Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is a definition of insanity

[bluenoz 30,848]

1 minute ago, Laudrup1984 said:

Forgot St Johnstone away. St Johnstone away is probably the easiest away game in the league. Hamilton away not far behind. I was hopeful tonight but it wasn't to be. Never seen their game. Seen a few highlights and it looked like Motherwell could have been level or in front by half time, and with their opener they got another huge slice of luck.

We have absolutely made it more difficult for ourselves but it's still very much in our hands. We just need to keep focusing on ourselves and picking up 3 points. There will be many more swings and roundabouts.  Tonight feels like a pivotal moment. We need to push on now.

Remember Hagi's goal come May 😉

[Laudrup1984 25,100]

4 minutes ago, bluenoz said:

Remember Hagi's goal come May 😉

We all hope so mate. As long as we're within striking distance at the split, we have a real chance. There isn't much margin for error though. Cup games coming up are almost like a welcome bit of respite. A different kind of pressure but also a great chance to progress and build momentum.

[Jimfanciesthedude 24,552]

7 hours ago, GOAT said:

Second half we played well.  Had we got that quick goal at the start of the second half it would have been 3 or 4. 

Didnt we say that at home to county? 

[Jimfanciesthedude 24,552]

Thing is, teams are less afraid to give our fullbacks the ball now because they are limited in what they can do, 

As an opposing fullback, who would you prefer to come up against, kent who can dribble pass and shoot or barisic who can cross the ball, 

Id rather we kept kent on the touchline, a right winger on the othet side and let them drive with the ball towards the opponents box, commit players and free up space in the middle 

He can still have his two number 10's but they would come from the middle of the park 

We need to stretch teams and make space in between them, when kent or hagi got the ball last time, everytime hibs had the time to get into shape and get behind the ball because they go side to side waiting on the fullback coming up the park, instead kent or hagi should be turning around and running at the fullback themselves

[Bakbear 3,586]

I am no master tactician but I think the days of formations being fixed are gone aren’t they?

Isn’t our current set up more like a very fluid 4-3-3? Like, so fluid to be hard to recognise as 4-3-3?  I come from an era of a Rigid 4-4-2. It is my default to consider rigidity in formation but I think football coaches Today don’t really have that mindset. 

Our tactics seem to be to have our attacking fullbacks get beyond the wingers. The wingers to cut inside and acting like #10s. The midfield 3 dropping back in to fill the gaps Made by the fullbacks getting forward. Having Davis as a fulcrum between central defence and the fluidity in front of them. All so fluid it’s hard to describe in 80s and 90s formation terminology. 
 

[El-Hadji Spit RFC 733]

I genuinely think our players can be lazy at times. In games where they press and are first to loose balls we control, games where we sit back and take our time to pass side to side n across the front of their box just pushes teams back into a compact area and difficult to get thru. 

SG definitely needs to come up with an alternative option, whether keep as much play in our own half as pos to drag them out I don’t know?!...

[BlueMe 25,327]

12 minutes ago, Bakbear said:

I am no master tactician but I think the days of formations being fixed are gone aren’t they?

Isn’t our current set up more like a very fluid 4-3-3? Like, so fluid to be hard to recognise as 4-3-3?  I come from an era of a Rigid 4-4-2. It is my default to consider rigidity in formation but I think football coaches Today don’t really have that mindset. 

Our tactics seem to be to have our attacking fullbacks get beyond the wingers. The wingers to cut inside and acting like #10s. The midfield 3 dropping back in to fill the gaps Made by the fullbacks getting forward. Having Davis as a fulcrum between central defence and the fluidity in front of them. All so fluid it’s hard to describe in 80s and 90s formation terminology. 
 

Our formation changes regularly, despite what the "no plan B" people on here want to believe. 

We played 4-3-3 against Aberdeen and changed to a 3-5-2.

Against Hibs, we played the 4-3-3 with the fullbacks overlapping, then changed to a 4-3-2-1 with Kent and Hagi supporting Morelos and the support coming from Aribo and Arfield, rather than the fullbacks.

Playing with "traditional wingers" in a 4-4-2 would be pointless against a team that sits in because it doesn't let our fullbacks get forward and leaves basically 4 defenders plus a defensive mid playing against 1 opposition forward - the 4-3-3 lets everyone push forward apart from our CBs.

An opposition team playing basically a 7-3-0 will be difficult to break down, regardless of what formation we're playing tbh.

[Malkster 4,892]

9 hours ago, GaryMc said:

I don't know if it's purely the tactics or instructions but the biggest issue I see is us not passing the ball quickly enough. Too laboured, then teams get organised and we chuck it into the box.

If the midfield could break the lines quicker with being more brave with their passing we'd see the likes of Alfie and Kent being utilised more. 

Too many wrong passes are made in my opinion. Our defenders are more positive in their passing than most of our midfield.

How many times last night did Hagi or Arfield make early runs into space behind the spoonburners defence only for the ball

to be passed back or across the field.....mostly by Steven Davis?

[KeyserSoze 14,546]

Hagi is plan B

not bringing on Ojo but Stewart that’s plan B

playing Kent more central that’s plan B

Jack will be back that’s plan A

 

[tannerall 25,935]

Successful teams don't employ a plan B too often.

