RicoS321

Most managers don't last long enough to bring players back. Overall it's been a fairly fruitful policy. Hayes, McGinn have been successes and I'd argue Taylor too (through gritted teeth, he's had more good games than bad). GMS was very good just before he left, playing with freedom and drive and working very hard. When McInnes brings someone back it is usually quite obvious if they'll be good or not. It was blatantly obvious that Wilson and Stewart were pish before they left and would be pish on their return. Hayes has always been a professional, and McGinn too. Unlike guys like Ross at Hibs, McInnes doesn't have a pool of players down south that he has recent experience of watching because he's been here for so long. Manager's recruitment will always tail off the longer they've been at a club, as they can't be in two places at once and guys they saw years back are no longer useful targets. If a player has left the club on a high, then getting them back is far less risky than spending on scouted options like Ojo. In my mind it should be viewed no differently to players who have been good at other clubs, gone down South, failed and then we sign. Why would GMS be different to McGeouch or McGinn first time round in that regard? Both successful, proven SPFL players.

Hayes had several good crosses in the first half of the utd game, but there was nobody there. GMS is an entertaining player to watch, and with that comes inconsistency as we see in Wright. He would absolutely have spotted the McGinn option when three on two that Kennedy failed to against utd that's for sure. The only downside to GMS is that McInnes will contrive to keep Wright out of the team in his place, because one creative player is the maximum. He'll fuck them both about ensuring neither gets a chance to settle, moving them around, throwing then into a defensive role and so on. But I'd be happy to see him back, as he's fantastic to watch on his day.

Virtanen looked half decent in centre mid for Abroath on the telly. Worth giving him until the end of the season to see if he can offer anything. Let Ojo go.

He's a much better footballer than Main. Probably about the same in terms of finishing. He'd be an upgrade on Main I suppose. Better than Edmondson too. I'd put him on a par with May. If we get rid of Edmondson and Main then it's a good signing. If we get money for Cosgrove then we should be looking for better.

Thought McRorie was poor again today, he's not been great since getting covid, seems to tire. I'm guessing Campbell was given minutes because we'll need him against the scum soon, but McRorie looked like he was struggling.

Obviously there could be much more to it than that, and for me he hasn't been the same since the move to Cormack park, so I think there's an issue there too. But we see it time and again from McInnes. Players who are struggling with form, and we bring them back in and then ask them to do something they either don't enjoy doing or they struggle with. Wright's position was always behind the front man and with an element of free role. Yet McInnes insisted on playing him as if he was the form player, switching him around the park constantly never allowing him to settle. McLennan and Kennedy have both been subjected to it, and it was blatantly obvious why Stewart was able to cope with the handful of simple instructions doled out at killie compared to playing here. Cosgrove just needs a hand through the difficult period he's having alongside our best possible starting eleven. There's absolutely nothing to lose given Main is the alternative. The guy scored twenty goals before Christmas when he was part of a creative(ish) team where he was allowed to take the ball into the channels, run at defenders and take the ball into feet. Then we decided that height=target and that he couldn't possibly have any other attributes despite the evidence and we actively played him out of form. It's frustrating like, because most fans will just see a player not scoring and a defence resorting to punting it to him and another hoofer alongside.

I agree. He just didn't need to make the sub though, Kennedy was doing okay. Wright and Cosgrove for Main and McGinn. Get Hedges into the attack alongside Wright and Cosgrove, and move Kennedy into right wing back so Hedges doesn't have to defend. If he thinks Kennedy is tired then bring on Logan, again in the defensive area. We just ran out of ideas, but Cosgrove is never ever going to win us a game playing alongside another big striker in a punting match. Give the boy a chance with our best fucking line up and stop hanging him out to dry or don't bother playing him at all. Since returning, I think he's played about 20 minutes with our best attacking team out, it's fucking ridiculous. Especially as he's clearly struggling with confidence, why make it even harder?

Brophy rumours doing the rounds. Fits the McInnes strategy. Player who's fans think is shite but once had a good game against us.

A good half despite not scoring. Good intensity, working hard and creating. Main the missing link (literally) in the Watkins role, but he's putting in a shift nevertheless. McGinn movement excellent and Hedges doing well from deep. Considine and Hoban providing really good support coming from deep with McRorie just dropping in, but both should have done better with their opportunities. A bit reminiscent of the Tannadice game where we were extremely dominant but just missing that finishing touch up front (Watkins that day). Just keep at it and maybe take Cosgrove on for Main in a bit, but don't change the overall setup and intensity as it's working. Maybe Wright for Kennedy if he's fit, but again keep the setup as is because it's working. Special mention to the ref who has let the game flow and not involved himself where it wasn't needed. Correct on both pen decisions and night and day from that Muir fucker from the other game who would have given 863 free kicks in that half.

Hopefully he's fit enough. Look forward to him being shifted all over the shop before being hooked at half time. With Cosgrove once again being given the opportunity to play alongside Main and then blaming him when it turns out not to work.

Hibs hibsing it against county. Taking full advantage of our postponement to move ahead.

