Gutless eleven V The Poorest Bunch of Tims For Decades

[Ajja]

Not particularly specific to last nights game but was listening to the HWG Podcast this week and they did some interesting analysis on winning duels from the Hearts game. 
 

Talked about how we have tried to build a squad of technical players when physical battles is increasingly the dominant trend in the premiership. Even Motherwell (aka Ajax circa 1973) are battling to win possession. 
 

Stats for duels won (aeriel and ground) at Tynecastle;

Milne 1/9

Morrison 9/13

Nilsen 9/12

Geiger 2/12

Hearts 55 Dons 45

This is a big issue for us and our ability to control games, breed confidence and create platforms to build on for the front line. 

[Bukta Bertie]

Bottom line is in recent games we've pretty much held our own against celtic and hearts. Two of the three challengers for the league title. 

Things aren't nearly as bad now as people are making out. I don't get what comfort people are taking from being continually negative about our performances but it's so bloody tiring. Mood hoovers are toxic and they need to cut it out. 

The Spanish have a good word, ANIMO!

[Mason89]

2 minutes ago, Bukta Bertie said:

Bottom line is in recent games we've pretty much held our own against celtic and hearts. Two of the three challengers for the league title. 

0 points out of 6. That was nowhere near Hearts first team and it’s the worst Celtic side I can remember. 
We’ve not won many points against the rest of them either. 

I know your turd polishing is performative but nobody is going to fall for it 

 

 

[Bukta Bertie]

7 minutes ago, Mason89 said:

0 points out of 6. That was nowhere near Hearts first team and it’s the worst Celtic side I can remember. 
We’ve not won many points against the rest of them either. 

I know your turd polishing is performative but nobody is going to fall for it 

 

 

1) My comments are neither performative, trolling or phishing. Just my opinions and I comment for the same reasons as anyone else does on a forum. If you don't agree with them that's fair enough but please don't try to shut me down with your obviously toxic and passive aggressive snipes. I'm too long in the tooth to let it bother me.

2) I surely can't be the only one who can see we are a vastly improved team in recent times. Some of the passages of play are absolutely superb. Obviously we need to keep it up for the whole arc of the match rather than just short periods but that will come.

3) While it's true our improved performances haven't paid off yet in terms of points on the board surely no-one can seriously suggest we aren't a better side now than we were months ago.

4) I'm not touching on any particular point you raised but I want this put on record. We won't go down. We won't even come close to it. In fact I'm confident we will win if not all, almost all of our post-split games to finish either 7th or 8th.

I'll let you get back to your moping.

Whatever makes you happy.

 

 

[RicoS321]

52 minutes ago, Ajja said:

Not particularly specific to last nights game but was listening to the HWG Podcast this week and they did some interesting analysis on winning duels from the Hearts game. 
 

Talked about how we have tried to build a squad of technical players when physical battles is increasingly the dominant trend in the premiership. Even Motherwell (aka Ajax circa 1973) are battling to win possession. 
 

Stats for duels won (aeriel and ground) at Tynecastle;

Milne 1/9

Morrison 9/13

Nilsen 9/12

Geiger 2/12

Hearts 55 Dons 45

This is a big issue for us and our ability to control games, breed confidence and create platforms to build on for the front line. 

I think anyone could have told you that without the stats! A midfield of Armstrong, Cameron and Geiger is mental for example. I'd be interested to know what counts as a duel. Whilst I'm not a fan of Geiger, he's not there to win duels necessarily. Aouchiche, Ramadani and Jack weren't particularly good at winning duels, but their positioning and coverage were excellent and thus interceptions were high, as well as just slowing attacks down or forcing errors by being in the right place. If Geiger could up his work rate significantly, he might just be able to give us that. Milne's stats look low, but if a ball is going to a striker's chest, then most of what is called a duel could only be won by ploughing through the back of the player, and so it's much better to just try and put him off. 

[wokinginashearerwonderland]

6 hours ago, Bukta Bertie said:

Bottom line is in recent games we've pretty much held our own against celtic and hearts.

Not sure if you are having a giggle Bertie, but 'held our own'?  Apart from the Nisbet header in the second half last night (and the penalty obviously), we have not come close to scoring in 3 hours of fitba?

Celtic should have had 4 last night.  Maeda missed a one on one with Mitov and Milne was awfully fortunate not to have his hand ball deemed a penalty.

On Saturday, Hearts should have had 3 against us.  Kabore missed a sitter early on as did Braga in the second half. 

Struggling to see how on earth you are working out that we held our own, unless you mean held our own hands over our eyes whilst watching?  I certainly did that for long periods in the second half last night.

 

 

[RicoS321]

40 minutes ago, wokinginashearerwonderland said:

Milne was awfully fortunate not to have his hand ball deemed a penalty.

No he wasn't. It would have been exceptionally unfortunate to have his hand ball deemed a penalty. 

[wokinginashearerwonderland]

10 minutes ago, RicoS321 said:

No he wasn't. It would have been exceptionally unfortunate to have his hand ball deemed a penalty. 

Not saying it was intentional but it does not have to be and with the current handball rule as it is, I think it was pretty borderline whether the ref would give it or not.  Put it this way, if he did point to the spot, VAR would not have overturned it. 

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, wokinginashearerwonderland said:

Not saying it was intentional but it does not have to be and with the current handball rule as it is, I think it was pretty borderline whether the ref would give it or not.  Put it this way, if he did point to the spot, VAR would not have overturned it. 

I agree, but it would have been a disgraceful penalty to give, even on the current rules, and unfortunate because there would have been nothing he could have done about it. Just your use of the term fortunate in that context made it sound like a penalty was merited on the strength of their play. I think your overall point was sound, they were the better team, but it didn't need embellishing with what would have been an undeserved and fortunate penalty (rather than the other way round).

[Bukta Bertie]

I'd probably only single out Killie away as a game that I struggled to stay positive in this side of new year.