[KeyserSoze 14,546]

4 minutes ago, Malkster said:

How many times last night did Hagi or Arfield make early runs into space behind the spoonburners defence only for the ball

to be passed back or across the field.....mostly by Steven Davis?

Davis is definitely dipped in form. He can’t seem to pass and takes for ever to make a simple decision which definitely slows our game. 

[johanhentze 14,089]

11 hours ago, Rfc52 said:

Thought we were good for about 50 mins or so tbh and it was much more like pre break form. 

Maybe just me though 

Agree. People are just panicking when we arent scoring and thinking its like the previous match. It really wasnt. 

[johanhentze 14,089]

2 minutes ago, tannerall said:

Successful teams don't employ a plan B too often.

This is very true.

[Vision 16,729]

Against park the bus teams a tactic is to look for free kicks or maybe even a penalty in and around the box, but when teams can foul with impunity what chance have you got. 

[HG5 11,114]

Thought we DID do something different - ball up to a big guy up front, a flick on & a sublime volley.

Not seen too may like that recently, but it worked a treat!

 

[kelvd1873 7,162]

12 hours ago, tannerall said:

It is amazing how much these teams get stuck in to us though. even the ex Rangers players like McGregor seem to have a genuine hatred for us now. 

Boyd, Kenny Miller, broadfoot, Naismith, Chris Burke, Steve McLean all played well  or scored against us

[Jimfanciesthedude 24,552]

3 hours ago, Bakbear said:

I am no master tactician but I think the days of formations being fixed are gone aren’t they?

Isn’t our current set up more like a very fluid 4-3-3? Like, so fluid to be hard to recognise as 4-3-3?  I come from an era of a Rigid 4-4-2. It is my default to consider rigidity in formation but I think football coaches Today don’t really have that mindset. 

Our tactics seem to be to have our attacking fullbacks get beyond the wingers. The wingers to cut inside and acting like #10s. The midfield 3 dropping back in to fill the gaps Made by the fullbacks getting forward. Having Davis as a fulcrum between central defence and the fluidity in front of them. All so fluid it’s hard to describe in 80s and 90s formation terminology. 
 

So essentially were asking our most attacking players to come inside and be less attacking, our less attacking midfielders to become defenders, and fkr our defenders to become our most attacking players? 

Does anyone see the issue with that here? 

[Jimfanciesthedude 24,552]

1 hour ago, KeyserSoze said:

Davis is definitely dipped in form. He can’t seem to pass and takes for ever to make a simple decision which definitely slows our game. 

Davis has always been like this, difference now is that teams sit off him and let him fanny about with it, they arent scared to allow him time on the ball

[Smell the hotdog 4,015]

12 hours ago, BlueThunder said:

Hagi has a long way to go to be worth £5m, but the signs are encouraging. He did lose the ball many times early on tonight, but at least he didn’t hide and seemed to grow into the game.

I think him losing it early on was him getting to grips of the speed of the game. It’s played far quicker than anything he will ever be used to.

Also I think we’re going to have to accept he will lose it now and again trying to produce a bit of magic.

Rather he lost it like that than Davis constantly clipping balls over the top to no one.

[GaryMc 2,394]

12 hours ago, Malkster said:

How many times last night did Hagi or Arfield make early runs into space behind the spoonburners defence only for the ball

to be passed back or across the field.....mostly by Steven Davis?

Too many times but that's always an issue when confidence is low and people are scared so they play the easy pass just for the sake of keeping possession.

We have players capable of passing the ball well but we seem intent on keeping the ball and doing nothing with it.

[TopCat 4,511]

Unlike many on here I don't pretend to be an expert in coaching and tactics/formations............. I simply trust Stevie Gerrard to get things right and more often than not he does.

My advice to Stevies critics is to have a  the little more faith in our manager and his coaching staff.     they know more about the strengths and weaknesses of our individual players  and formations/tactics that suit each match we face-  than any of us will ever know.  

[bluenoz 30,848]

A poster above said Hagi is plan B and I totally agree. He adds a completely different dimension and I can't wait to see his link up play with Morelos, Kent & Aribo. 

In the first half last night we looked a carbon copy of previous games but I saw a difference in the second-half. That late goal by Hagi may prove to be pivotal.

[Malkytfp1 18,594]

On 05/02/2020 at 23:19, SeparateEntityMyArse said:

Folk moan when folk aren't dropped, then moan when they are. They moan when others dont start, then moan they're shite when picked. Now its insanity to keep doing what we kept doing yet we won.

If Gerrard completely changed the system and personnel and we lost would you commend him for trying?

Commending Gerrard then for keeping those tactics tonight?

[mark1963 902]

Topic title says it all ,struggle to get ahead then capitulate,pish.No managerial nous shown Stevie Warburton/Mark Gerrard , we deserve a professional. Preferably with plans A/B/C.

[RobertN 390]

1 hour ago, mark1963 said:

Topic title says it all ,struggle to get ahead then capitulate,pish.No managerial nous shown Stevie Warburton/Mark Gerrard , we deserve a professional. Preferably with plans A/B/C.

This was my main concern when i heard we went for Gerrard

for me we needed a proven manager with lots of experience 

I could not think of any high profile players who have made good managers

Plus points he has attracted some promising players his record in Europe has been good

But his Domestic form is just not happening 

We should be easily beating most teams by now instead it feels like any game could go against us