Woo-hooo. Guidetti puts in the first goal of the game. Stokes sends Brown through the left channel with a lovelypass. Brown goes full steam and finds Guidetti who bundles it in. Even if he missed it would have been a penalty. 1-0 :emoticon:01 :emoticon:01 :emoticon:01
v. St. Mirren
- Thread starter welch47
- Start date
It has been a scrappy first half. The Saints have tried to put men behind the ball, harass and cut out space. They have done a nice job of frustrating our forward movement. But we got one through right before the end of the half that could draw them out and open things up.
Brown, Stokes and Guidetti have been very good and O'Connell has acquitted himself well. Johansson has the first touch of a man in combat boots and is our most chronic sideways passer.
Brown, Stokes and Guidetti have been very good and O'Connell has acquitted himself well. Johansson has the first touch of a man in combat boots and is our most chronic sideways passer.
Not a bad win at all. St.Mirren had a smart game plan and executed it well, but we managed to score a couple of goals anyway. The goal conceded was due to a rare and stupid mistake. They didn't threaten much otherwise.
Stokes is danerous coming in from the left and he and Guidetti are learning to work together. Brown was, as usual, terrific. O'Connell was quite good and seems a crafty defender.
I am beginning to believe that our biggest problem going forward is Johansen. He is a human time consumption machine. He works hard and has a bit of pace but his first touch is awful, giving defenders time to get in place and forcing him to pass sideways. He is far too deficient to send our attack through him. It's time to find someone else. I'd go with Biton before him.
Stokes is danerous coming in from the left and he and Guidetti are learning to work together. Brown was, as usual, terrific. O'Connell was quite good and seems a crafty defender.
I am beginning to believe that our biggest problem going forward is Johansen. He is a human time consumption machine. He works hard and has a bit of pace but his first touch is awful, giving defenders time to get in place and forcing him to pass sideways. He is far too deficient to send our attack through him. It's time to find someone else. I'd go with Biton before him.
wee_od_88
Vital Football Hero
Hi Welch, I didn't get to see the game but will hopefully catch the highlights at some point over the next day or so. I did read the match reports and I think you summed it up pretty much as they did.
We lost a freak goal, Gordon will be more disappointed than anyone! So I wouldn't worry about that too much.
I can see where you're coming from with what you say about Johansen. I have seen games like yesterday where his touch was awful and he was unable to do anything, I've noticed him play like that before but he does have energy and a kind of gritty determination about his play which is something we need. Bitton is probably a better passer of the ball once he's kind of up to speed and had a decent run of games, he also brings a bit of height for set-pieces. What he lacks unfortunately is mobility, but that could again improve with more games.
The other big thing I like about Bitton is his intelligence and positioning on the pitch. He can cover for the defenders really well so on that left of the midfield when Izzy goes for a run up the wing to support Stokes, Bitton can quite naturally sit and cover, same goes for covering for VVD bringing the ball out of defence. That could really help our defence and stop us conceding so many goals and being so open at the back. I think he's a good player but it's going to take time and games for him to really settle well.
He played alongside Kayal the other week and it didn't go as planned, but that's because neither are really mobile enough and creative enough. It may say quite a lot that it was Kayal that was hooked at HT rather than Bitton.
Remember Bitton was invited over to train with Man City and Mancini was very interested in him but they didn't do a deal as he wanted to see him play more but his club in Israel needed him back to play. That says to me that he has something about him, he should be good enough to play for us at a European level, but these things take time and he's had a slow start to his career here mainly because of Johansen being preferred in midfield.
All of the above is probably why both Johansen and Bitton are probably better suited to playing a 3 man midfield, which is the way Lennon was playing.
We lost a freak goal, Gordon will be more disappointed than anyone! So I wouldn't worry about that too much.
I can see where you're coming from with what you say about Johansen. I have seen games like yesterday where his touch was awful and he was unable to do anything, I've noticed him play like that before but he does have energy and a kind of gritty determination about his play which is something we need. Bitton is probably a better passer of the ball once he's kind of up to speed and had a decent run of games, he also brings a bit of height for set-pieces. What he lacks unfortunately is mobility, but that could again improve with more games.
