Dibbles old paperboy Posted October 31, 2015 Report Share Posted October 31, 2015 Taxi for Thommo Last goal 5th September. He'll probably set off fireworks in front of the St Mirren fans next time he scores... if the shops are still sellling fireworks at that stage in the calendar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whydowebother Posted October 31, 2015 Report Share Posted October 31, 2015 Oh dear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TopCat Posted October 31, 2015 Report Share Posted October 31, 2015 Oh dear. Quite. Embarrassing stuff for the OP. Maybe Thommo pumped his... ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibbles old paperboy Posted October 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2015 So how many games has Thommo, our main striker, had a shot on target in this season, or hit the woodwork or even just missed the target? Was one of his last chances not a few games ago against Alloa when he was clean through at 1-0 up and he passed it into the box without noticing McLear had checked his run and we had no one in the box to pass to? Admittedly this also highlights the futility of sitting back and defending a 1-0 lead at home against the team who were bottom of the league as well as Thommo's own decline. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djchapsticks Posted October 31, 2015 Report Share Posted October 31, 2015 Unfortunately I have to concede defeat on this one. I have always been 100% behind Thommo but unfortunately I've seen enough this season to draw the conclusion that this is simply a season too far. At the start of the season I commented that if he plays up top with someone else, goals will come. Unfortunately, not only aren't goals coming but he doesn't seem to be able to get himself into that goalscoring position that he was so good at in his career for us. It's not as if we don't create, it's something we do ok with in a lot of games, it just seems he's no longer there or thereabouts when the chances drop. He played well against Rangers, but again I can't recall him having an effort at goal. Shankland has to come back in now for me. Yes you'll get people saying that he's not proven and they are right, but he's started 3 or 4 matches and found the net twice. 15-20 minutes here and there will do the guy no good at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibbles old paperboy Posted October 31, 2015 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2015 Unfortunately I have to concede defeat on this one. I have always been 100% behind Thommo but unfortunately I've seen enough this season to draw the conclusion that this is simply a season too far. At the start of the season I commented that if he plays up top with someone else, goals will come. Unfortunately, not only aren't goals coming but he doesn't seem to be able to get himself into that goalscoring position that he was so good at in his career for us. It's not as if we don't create, it's something we do ok with in a lot of games, it just seems he's no longer there or thereabouts when the chances drop. He played well against Rangers, but again I can't recall him having an effort at goal. Shankland has to come back in now for me. Yes you'll get people saying that he's not proven and they are right, but he's started 3 or 4 matches and found the net twice. 15-20 minutes here and there will do the guy no good at all. You've made the point I was striving to more eloquently than I did - namely that down to age, injury, fitness and the march of time, the Thommo of this season doesn't really get in the position to take chances any more, and on the rare occasions when he gets in those positions seems to lack the confidence or legs to capitalise. If we are going to be realistic and say young guys like Mallan, Baird, Kelly, Stewart, Morgan and McLear will be inconsistent and have bad games as well as good games (just as McLean and McGinn had before them) we should expect Shankland, Gallagher and McMullen to also blow hot and cold. I just think we will get more goals and more points if we give the young guys a run and bring Thommo off the bench in the last 10-15 minutes and maybe having fresh legs against tired legs may help Thommo get in better positions when he is on the pitch, and his experience at that stage in a game might help younger players to close out matches too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottd Posted October 31, 2015 Report Share Posted October 31, 2015 The older a player becomes so does the decline become sharper. I wish it wasn't so but I do fear that Thommo could be done, I'd really love to be proved worng. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibbles old paperboy Posted November 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 868 league minutes and 1 goal now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bud the Baker Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 (edited) I was in favour of resigning him for this season but with the caveat that he wasn't going to be used for 90 minutes most weeks. After subsequently seeing him in action him and with the arrival of Shankland I said he shouldn't be our regular starter - an impact sub or starting when Shankland is away on international duty. Edited November 7, 2015 by Bud the Baker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibbles old paperboy Posted November 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 I was in favour of resigning him for this season but with the caveat that he wasn't going to be used for 90 minutes most weeks. After subsequently seeing him in action him and with the arrival of Shankland I said he shouldn't be our regular starter - an impact sub or starting when Shankland is away on international duty. I wouldn't mind if he was contributing to our overall play in other ways beyond scoring goals. He's