this season in covering wing back, both wings and centre forward over the course of 90 minutes.

As for McAdams, I'd say that was genuinely just an unfortunate slip rather than a sign of bad goalkeeping. It was just losing his footing rather than coming for a ball he shouldn't have or otherwise making the wrong decision. If stuff like that happens every week it becomes a problem but overall he's been quietly competent so far. There've been no wonder saves or anything, but he's had no chance with any of the goals we've conceded either.

 

[vikingTON]

12 hours ago, Meeniedee said:

dear MR Hopkin..we might have only had 1 bit of quality in 90 mins but it was still 1 more than your mob had.....typical manager talk after a defeat..keeps the fans onside.

I don't think it's aimed at fans at all but rather the squad. He and the assistant manager came out with similar claims at the start of last season, when they weren't getting themselves sent to the stand for protesting the injustice of minor decisions. It strikes me as a ploy because that final lone doesn't even tally with the rest of his post-match remarks: so long as we didn't take a bleaching I reckon Hopkin was always going to say that about yesterday's game. 

Not sure how these internal mind games are going to play out now that there isn't a physical crowd to be the voice of reality every Saturday.

[vikingTON]

5 hours ago, Dunning1874 said:

Yeah, this is what's going to come back to haunt us this season. It's early days but already in the line up and performance yesterday you see that the policy of stockpiling attackers doesn't look like it's worked, and you can't afford 9 games of gelling to find the combinations that work this season.

Obviously they weren't necessarily going to be available to us as they've gone to a club with a higher budget, but where two attacking players of a high calibre in Cammy Smith and Bruce Anderson were available on loan we've gone for quantity over quality and found ourselves struggling to create chances so far. We could have not bothered with the four you mentioned and another couple of attacking signings, tried to use the budget we've spent on those six players on two attackers of genuine quality and we'd still have more than enough midfield and attacking options while not having to worry about where chances will come from.

Finding creativity with the squad we have is hardly a lost cause - you could have improved the line up considerably in that regard yesterday with Colville in place of Blues and Nesbitt in place of Orsi to play off Salkeld rather than having three holding midfielders and two physical lumps up front. It's already a huge concern though.

I'm not convinced that the issue is creativity as such - though with those changes our ability to get into the final third as well as the final ball should be reliably better. What is needed is an actual centre forward to give the midfield a credible option when on the ball and the goalscoring record of our options there speaks for itself. Not having that type of player means that we're left constantly trying to create chances the hard way: when even with McHugh last season, it was easy enough for Cadden to just put the ball in a dangerous area and expect someone to get near it. 

 

[vikingTON]

5 hours ago, Dunning1874 said:

Yeah, this is what's going to come back to haunt us this season. It's early days but already in the line up and performance yesterday you see that the policy of stockpiling attackers doesn't look like it's worked, and you can't afford 9 games of gelling to find the combinations that work this season.

Obviously they weren't necessarily going to be available to us as they've gone to a club with a higher budget, but where two attacking players of a high calibre in Cammy Smith and Bruce Anderson were available on loan we've gone for quantity over quality and found ourselves struggling to create chances so far. We could have not bothered with the four you mentioned and another couple of attacking signings, tried to use the budget we've spent on those six players on two attackers of genuine quality and we'd still have more than enough midfield and attacking options while not having to worry about where chances will come from.

Finding creativity with the squad we have is hardly a lost cause - you could have improved the line up considerably in that regard yesterday with Colville in place of Blues and Nesbitt in place of Orsi to play off Salkeld rather than having three holding midfielders and two physical lumps up front. It's already a huge concern though.

I'm not convinced that the issue is creativity as such - though with those changes our ability to get into the final third as well as the final ball should be reliably better. What is needed is an actual centre forward to give the midfield a credible option when on the ball and the goalscoring record of our options there speaks for itself. Not having that type of player means that we're left constantly trying to create chances the hard way: when even with McHugh last season, it was easy enough for Cadden to just put the ball in a dangerous area and expect someone to get near it. 

 

[Ludo*1]

David Hopkins write the Morton match report?

https://www.gmfc.net/spirited-ton-lose-out-on-deeside/

[vikingTON]

It'll probably have been McKinnon.

[Bigmouth Strikes Again]

5 minutes ago, Ludo*1 said:

David Hopkins write the Morton match report?

https://www.gmfc.net/spirited-ton-lose-out-on-deeside/

Oh dearie me.

[RossBFaeDundee]

7 minutes ago, Ludo*1 said:

David Hopkins write the Morton match report?

https://www.gmfc.net/spirited-ton-lose-out-on-deeside/

Did he think they were in Aberdeen yesterday? Deeside ffs. The whole thing is an ambitious attempt in groupthink.

[The Ghost of B A R P]

34 minutes ago, Ludo*1 said:

David Hopkins write the Morton match report?

https://www.gmfc.net/spirited-ton-lose-out-on-deeside/

You know you're in trouble when 'Morton were dealt a huge blow when Robbie Muirhead was sent off' isn't even the daftest part of the article...

As said before the game, Dundee have obvious weaknesses, but we weren't good enough to expose them. A point would have been a nicked point... and we'd have been delighted with it.

 

[Ludo*1]

35 minutes ago, RossBFaeDundee said:

Did he think they were in Aberdeen yesterday? Deeside ffs. The whole thing is an ambitious attempt in groupthink.

Didn't even notice that in the URL. Fucking hell.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

David Hopkins write the Morton match report?

https://www.gmfc.net/spirited-ton-lose-out-on-deeside/

That's tragic.