The other big thing I like about Bitton is his intelligence and positioning on the pitch. He can cover for the defenders really well so on that left of the midfield when Izzy goes for a run up the wing to support Stokes, Bitton can quite naturally sit and cover, same goes for covering for VVD bringing the ball out of defence. That could really help our defence and stop us conceding so many goals and being so open at the back. I think he's a good player but it's going to take time and games for him to really settle well.
He played alongside Kayal the other week and it didn't go as planned, but that's because neither are really mobile enough and creative enough. It may say quite a lot that it was Kayal that was hooked at HT rather than Bitton.
Remember Bitton was invited over to train with Man City and Mancini was very interested in him but they didn't do a deal as he wanted to see him play more but his club in Israel needed him back to play. That says to me that he has something about him, he should be good enough to play for us at a European level, but these things take time and he's had a slow start to his career here mainly because of Johansen being preferred in midfield.
All of the above is probably why both Johansen and Bitton are probably better suited to playing a 3 man midfield, which is the way Lennon was playing.
wee_od_88
Vital Football Hero
I also hear Commons missed the game and could be struggling for Thursday's game because he's somehow managed to pull a muscle in his ass!!!! HOW THE HELL????
My big worry on Thursday will be scoring goals, because Scepovic doesn't appear to be doing much at all! He probably needs a good goal to get him going but he's not even really looking close so far!
My big worry on Thursday will be scoring goals, because Scepovic doesn't appear to be doing much at all! He probably needs a good goal to get him going but he's not even really looking close so far!
As for goals, I think we'll have to go with Commons and Stokes up front, assuming Commons is fit. Scepovic is just not on the boil yet and perhaps needs more playing time. But he looks a bit lost out there. I think he's a target man like JVoH and needs someone to play off. But whatever his role is, he seems weeks from finding it. He is offsides so often, that I have to think he is eager to get a goal and not concentrating.
I think Lenny and Deila like Johansen because he works hard and never quits. He is kind of in the Hartley or RObson mold. But Hartley was never out of position and had a decent first touch. Robbo could put a bullet into the box from a corner. Johansen is cover for a better player and nothing more. His first touchcomes from cement shoes. Kayal has gotten a lot of playing time under Deila but I think he flatters to deceive and the gaffer has figured out that he also does not do anything particularly well. He's a terrier with minimal talent. Both of those players have to step it up in league games because we can't play the same XI twice a week. Someone will get injured and players will burn out.
I think Lenny and Deila like Johansen because he works hard and never quits. He is kind of in the Hartley or RObson mold. But Hartley was never out of position and had a decent first touch. Robbo could put a bullet into the box from a corner. Johansen is cover for a better player and nothing more. His first touchcomes from cement shoes. Kayal has gotten a lot of playing time under Deila but I think he flatters to deceive and the gaffer has figured out that he also does not do anything particularly well. He's a terrier with minimal talent. Both of those players have to step it up in league games because we can't play the same XI twice a week. Someone will get injured and players will burn out.
wee_od_88
Vital Football Hero
Think you've got that about spot on welch!
If Commons isn't fit, I think McGregor will take the Commons role and we should have Wakaso and Tonev on the wings with Stokes up front, I don't fancy Scepovic to start personally but I can see Deila going with him which would be a shame!
Kayal is living off what he did when he first joined and before he got injured, he's not that player any more! I think our problem with CM is that Lenny had built up a group of players who can play particular positions or styles well, but only Brown can play ALL of them. Brown is an adaptable player, he's quick, strong, skillful and intelligent. He's good in attack, good in defence and now he's added the ability to be a playmaker as well.
That's why I liked the look of that other Norwegian lad, Fredrik Ulvestad, because he reminded me of Brown. He's an all-round midfielder.
If Commons isn't fit, I think McGregor will take the Commons role and we should have Wakaso and Tonev on the wings with Stokes up front, I don't fancy Scepovic to start personally but I can see Deila going with him which would be a shame!
Kayal is living off what he did when he first joined and before he got injured, he's not that player any more! I think our problem with CM is that Lenny had built up a group of players who can play particular positions or styles well, but only Brown can play ALL of them. Brown is an adaptable player, he's quick, strong, skillful and intelligent. He's good in attack, good in defence and now he's added the ability to be a playmaker as well.
That's why I liked the look of that other Norwegian lad, Fredrik Ulvestad, because he reminded me of Brown. He's an all-round midfielder.
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