OrlandoDon

35 mins, meh. Couple of half chances by nisbet. Definitely the better team but creating little. Attacking players not standing out, Morris done very little. We need him involved!

Firstly logged me out then sound was messed up. Fine now. Open game.

Anyone having red tv issues? Logs me out/crashes every 30 seconds…!

Which means start shinnie. A more stable and effective player at present.

Maybe, but if a player wants to leave they need to go. Hard for him to turn around and say he’s now 100% committed to us. He’s gone from being one of the leagues weekly standouts to not being talked about at all, except places like here. He’ll end up at somewhere like a mid to lower championship, league 1, even salford, and rarely heard of. He’ll be at hibs or united within 3 years. Sadly.

Hoping he really is the special one! Come on ye Turks!

You are correct, he’s been fine. Which is average, and compared to early season Mackenzie, is not as good. Shinnie will give his all and has done well last couple of games, will bust a gut to get up and down. Mackenzie will just be fine, his mind appears to be elsewhere, which is why I’d go with shinnie.

I’m not one that has commented on shinnie having the legs or not. However, keep in mind that as a midfielder, shinnie has to get up and down the park. Demanding. At left back he can pick and chose to an extent, sit if he needs recovery. And based on what we’ve seen, small sample size I know, he appears to have the legs for left back, plus we have options that it doesn’t need to be a full game every game. RE our attacking Mackenzie, he’s been rarely seen in recent months, no clue where he’s gone. Shinnie has offered more of late at left back.

100% agree regarding shinnie!

Really want nisbet up top with dabbagh. Nisbet drops and has been very good of late. No need of a 10, will just get in the way, so leaves me curious who we play as the two center mids. Hoping shinnie plays left back leaving it a choice of two from sivert Clarkson and palaversa. Less convinced by sivert of late, Clarkson has played well recently, and palaversa is much more mobile, and a goal threat too. Thinking we may see gueye out right or left, topi on the other. Although, as much as I’ve been openly against starting Morris, he was pretty good last week, although against a level below. leading with the heart as usual, 2-1 us, nisbet and dabbagh.

Fixed!

We’ve paid for players who aren’t good enough so im a fan of this loan with agreed option to buy. Based on what we’ve seen I don’t think we spend a penny on okkels. We all want him to be good but so far I see very little. Assuming we qualify for Europe, we’ll be short on Scots so I assume Ryan Duncan will be in the squad. Has okkels shown that he’s better than Duncan? FWIW I don’t think Duncan is good enough, even Connor McLennan showed more than okkels has so far.

You’re assuming we are away to Ross county on the Monday night?

Trust me, I’m one who gives players and managers time. But Ambrose doesn’t look like a legit footballer. Maybe lower leagues but not close to our level. I was one who defended sokler and suggested giving him time but Ambrose is different. I don’t see explosive pace, although he’s decent over distance, and I really don’t see skill. I don’t see great runs, or intelligence. I just see a big loon up who mostly jogs/wanders around top who commits a lot of fouls. I’d honestly say he looks a little like a rugby player.

Coaches have to coach in the moment, adapt in real time. While you can plan subbing, you have to adapt to what the game throws at you. There’s no inconsistency, I didn’t want Morris to start but he did and played well so why not take full advantage of the situation? Likewise, Dabbagh looked rough to start the game and had a few poor touches, but then scores two. He’s not had a lot of game time of late, recognize that and leave him out there when there’s less pressure and the game is won, he needs minutes. when you are up 4-0 the intensity of a game changes. Opponents naturally lose heart, and passion for the game. It’s not like playing the last 30 against Celtic when it’s 0-0. I don’t think another 20 mins or more would have exhausted nisbet dabbagh or Morris, would have only benefitted them. Ambrose had one good layoff and one good header. Other than that he showed again that he doesn’t belong. There isn’t a single person who can honestly say he’s good enough for us, and playing him takes time away from another better player who would benefit both themself and the team more from these minutes.

Under normal circumstances I’d agree with you, very normal for thelin to do what he did. But our form for 4 months has been awful. We went a number of games without scoring, and really struggle to create chances. Yes the job was done, but after a shaky start it began clicking today, why not milk it. We’ve not had this luxury, take advantage of the situation. Develop it, coach it, work on combinations and plays in a competitive environment. It’s been painful the last few months, let the team run, and maybe run rampant. There’s a benefit to taking advantage of a positive situation and scoring 6 or 7, would have had everyone buzzing even more and have been a real statement. Instead we slow down and lost the last 30 mins 1-0. Great to win 4-1 but as I’ve repeatedly said, we could have gotten more from the last 30. I’d understand if we went like for like and continued to play the way we did, develop what he’s asking us to do and what we need to improve. But the last 30 didn’t make a lot of sense to me other than call it a day after an hour and give squad players a run. Had we been a team on form I’d be good with that, but we’re not. Much like the teams who squad rotate when not necessary because it’s fashionable and what the top teams do, we backed off when I don’t think we’re good or consistent enough not to fully utilize the last 30. RE Morris, i definitely didn’t want him starting but he did and had a good game. Two assists for a confidence player, leave him out there to enjoy himself and get another assist, maybe a goal. Coach him, build him up, he doesn’t need the rest. Give him the opportunity to work with nisbet and dabbagh and get better. as for your Ambrose comment, it would take for gueye nisbet and dabbagh all to get injured for Ambrose to see the field next week. Won’t happen. I would also not be surprised if we saw topi at 9 before Ambrose in an important game. Good chance with sokler coming back Ambrose doesn’t even make the match squad next week. He’s not a player worth giving minutes.

