Smith's tactics 100% right

[Guest Andypendek]

Neutralised Aberdeen's threat, which had to be done given we knew they'd come out flying, dominated possession and created enough chances to win the game twice.

Walter - 100% spot on.

Players - 0% for execution.

If you think we should be slaughtering Aberdeen away there's no way you'll agree with this but I think today showed how much more Walter understands about football than we do.

[Youllneverwinaway 0]

[alan2306 0]

[mark_ni 12]

smiths team selection cost us the game. Who the hell plays a "striker" who hasnt scored in 6 games up front on his own and drops the spl top goalscorer???? Also who plays lee mcculloch out of position yet again when hes pish in his real position and hemdani or dailly would be better suited to that position.

[KERRZO 5]

M8 what game were u watching the only real chance we had was thru Novo, our tactics were awful!!!

[BlueSuedeSambas 53,959]

I agree with you mate

The fault today lies firmly at the door of the players.

For 85 minutes they played the match at a tempo which was akin to a training game, in the last five they played a tempo which was acceptable.

Had they done that for the first sixty minutes or so we would have won at a canter.

[NOLUWDC 1]

I agree with you mate

The fault today lies firmly at the door of the players.

For 85 minutes they played the match at a tempo which was akin to a training game, in the last five they played a tempo which was acceptable.

Had they done that for the first sixty minutes or so we would have won at a canter.

[Jimfanciesthedude 24,611]

Neutralised Aberdeen's threat, which had to be done given we knew they'd come out flying, dominated possession and created enough chances to win the game twice.

Walter - 100% spot on.

Players - 0% for execution.

If you think we should be slaughtering Aberdeen away there's no way you'll agree with this but I think today showed how much more Walter understands about football than we do.

would only give smith 30%

his starting tactics are right but starting miller up front was wrong, would have went with novo

then when we were really on top get boyd on for mcculloch or fleck and stick 2 up front

would have defo scored at least one by doing that imo

[Boab 73]

Neutralised Aberdeen's threat, which had to be done given we knew they'd come out flying, dominated possession and created enough chances to win the game twice.

Walter - 100% spot on.

Players - 0% for execution.

If you think we should be slaughtering Aberdeen away there's no way you'll agree with this but I think today showed how much more Walter understands about football than we do.

No, the tactics could be called right if won. We drew, the tactics weren't right enough.

[BLUEDIGNITY 33,660]

Don't usually agree with this poster but he's spot on !

[lancedeangers1 287]

You're totally wrong in this instance. I agree there are times when you should be more cautious like in 2 legged cup games or whenever you are sitting comfortably on top of the league. Today certainly was'nt one of these.

We are past the half way point in the season and are behind our rivals - How to hell do we have the luxury to be cautious?

You must utilise every opportunity to get maximum points to claw back the defecit or else your handing celtic a massive advantage, and as per usual thats exactly what WS has done.

[KingKai 439]

Miller has been off form for the last 3-4 weeks....

At the best of times he couldnt score in a barrel of fannies...

Who was supposed to score?

He played for a draw...

Doesnt matter what I think the team should have been...but Walter is throwing the league away with team selections like that.

Get somebody on that actually has some fuckin energy..like Novo...FFS

And while Im at it..where the fuck was Naismith???

Jeez !!!!

Rant over...carry on

[dbyst 570]

how the fcuk can you say the tactics were 100% spot on when we only got a draw?

[Guest Andypendek]

But he went with 1 up to win the midfield - that worked. We would all agree, surely, that Boyd is hopeless on his own - at least he went to Boyd early-ish this time, rather than leaving him on the bench like in Manchester.

[McBoyd 355]

The fault today lies firmly at the door of the players.

Sure it does.

- 4-5-1. Which straight away is pretty much saying "We are going to defend like fuck, and are going for the draw"

- Mhisser up front on his own. Absolute bollocks, been shite for a good while now, and his shooting is abysmal, had no chance really.

- Dropping Boyd/442 formation. Again, what the? Drop the top scorer? And play a defensive formation? Great idea

EDIT - Oh and i forgot McCulloch and the fouls. There was no flow to the game at all, it was foul, pass, pass, foul, pass, pass McCulloch tries to be a hero from 30 yards, pass, foul..

We were 2 points behind, and could have gone top (albeit after the Tims saw us draw, they won 3-1) but still, we dropped 2 points when we are aiming to drop none at all.

These games are must wins, every single one of them, especially being behind a jammy unwashed side.

We don't need to go defend for a draw, we need to win. Of course attacking can sometimes lead to the other team counter-attacking and scoring, but that didn't look like happening from the Sheep today.

