Ross County vs Morton

[Toby]

Said it at the time. Failure to play to the referee's whistle is ****ing school-boy stuff. 

 

Aye, we probably said it to each other up there, but the only other mention of it I've seen or heard was from Chris Millar in his post match interview.

[SpoonTon]

I'm not going to trawl through the thread to see, and I get the point that Buchanan should be a far more adept defender than him, but has anyone mentioned Ross MacLean's role in their second goal? It was absolutely f*cking criminal.

 

Third goal as well. I agree. I think in general our wide players have let us down defensively at times. That can happen with a 4-3-3, especially when you've got a very attack minded player, essentially a forward, playing in one of those wide roles. That's not a defence of MacLean, he needs to learn to defend better if he wants to play at this level, but it's especially a problem if the defenders aren't going to be solid. That would be my main point in the case for a 4-4-2. 

[EanieMeany]

The pressing and covering of space from those areas hasn't always been great. 

 

That's one of the most concerning things under Johanssen. At times our pressing was excellent under McKinnon, defending from the front and winning the ball back as a team but there's not really very much of that going on at all now. 

 

There's no direction or cohesion off the ball and there's none when we have it either. Whilst the defenders need to up their game, the overall structure of the team is close to non-existent. It's hard to see what exactly Johanssen's aim is, but he's been here long enough that we should at least have some kind of idea. It can't go on.

[dunning1874]

The idea of McAlister out wide is pretty horrifying. I'd be more inclined to try Millar in the deeper role behind Tidser and Telfer just to get McAlister out the team for a while than I would be to start putting him in other positions.

Even if McAlister does keep his place in the team I'd put Millar in the defensive role. Millar offers more going forward but our defensive frailty is our main issue, McAlister doesn't do nearly enough to protect the defence and Millar has spent most of the last 10 years playing as a holding midfielder. He excelled as one of the best players in a team which consistently finished in the top six in the country, played in Europe and won the Scottish Cup as a holding midfielder. Okay, at 35 he's not still the player he was even two years ago, but much like people thinking McAlister is remotely capable of playing out wide we're too stuck on how Millar played in his first spell with us.

 

We have a problem with the midfield not doing enough defensively (although the defence itself is the main problem), we have a midfielder who's easily good enough to play a holding role at a higher level and we're not using him as a holding midfielder. That he's also still capable of contributing in a more advanced role is besides the point for me: we have other midfielders capable of making an excellent creative contribution, we have no other midfielders capable of making a competent defensive contribution. Whether it's McAlister or Telfer playing alongside Millar and Tidser, Millar should be in the holding role.

[EanieMeany]

Wouldn't disagree with that either, even if just as a short-term measure to steady the ship a bit. Fact is there are options available - even if not the ideal ones -  to address the problems we've had at both ends of the pitch either in terms of personnel, tactics and style. We simply should not be losing 5 goals twice in a month (and could and should have lost another handful to Dunfermline on another day).

[HamCam]

At best the squad is mid-table with an outside chance of the play-offs. Despite my hopes, not convinced any aspect of the team is an upgrade on last season. Our goalkeepers are much of a muchness, defensively we are prone to lapses of concentration, aside from Tidser the midfield is pretty ordinary and up top we live in hope Denny can get fit. For us to get anything from the season though it requires JJ to step up to the plate and demonstrate there is a manager in there.

[port-ton]

With regards Johansson, i'm not really  in the camp that think he should be sacked before his first transfer window when he doesn't have any of his own players no matter how concerning our performances have been under him so far, but at the same time i'm extremely worried that we let him sign 4-5 players in January if players like Waddell return to Dundee and we see no improvement and he's sacked in February and the new manager is left to pick up the pieces in a terrible situation and no scope to change the mess Johansson has left if he is indeed a dud manager.

 

It wouldn't sit right with me sacking him so soon, but if it happens i can definitely understand it. Quite the conundrum we find ourselves in after such a positive summer.

[vikingTON]

The idea of McAlister out wide is pretty horrifying.

 

Erm yes because it's not as if he's played out wide probably hundred times already in his career or anything - including a fairly established spell as a right wing-back at Hamilton. It's not exactly Jan Koller we're dealing with here. 

[joebananas]

I’d drop McAlister. He’s done absolutely nothing since he has arrived.

[EanieMeany]

Erm yes because it's not as if he's played out wide probably hundred times already in his career or anything - including a fairly established spell as a right wing-back at Hamilton. It's not exactly Jan Koller we're dealing with here. 

 

6 years, a broken leg and a significant period without playing ago. At the age of 32, there's nothing at all that McAlister's done upon his arrival that suggests he's remotely capable of playing at wing-back.

[port-ton]

I’d drop McAlister. He’s done absolutely nothing since he has arrived.

 

For who? our central midfield options either come from our under 18's, Kyle Thomson if he exists or one of the Aulds women.

[vikingTON]

6 years, a broken leg and a significant period without playing ago. At the age of 32, there's nothing at all that McAlister's done upon his arrival that suggests he's remotely capable of playing at wing-back.

 

His previous experience of playing at wing-back is a rather stronger suggestion that he can than getting an injury a while ago, which is irrelevant. 

[EanieMeany]

The injury thing is entirely relevant because it's blatantly obvious that he can't run very much anymore. Look at Kilday as well, it's pretty clear that after his injuries he's not up to playing at this level. McAlister at wing-back would be an absolute disaster.

[floydpink26]

Where did Jim play tonight? .. wasn't at the game but.. we have seen Duffy play tids left mid ffs. Every comment at Jim being shot since he came back,only backs up my comments at him being more useful in a wide position. As every game he's been shot he's played in the middle, go figure eh. And a very well done to Reece Lyon starting and getting the winner. The boy has got it a will develope with more 1st team action.

 

Of course he's not the finished article but believe me when I say the boy is a player to look out for, and he's grew some in the last 4 years. Bigger than his old dad now lol

 

Mon eh Ton !