LA-Don

Cobra Kai! Quality!!!

I despise when people say "well who else is out there" when someone states McInnes needs to go. Just because it could be worse is not a reason to stick with something that's broken. Saying that, I live 6000 plus miles away and am not as knowledgeable of footie at home than I used to be, so who else is out there? Big Dunc is certainly an intriguing one and one I haven't heard suggested before. Thinking out loud and a little outside the box instead of the Jim Goodwins and the like.....but not necessarily supporting......Paul Lambert? John Collins? Steve Kean? Alan Irvine? George Burley? Stuart McCall? Billy McKinley? Alex Neil? Just looking at Scots who haven't just stayed local.

I’d take Ferguson, would certainly be interesting. With an experienced assistant. Doubt we’d be affording him though.

While we’re not losing a lot of goals and games, we’re losing both right now. And we’re losing shit goals. Over the years we managed to eliminate this stuff but it’s back. If we want to win games and be more successful yes, we need to score, but we’ve also stop giving up shit gifts. We’ve drawing and losing to teams we used to beat. I don’t rate the Newcastle tactics of simply out scoring opponents, we’ve got to be tougher defensively.

I assume you mean man management with a quality coaching staff? I kinda referenced that with a Michael Stewart type, but obviously I’ve no clue if Stewart is indeed that type. I’d also argue that mcinnes takes this to the extreme and I speculate that he’s too friendly and the players don’t fear him enough. It takes a unique type to motivate and get the best out of this current generation.

Curious for people’s input here. Most agree mcinnes needs to go, but what are the attributes you are all looking for in the replacement? There are a ton of ex pros, licensed coaches, and gone are the days of a hard nosed Ferguson or Jim McLean being successful. Over here in the states in the nba you’ve seen pundits of late go from player, pundit on tv, and on to coach......Steve Kerr for those who know bball the most successful having had no prior coaching experience. Curious to know if people would take a Michael Stewart with experienced coaches on his management team? I doubt it! So, rather than just suggest names, what are the attributes we think we need? A young inexperienced coach just sacked from st mirren would never have been predicted to become our most successful manager, but was he any more successful full in coaching than Jim Goodwin to date? I want experience but still young enough, clear demonstration of some success in his managerial career, and experience and knowledge in Scottish football. Travelled a bit so has contacts. Plus signs that he can attract solid signings. I’d still take Jack Ross in a heartbeat.

I hear you but you have to fix a defense first. If we are losing goals and games players are less likely to push up knowing we’re suspect at the back and can get exposed. That’s why we are stretched and see a lot of long ball. With 4 back there ‘should’ be less holes. I also think we are getting exposed in the channels between 3 defenders, the livi header and hibs second yesterday would have possibly been prevented if we had two central defenders. Even yesterday’s penalty, it’s Ferguson back there instead of a RB or defenders. I also think Hoban and Andy still play a bit like LB and RB and there too much space centrally that’s killing us, especially when it ends up being big ash in the middle we are relying on. Even with a 4 Logan and Andy/Hoban can push on a bit leaving two central defenders marking the single advanced forward. Plus with LB and RB pushing up the wingers push further up the park and we should see more numbers in the final third. I think we’ll get more from Hayes in an attacking sense if he doesn’t always have to bomb back to fill the hole a LB or RB would be in. Likewise Kennedy and McLennan. I have no issue with inverted wingers cutting in but that has to happen further up the park than we are currently seeing. I think hayes did it once yesterday and got a shot off, but once isn’t nearly enough obviously. I also think mcginn showed enough yesterday that he still has the ability to contribute. While the pace may not be there he’s got the ability to cause damage at #10. Adding the #9, If we get those 4 positions in the final third we do have creativity to cause problems, plus mccrory and or Ferguson supporting from deep. It’s just not happening in the current formation, in my opinion, because our width is not getting far enough up the park and quite often we have 5 defenders and 2 holding mids not pushing up enough.

Think it’s time to move to a back 4. We’re losing goals and losing games, and shit goals at that where we’ve been exposed in defense. Plus a back 4 allows the wingers to get forward to hopefully support and become a front 3/4 and hopefully less of the long ball shite. For the remaining games I’d like to see - lewis logan-Taylor-Hoban-considine ferguson-mccrory kennedy-McGinn-hayes hornby/kamberi The attacking 3 behind the forward can rotate, and let’s give Ethan Ross a chance if McGinn can’t last a game. Plus I’d be comfortable with Andy in the middle and hoban at LB.

I’m not a McLennan fan but how does he gain confidence and form with the way DM treats him? He’s been no more or less shit than Kennedy today yet sub the sub which we all know doesn’t do McLennan well. Much along the lines of Anderson, if he’s not rated just don’t play him at all, but if he’s worth game time give him a chance. Game over anyway. We don’t look like scoring unless we get the make up penalty.

Awful. Any time we get the ball we just belt it long. Clearly a team with zero confidence. Unfair to judge Hornby, service is terrible.

I thought it was accurate. For those who can access, it’s the article titled ‘A deep rooted malaise with no end in sight.’

http://www.facebook.com/whatastramash Not sure people will be able to access, interesting read.

What was said???