He should have AT LEAST changed to 442 at half time, with Boyd and Miller up front at least, even Fleck if he wanted.

[BlueIsTheColour 35]

Wake up Andy, come on.

The problem was exactly what you pointed out. He played a team which he thought would neutralise Aberdeen's threat instead of playing a system which utilises our strengths.

Today Smith dropped the SPL's most prolific goalscorer in years, played Kenny Miller (one of the most unprolific) as the lone striker and took the cowards option of bringing Lee McCulloch back in to pack the midfield. And even as the game went on and he eventually introduced Boyd and Novo, he STILL stuck to the 4-5-1 formation which had created virtually nothing the entire game.

I have said it before and i guarantee i will say it again, Smith needs to stop showing teams like Aberdeen, Dundee United and Hearts the respect that you would show a big European team. He needs to look at our team and see that we have superior players, play them in the system which has brought us so much success at home and properly utilise the strength of our midfield.

Asking them to simply contain the threat of the home team will not win us football matches and our record against the top 6 away from home only serves to prove that.

[jbm26896 995]

shocking team selection - poor result

[Bruno72 0]

smiths team selection cost us the game. Who the hell plays a "striker" who hasnt scored in 6 games up front on his own and drops the spl top goalscorer???? Also who plays lee mcculloch out of position yet again when hes pish in his real position and hemdani or dailly would be better suited to that position.

Hemdani or Dailly. Your having a laugh. McCulloch certainly wasn't our worst player and did ok in my opinion a hell of a lot better than Hemdani who has made it clear he's only here to pick up his wages until the end of the season and Dailly who makes McCulloch look like Frank Lampard.

[dbyst 570]

Wake up Andy, come on.

The problem was exactly what you pointed out. He played a team which he thought would neutralise Aberdeen's threat instead of playing a system which utilises our strengths.

Today Smith dropped the SPL's most prolific goalscorer in years, played Kenny Miller (one of the most unprolific) as the lone striker and took the cowards option of bringing Lee McCulloch back in to pack the midfield. And even as the game went on and he eventually introduced Boyd and Novo, he STILL stuck to the 4-5-1 formation which had created virtually nothing the entire game.

I have said it before and i guarantee i will say it again, Smith needs to stop showing teams like Aberdeen, Dundee United and Hearts the respect that you would show a big European team. He needs to look at our team and see that we have superior players, play them in the system which has brought us so much success at home and properly utilise the strength of our midfield.

Asking them to simply contain the threat of the home team will not win us football matches and our record against the top 6 away from home only serves to prove that.

spot on

[BlueIsTheColour 35]

But he went with 1 up to win the midfield - that worked. We would all agree, surely, that Boyd is hopeless on his own - at least he went to Boyd early-ish this time, rather than leaving him on the bench like in Manchester.

Boyd is not effective on his own. Agreed.

So then why did Smith decide to swap Miller for Boyd after 60 minutes and then play HIM as the lone striker? That make sense to you?

Chasing top spot and yet we ended the game with a 4-5-1 formation. You can win the midfield all game long but that doesn't score you goals and so doesn't win you games.

[BlueSuedeSambas 53,959]

The fault today lies firmly at the door of the players.

Sure it does.

Do you think the players played at a tempo which was acceptable?

In the final 10 minutes the team upped the tempo and without changing our formation or our approach we looked like the side more likely to win.

[McBoyd 355]

The fault today lies firmly at the door of the players.

Sure it does.

Do you think the players played at a tempo which was acceptable?

In the final 10 minutes the team upped the tempo and without changing our formation or our approach we looked like the side more likely to win.

I never said i did think the players played at an acceptable tempo? Aye, they did up the tempo at the end, but any team does that if they aren't winning.

Still doesn't mean the tactics and formation weren't absolutely dire.

[Andy 69]

also agree

And McCulloch wasnt our worst performer, he actually played well, broke up play, had a good strike in first half. Only thing that dissapointed me was his desperate left foot shot at the end and his silly challenge which earned him a booking .

[Andy 69]

The fault today lies firmly at the door of the players.

Sure it does.

- 4-5-1. Which straight away is pretty much saying "We are going to defend like fuck, and are going for the draw"

We didnt defend like fuck ? and we werent going for a draw

[McBoyd 355]

We didnt defend like fuck ? and we werent going for a draw

No we didn't in the end defend like fuck, but seeing it you think thats whats going to happen.

But i think we did play for the draw.

Otherwise it would have been a 442 formation.