Our passing game.

[keithgersbear 3,225]

Or lack of, why is it so bad? If we just put simple passes together, we would have won an away game by now in this division. I just don't understand why the aim is to kick it long all the time. It just feeds into the hands of the opposition in this league. They just sit back all game and head the ball away from their penalty area. Do something different.

It is starting to get silly now.

[TheWee BlueDevil 222]

... is non existent.

[Gaz92 966]

I've not even seen Saturdays game, but the passing is dreadful. How can professional footballers be so incompetent at the most basic part of football?

Baffling.

[delamonty 992]

Been this way for years imho. We routinely get passed off of the park by 'inferior' teams. Sorry for being negative here but Faure? ffs. Can't make a 5 yard pass. Some of his passes are just so, so bad.

[True Azure 1,414]

You would think that passing a ball successfully would be a prerequisite for any football player but it seems we are sadly lacking in this department judging by our away form so far this season.

[Amac9 2,060]

The worrying this is when things are not working out Ally brings on Kyle and then it's route one all the time.

We play right into the oppositions hands with this terrible style of play.

[Alnic3856 358]

I haven't noticed fault with the passing tbh but the movement without the ball on the other hand is a fucking shambles, too often leading to players making telegraphed passes to static teammates which are easily intercepted or forcing them to go long to get rid as nothing else available, movement is the missing link for me not the poor passes, those are unavoidable in a static "lazy" side.

[Ger_onimo 20,488]

Or lack of, why is it so bad? If we just put simple passes together, we would have won an away game by now in this division. I just don't understand why the aim is to kick it long all the time. It just feeds into the hands of the opposition in this league. They just sit back all game and head the ball away from their penalty area. Do something different.

It is starting to get silly now.

Oh FFS.

So it's simple? Just play better then we'll win? Please grow up.

These are people who play football for a living. If it was as straightforward as just deciding to be a better passing team then I reckon we would have done it, no?

The reasons we are playing the way we are are numerous and complicated. Forum managers are not caoable of solving these problems, I'm sorry to say.

[BlueMe 25,327]

firing balls from the halfway line on top of jig/kyle is a horrific style of football.

long ball tactics are used as a last resort by some teams in the last 5 minutes of games.

we shell ball after ball up front and it never works.

i sat behind ally yesterday and him and KM were screaming at the players to keep it on the deck

so we can't blame ally for that tactic,he hates it too.

we lack the creativeness we need to unlock a stubborn 9 man defence,plus every player is absolutely terrified to make a mistake

so they do the easy thing and try and get rid of it,if they can't pick a pass then route 1 it is.

[southcoastbear 1,639]

Got to agree with this one too often our players are looking for the holywood pass which has a low percentage chance of success or playing it to players in tight corners expecting them to perform some sort of miracle, though some of this was due to too the lhs being the only option.

I remember seeing stirling coming forward and playing three quick passses from left to right to switch the ball and we were in real trouble and thinking we haven't done that all game. These long floting balls we were playing give the oposition too much time to close the player down meaning all he can do is find a pass usually backward.

[docspiderman 1,254]

firing balls from the halfway line on top of jig/kyle is a horrific style of football.

long ball tactics are used as a last resort by some teams in the last 5 minutes of games.

we shell ball after ball up front and it never works.

i sat behind ally yesterday and him and KM were screaming at the players to keep it on the deck

so we can't blame ally for that tactic,he hates it too.

we lack the creativeness we need to unlock a stubborn 9 man defence,plus every player is absolutely terrified to make a mistake

so they do the easy thing and try and get rid of it,if they can't pick a pass then route 1 it is.

So Ally and McDowall want us to play a passing game on the ground but the players ignore them? I have been concerned that Ally thought the long aimless ball and no movement was the way to play in away games, however, if the players ignore his instructions does that not mean there is a major problem with respect or lack of it?

Again it begs the question; why bring in Kyle and why have him in the squad if he wants to play the ball on the deck?

[BlueMe 25,327]

So Ally and McDowall want us to play a passing game on the ground but the players ignore them? I have been concerned that Ally thought the long aimless ball and no movement was the way to play in away games, however, if the players ignore his instructions does that not mean there is a major problem with respect or lack of it?