Lame to say since it’s just the hair, but Hornby reminds me of Alex Di Rocco. Good player we got a glimpse of! Hopefully just as good!

Hornby says he's raring to play tomorrow if selected in his interview on the club site. I assume that means he's fit!

We've moved on Main, Cosgrove, and Ojo. Quality hat trick! I Oh, add Edmondson in there too! I know the fans had mixed feelings on Cosgrove, I was never a fan, can't believe we got 2 mill for him. I'm ok with 3 loans for now, not the window to buy players. With Wright gone and Ethan Ross back, hope he gets a chance.

Kamberi been announced, pending international clearance. Happy with Hornby and Kamberi, no clue about Hendry, but what worries me is the loss of a creative player. We can have all the strikers in the world finishing chances, but it's our creativity that concerns me and the fact we don't get enough chances. Hedges, Kennedy, McLennan, even Hayes are inconsistent at best, and McGinn has vanished. We're back to missing the #10 again.

Curtis Main has left the club, club has announced. Must assume that Kamberi is coming in, especially with Bruce out on loan.

Interesting to hear Sam reference the intensity at Birmingham training and something he’s not had in a few years. Hmm...

The loser mentality is relating to the way we usually approach the old firm games, I don’t think you can argue that. Polar opposite from Ferguson and there have been winnable games we’ve shit the bed and have been unnecessarily defensive, borderline scared. For the most part we sit back defensively, more Celtic than rangers, and inevitably lose. It’s maybe been less so of late but I still feel it’s hard for DM to change the players mindset from his negative tactics of many old firm games. I don’t think it’s pragmatic to hold out for one goal wins against lower opposition, holding out for a 2-1 win over Hamilton Ross county or the likes. We’re not a similar team with similar players grinding out a win. We’ve had better players and the manager has held us back in games we could have won more convincingly in my eyes. We don’t put teams away when we had the talent to do so. I don’t fully agree the club dictates a style. Yes, some do, it’s attack attack attack at man United but arsenal under George graham were very different to Wenger’s arsenal. Barca changed too. I just feel after 8 years mcinnes should have achieved more with the quality of product on the field. He’s had the talent and the money to spend, more than everyone bar the old firm. It’s not like our players are actually shite, these are pro players with talent, better and more skilled than we probably believe. One trophy in 8 years isn’t enough to me, and it’s regression on the field right now and has been for a while. And the way we play should positively reflect a manager who has been at a club for almost a decade. I do feel we are soft deep down, and our manager is soft. We have folded in tough games and our manager has shat it. Yes we’ve bullied little guys in our league in the past, but i’m not talking about that, i’m more ambitious and I don’t think I’m unrealistic.

It says a lot, there are plenty of teams who have a style/philosophy on the park and that doesn’t mean the they get shut down. Many clubs have a culture and a style of play, arsenal, man United, Liverpool, Barcelona etc. but it doesn’t have to be a top team, or make us predictable and easy to be worked out. We could be a team known for our passing, building from the back or through our midfield, our work rate, our attacking full backs, our wing play, our creativity with set plays, our toughness, our chip on the shoulder attitude like Ferguson’s Aberdeen. What’s our identity on the park? Teams even take on their managers personality. I feel we really lack drive, determination, leadership, and direction on the park right now. You are correct, I’ve heard we’re more professional under mcinnes but what has that got or won us? What has disciplined won us? He needs to be a better coach, or the rest doesn’t mean much. We are regularly boring, a bit soft, predictable, and seem to struggle for ideas or a plan B. You are also correct, Ferguson’s team had a winning mentality, but I’d argue, if anything, we have a losers mentality when you see us play Celtic or rangers and that comes from the manager and his methods/approach. That’s hard to lose once you have it. You say we are brilliant at closing out victories? Are we? Or do you mean his very negative, conservative, and extremely frustrating game management? Especially against the majority of teams in our league, sitting back and holding on for victory isn’t really necessary with the ability we have. I feel he takes it to extremes and we maybe scrape and hold on for a 2-1 win when it could and should have been 4 or 5 and he develop a killer instinct or bully mentality. I guess I answer my own question here but his style is more negative than positive to me now. It got us ‘success’ when rangers, hearts, hibs, Dundee United etc were all fucked financially and terrible, but what now?

Maybe killie will offer 2 mill for mcinnes.....

Curious for people’s thoughts. McInnes has been with us almost 8 years now, what would you say is a Mcinnes team? What style and attributes has he brought us that has stuck, when we watch us play, what is a mcinnes team? What has he stamped on us, passing team, creative flair, hard as nails, disciplined?? Personally, I think fuck all which says a lot...

I think he needs to be sacked by st mirren before coming to us. That seemed to work before.

He’s never been given a consistent run. Look at cosgrove, consistent run last year and he gets us 2 million. And many, me included, think he’s garbage. I’m not saying Anderson is the answer, just that signing one striker isnt the answer. We need multiple players, wingers, a number 10, our creativity is minimal. Wait until summer where there’s more options and work with Anderson and McLennan, they’ll prove us all right or wrong but at least get a chance. Signing another Edmondson or Main on loan for 6 months is less inspiring than going with Anderson if you ask me.