had 2 good games this season and is an automatic pick and usually on for the full 90 minutes. SHankland comes off the bench today and at least hits the post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isle Of Bute Saint Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Who was it that called Love Street a strikers graveyard. St Mirren Park is the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibbles old paperboy Posted November 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Who was it that called Love Street a strikers graveyard. St Mirren Park is the same. It's not rocket science that if you play a 37 year old striker who was out for 6 months with injury last season and start him and persist with him for 90 minutes in almost every league game and he isn't playing well. isn't scoring and isn't getting much service that repeating the exercise endlessly is not going to end happily. So wish we would give Shankland and Gallagher a run of 5 or 6 games as a strike pairing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TediousTom Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 If we ever were to actually get to the byeline and play a decent cross then Thommo will be effective. Our current style of play does not suit the Hawk and its absolutely pish anyway. Anyway I see we are fixating on an out of form striker when our defence is clearly the real problem. We are hopeless in defence, rank, putrid, bowfing and pure school playground stuff. Alex Miller has much work to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddieinEK Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 It's not rocket science that if you play a 37 year old striker who was out for 6 months with injury last season and start him and persist with him for 90 minutes in almost every league game and he isn't playing well. isn't scoring and isn't getting much service that repeating the exercise endlessly is not going to end happily. So wish we would give Shankland and Gallagher a run of 5 or 6 games as a strike pairing. Totally agree about Shankland and Gallagher. Should have started the last few games as our front pairing. Re service for Thommo... Shankland had the same lack of service but worked hard to CREATE space for the chance when he hit the post. Substitutes today were a joke. Took Gallagher off and moved a tiring and ineffective Thompson to run the channels! Morgan should have replaced the ineffective McMullan... not Agnew. When Goodwin got his cheap booking we needed Agnew in the middle to share the dirty work. Same mistakes wek after week. Same daft subs week after week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibbles old paperboy Posted November 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 (edited) If we ever were to actually get to the byeline and play a decent cross then Thommo will be effective. Our current style of play does not suit the Hawk and its absolutely pish anyway. Anyway I see we are fixating on an out of form striker when our defence is clearly the real problem. We are hopeless in defence, rank, putrid, bowfing and pure school playground stuff. Alex Miller has much work to do. So 12 goals scored in 13 league games is not a problem area we should be working on then? Only Dumbarton and Alloa (the league's s only part time clubs) have scored less than us so far this season. They are also the only teams in the league who are worse than us defensively as well, and QOTS have conceded the same us but scored 3 goals more than us. Most teams in the play off places have scored double wat we have or more (Raith Rovers being the exception as masters of enough 1-0 wins to make progress up the league) Edited November 8, 2015 by Dibbles old paperboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norrie82 Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 Thompson needs supply. He isn't getting any balls into the box the way we used to Teale,Carey etc all supplied Thompson much better than now. He is feeding off scraps and until we get down the wing and get balls into him then he will struggle. Get balls into him and if he still doesn't deliver then have a pop. Is any player actually delivering? But again the older players get it in the neck due to be older. It's rubbish. Be honest with this baird has been horrible at defending but we let him away with it. Give thommo a break Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddieinEK Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 Thompson needs supply. He isn't getting any balls into the box the way we used to Teale,Carey etc all supplied Thompson much better than now. He is feeding off scraps and until we get down the wing and get balls into him then he will struggle. Get balls into him and if he still doesn't deliver then have a pop. Is any player actually delivering? But again the older players get it in the neck due to be older. It's rubbish. Be honest with this baird has been horrible at defending but we let him away with it. Give thommo a break He had a fairly straightforward header which he ballooned over.... tried a glancing header from a corner and ended up with a thruppeny bit head attempt... and failed to create space for himself. He spent more time complaining about being fouled, rightly or wrongly. Shankland hit the post from a chance created because he had the ability to create the space for himself in the first place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TsuMirren Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 If we ever were to actually get to the byeline and play a decent cross then Thommo will be effective. Our current style of play does not suit the Hawk and its absolutely pish anyway. Anyway I see we are fixating on an out of form striker when our defence is clearly the real problem. We are hopeless in defence, rank, putrid, bowfing and pure school