Again it begs the question; why bring in Kyle and why have him in the squad if he wants to play the ball on the deck?

who knows mate,but i definitely heard them shout 'keep it down,keep the ball down'

kyle is a last throw of the dice i would imagine,although,personally i would have put young naismith on before him.

[docspiderman 1,254]

who knows mate,but i definitely heard them shout 'keep it down,keep the ball down'

kyle is a last throw of the dice i would imagine,although,personally i would have put young naismith on before him.

We really should be able to pass these teams off the park and it really frustrates me that we do not even try to impose ourselves by football ability.

The games at home where the team plyed at a higher tempo with movement and shorter passes showed we have players who can do that and it is baffling why we play like we do in away games. Certainly think things would improve vastly if we played 3 up front and took the initiative rather than play into every teams hands in the away games.

What you heard gives me some glimmer of hope and we just need the players to listen and do the right thing.

[Gaz92 966]

Every one of our players are capable of passing the ball on the deck. Instead, we play idiotic tactics.

The evidence has suggested differently. Some of our basic passing over 10-15 yards has been dire at times.

[Semper Paratus 72 127]

I think one of the primary reasons we find the playing style of the young guys so refreshing is that they pass, move and find space. Something so basic and fundamental and also something that almost every single child is taught and encouraged to do when they start playing football be it at school, BB or local youth teams. Yet this basic attribute seems to be totally missing from a squad compromising mainly of seasoned, experienced and/or international professionals.

In theory; our ball retention, one touch passing and lightning quick movement should be something that our team is lightyears ahead with. Aye, lower division teams will rush in all guns blazing, very physical and making it hard to play but we should be able to very quickly drag them all over the shop and open up the entire pitch just by quick one touch passing.

[SectionRedHMS 190]

Or lack of, why is it so bad? If we just put simple passes together, we would have won an away game by now in this division. I just don't understand why the aim is to kick it long all the time. It just feeds into the hands of the opposition in this league. They just sit back all game and head the ball away from their penalty area. Do something different.

It is starting to get silly now.

My seven year old team can pass the ball ball better than our players,and they are more comfortable in possession.

Not just our guys but Scottish professionals in general.

[SectionRedHMS 190]

Every one of our players are capable of passing the ball on the deck. Instead, we play idiotic tactics.

Mmmmmm,don't think they actually are.

[keithgersbear 3,225]

Oh FFS.

So it's simple? Just play better then we'll win? Please grow up.

These are people who play football for a living. If it was as straightforward as just deciding to be a better passing team then I reckon we would have done it, no?

The reasons we are playing the way we are are numerous and complicated. Forum managers are not caoable of solving these problems, I'm sorry to say.

Give me a break for fuck sake.

I have backed Ally all season so far and still do compared to some others but the passing is awful. Put some passing moves together to create some goal scoring chances. Stop putting it into the box all the time from a height. Get the ball on the floor and just dominate these piss poor teams.

We have had the honeymoon now, we should be looking to destroy these teams now. We know what this division is all about in terms of the physical side of the game, time to kick on and improve our game.

[Non_Sucumbi 876]

Our passing is fine when we 'keep it simple' which is what should be required in Div3. We inevitably give the ball away too often when someone tries 'the long diagonal ball'.

Ally needs to get back to basics. Keep the passes simple, retain possession and no big punts up the park. He also needs to stop playing players out of position. Shiels to me is a prime example. Looks better in midfield yet Ally plays him as a striker?

Another problem is our inability to 'mix it up'. Div 3 is 'rough and tumble' yet we seem to be more tumble than rough. Even Black is getting kicked all over the place.

[jack1690 793]

Even shying the ball to one of our own players seems beyond us sometimes!

The lack of movement in our players is embarrassing at times. To play a pass and move game, you need to be extremely fit. This may be where the problem lies.

We should be over-running these part-time teams late in games but its not happening.

[glasgow argyle 1,093]

i think the biggest problem we have is the lack of a midfield playmaker, in the Barry mould.

i did mention this fact in prevoius thread, before the transfer window was firmly shut in our faces.

i very much doubt if we can find an under 18 in January to address this problem.

despite big jig, being top scorer, i still feel his aggresive style is more suited to midfield, (which requires brawn as well as brain), Jig can still score from the middle of the park, and set pieces,

hopefully when Andy Little returns this will be of some benefit.