And good to keep beating the dead horse, we’ve been really poor attacking and creating for much of the last 4 months, giving another 20-30 mins with topi dabbagh nisbet and morris lively and confident in competitive action is worth something.

Agree the game was won but do not agree at all about resting the starters he did, we had 30 mins to continue to work and improve, and we need that given the last 3-4 months. Nisbet finally looks fit, he’s not played a lot this season, getting him 80 mins or so of solid running and another goal or two helps the boy. He’s gaining in confidence, let him play. Same with dabbagh, needs minutes and match sharpness, and to develop chemistry with nisbet. These two will play a major part in our remaining games, today could have helped them even more, while giving Ambrose minutes does absolutely nothing for us. I do not think queens were going to kill them. Thought JT got it right with Clarkson, he needed the run and the minutes and played well. Likewise Morris, palaversa too. Players can get injured in training, happened to sivert, resting them in games is fair enough, but it doesn’t mean they don’t get injured tomorrow. i agree giving polvara a run as he’ll probably have a part to play this season too. Same with jack milne. While it’s good for Boyd to get the minutes, I don’t see him being a factor in our season and given how poor we’ve been in recent months, I felt today in the second half we could have done more than we did rather than resting certain players and having the game fizzle out. Just my opinion. I’m an ‘A’ licensed coach and I’ve coached a ton for 30 years, not professionally I’ll add, but a full game matters, especially given the season we’ve had. Don’t think we got the full benefit today, game time is like gold, so important, and we didn’t fully utilize the opportunity we had today. Repeating myself I know, I was just surprised and disappointed how the last 30 was coached. Probably the first time I’ve questioned JT, and I’m a fan, great to be in the semis.

For the interest and good of Scottish football, semis without the old firm would be a good thing. Saying that, Celtic will want to win tomorrow having lost to hibs recently and I have a feeling hibs bubble will burst soon anyway, much like we fell away in November.

Anyone but Celtic. I’ll assume we have to beat them in a final to win it, but that’s a really tough semi. Other than the distant memory 2-2, absolutely no sign now we can beat them and it’s been a couple of rough ones against them this season. Would be nice to see us in a Scottish cup final again and hearts or hibs are beatable.

I’m the only my one really complaining. And I acknowledged the positives. I also think we played well for 45 mins today, first 15 we were shaky and nervous which I understand. Last 30 JT could have utilized much more effectively. I think that’s valid.

I get it, I know it’s a great win in a banana skin game, first 15 mins we looked very shaky/nervous, and the two quick goals really changes the game. It’s easy to say at 4-0 rest players, avoid injury, bring in the likes of Milne and polvara, but I think the last 30 could have been more effectively used for the benefit of team improvement, not simply to give guys minutes and avoid injury. Delighted to be in the semis. ill give Morris credit, it’s probably the first start he’s played well, he worked hard, looks more physical etc, but it’s still a level below and what he’s expected to do on a weekly basis….. he hasn’t done that to date. He’s let us down on pretty much every start and he’s not a new player. Been given plenty of opportunity. what did Ambrose do well? He looks slow and lethargic, gave away a few fouls, and chases the game in slow motion. He had one good layoff and one good header, other than that I don’t recall anything positive. He’s not making great runs, no creative passes, didn’t create a chance for himself or others. Nisbet did all of that today. As our 9 he did more negative than positive in the time he played and that has a negative impact on the game and how we play.

Yes but there’s more to it. We made 3 changes, stuck gueye out wide, added a 10, and our 9 cannot link. It’s not just fresh legs, it totally changes the way we play, and we’re not a team who is playing consistently to a rhythm. It became a training game for 30 mins which, while beneficial for some, to me could have been more effectively used.

Absolutely. But at the same time we’re not a team on a strong run and let’s kick on. 5 or 6 and a dabbagh hat trick, nisbet grabbing another etc does more than giving Ambrose a jog out there. Dabbagh and nisbet are in our plans and let them kick on, get sharper etc, playing Ambrose does nothing for us. It’s great seeing Milne polvara and Boyd, but to me letting a game fizzle out, losing the clean sheet etc takes the shine off the display. Just being greedy but I think we could have approached things a little differently.

Good shift from Morris but as said, it’s against a championship team. Think it’s relative.