playground stuff. Alex Miller has much work to do. Sorry, but he had chances yesterday and went in with all the ability, commitment and command of a 4ft 5 with less fat on him than a butchers pencil. He is absolutely done, the only attribute left is height. Yes he's a legend, but at some point you only wheel them out for signings and 6 a side tournaments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbar_bud Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 (edited) I really feel for Thommo at the moment, getting absolutely hung out to dry by current manager. Thommo should be getting used the same way Falkirk use Lee Miller, coming on with 25 mins left to hold onto the ball against tiring defenders, or earlier to allow us to go direct if we are getting beat. There is no way in a million years he should be playing 90 minutes, ever! Edited November 8, 2015 by foxbar_bud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callum Gilhooley Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 I really feel for Thommo at the moment, getting absolutely hung out to dry by current manager. Thommo should be getting used the same way Falkirk use Lee Miller, coming on with 25 mins left to hold onto the ball against tiring defenders, or earlier to allow us to go direct if we are getting beat. There is no way in a million years he should be playing 90 minutes, ever! That however would involve having a manager who can see & react to what is happening on the park . You know , like Peter Houston did against us at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibbles old paperboy Posted November 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 (edited) Thompson needs supply. He isn't getting any balls into the box the way we used to Teale,Carey etc all supplied Thompson much better than now. He is feeding off scraps and until we get down the wing and get balls into him then he will struggle. Get balls into him and if he still doesn't deliver then have a pop. Is any player actually delivering? But again the older players get it in the neck due to be older. It's rubbish. Be honest with this baird has been horrible at defending but we let him away with it. Give thommo a break Shankland has twice as many goals from half the game time Thommo has had and hasn't always been played as a striker when he has been on the pitch. Shankland has also suffered from rubbish service but does show signs of actually trying and being capable of making chances for himself even when no one is whipping in crosses for him. A lot of games are finishing without Thommo even had a shot on or off target nevermind hitting the bar or the post or making the keeper make a decent save. In pretty much every game where Shankland has played he has had some near misses, hit the post or bar, forced the keeper into a save or even scored, even if hasn't put in a man of the match performance he still looks like a goal threat but seems to have been dropped to only good enough for the bench every week and behind Thommo in the pecking order while Thommo is not doing the business or looking like doing the business most weeks. One thing that is certain is Teale and Carey will not be whipping in great crosses which are ideal for Thommo this season. The one player remotely capable of doing that is probably Mallan and he won't be doing that from the bye-line very often. If we have no one who will "feed Thommo" with decent chances is it madness to persist in lumping long balls up to him with his back to goal adnauseam all season? Edited November 8, 2015 by Dibbles old paperboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pappas cheese Posted November 9, 2015 Report Share Posted November 9, 2015 He will always be a legend, but, for me, he is an impact sub for us now. Everyone, except Murray, can see that. He seems to spend most of the match giving away daft fouls. Play the young lads and stick Thommo on at the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aldo_j Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 He will always be a legend, but, for me, he is an impact sub for us now. Everyone, except Murray, can see that. He seems to spend most of the match giving away daft fouls. Play the young lads and stick Thommo on at the end. Like many others have said, I think Thommo is being hung out to dry with the tactics Murray employs. If we played to our strengths and got crosses in to the box the Thommo would score. Unfortunately, he appears to be the man out on the wing at times... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibbles old paperboy Posted November 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 Like many others have said, I think Thommo is being hung out to dry with the tactics Murray employs. If we played to our strengths and got crosses in to the box the Thommo would score. Unfortunately, he appears to be the man out on the wing at times... So far Thommo hasn't scored one league goal from a cross. A few crosses have found their way to him over the season but he has usually missed the target. He was clean through in the box against Alloa at 1-0 and then hit a pass to no one in the box and the chance to score was gone. I fear he lacks the confidence and legs to finish off as many chances as he used to and we should accept he is not going to keep on knocking in 15 league goals a season any more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MenstrieSaint Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 Shocking stats bearing in mind how many attack minded players we have in the squad , maybe its time to give Thommo a remit to coach the strikers , also that we start playing with three up front , its looking likely we won,t be the hunt for a top four place , so might as well try and entertain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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