Three days until the utd game, it won't be played tomorrow. There's probably a bunch of local office workers got a seven side organised for tomorrow on the sunny half of the pitch now anyway.

Whatever. They could easy have biled a couple of kettles and whoored it on. Lazy cunts.

Using android phone, when you quote another post but then decide that you don't want to post (or if you've quoted instead of replying), you can't remove the initial quote block. It remains in the thread for eternity too (or until you clear cookies or whatever!), so anytime you reply in that thread, the quote appears until you post something. Doesn't happen on PC, when you can select the widget and delete.

Pish like. Underfloor heating? Edit: if you quote messages on Android, you can't then delete the block quote, hence the empty quote

Made so much better by the fact that they were engaging in the classic unsporting behaviour pre pass back rule. It's amazing how good a rule the pass back rule is. Simple and effective and doesn't take away from the spirit and flow of the game whilst not making it too difficult/unfair for keepers (Leighton, Langfield can be excused for the purposes of my point).

It does, however surely you're not exempt from buying a good player in a tax scam?

There clearly is. As evidenced by Hayes himself, who's best career spell was at AFC under current management. As evidenced by Hedges current form, Ferguson, McKenna, Considine etc etc. Kennedy is far from a shirker, his workrate is excellent, it's his ability in the final third and probably his lack of confidence in his own ability. Like Hayes, he keeps trying, but his head isn't in time with his legs and he resorts to putting his head down when it should be up and vice versa. I think it'll click with him at some point, it's just whether we believe he's worth persisting with. He reminds me of McGinn a few years back. Nothing was coming off for him going forward but he never shirked his defensive responsibilities.

I don't think he was that good at saints, just had a good game against us once, which he's well capable of. He's been asked to do a difficult job at wing back for us, and he's doing okay overall, but not great. Defensively, he's tracking his man and not giving much away. In attack, he's struggling to find the energy to get beyond his man and get a cross in. I think that McLennan was doing a better job before the u21 covid and was hard done by not to retain his position. I'm guessing there's a bit of politics in there, given the board freed up the cash for him in January. Thing is, Kennedy could easily be the next Hayes if he just improves that final third part of his game. All it will take is a little bit more effort, because he has the attributes. He's just breathing out his airse a little when he needs that final bit of composure. His crosses always seem a little tired at the end of a run, or he makes the cross from too deep rather than run at the player.

Hell of a goal like. Was always the best of the Ross's at the club. Just need to get that final bit of his development right (the hardest part) and he'll be another great player. Doubt we'll see him this season, but definitely one for next. Raith probably quite a good fit for him too. Not convinced with Ayr for Anderson, I think he might have done better at a team like Raith. You wonder if we have any real plan when sending players out on loan, if we check the style of play and the squad that a player will be joining or if we just take what's on offer.

I'd give McLennan another opportunity there, he was okay against killie. Don't think McGinn is fit enough at the moment to do the required workrate, but I'd happily see him play 30 minutes there. Kennedy was gash there the only time he played in that role and was quickly moved wide, I forget who against, and he's okay defensively at wing back so best to stay there. Cosgrove needs to be given a run of games with our best formation and setup, when we're keeping the ball on the ground. That doesn't involve Main or Edmondson. They should just be subs for him, rather than alongside him.

They actually improved on the wrong side of the pitch. Kennedy reminds me of Hayes in his first season. Needs to work on hitting the byline and hammering the ball in. McLennan was performing well on the right prior to the covid quarantine, feel a bit sorry for him as he didn't deserve to be dropped. Anyway, another three points leaves us on a fairly impressive total so far all things considered. With Wright back in a week or two, hopefully we'll see the end of the front two of Main and Cosgrove, or Cosgrove and Edmondson for a while. Thought Taylor was very good again today. If the last three games were his first for the club you'd have thought you'd signed a great player. He looked comfortable on the ball, great in the air and with good positioning. We await the implosion.

Agree with this, think Kennedy has been poor since signing and McLennan would have been a better use of resources. Think McGinn is still a little unfit, but he should be able to play alongside Cosgrove. Once again Cosgrove is given game time with a poorer lineup than Watkins and Main were given. He's been playing poorly and needs all the help he can get, why you'd play Main alongside him god only knows (I suspect god probably doesn't know and is saying so on the BBC). It's one or the other. The answer is to get that number ten replacement, so give McLennan a bit more time to attempt it and accept he'll take a few games to get used to it (assuming McGinn isn't fit). Anyway, a really nice turn and hit from Cosgrove near the end and a good pen. The ref has done his absolute best to ruin the game and the penalty was a terrible decision clearly made because he thought there might have been a pen a few seconds earlier (which definitely wasn't either). They've been the better team, but didn't really deserve their goal either. I think the conditions are having a wee bit of an effect, requiring players to take an extra touch and making it difficult for strikers in both sides to take it down.

Yep, was never going to work, just makes them both worse. Fucking about with the sub, way too late in the first place, ensured Edmondson got a whole three minutes to make a difference. It was obvious a change was required at 65-70 minutes, especially with 800 subs available. Defence were very good, Taylor especially.

Never use your right foot again Hedges