Dibbles old paperboy Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 27 minutes ago, pozbaird said: At least Gus' sides had some grit and Danny's sides TRIED to play some football. What exactly is Alex Rae trying to do? Coming in, he was clearly simply trying to steady a rocky ship that was in danger of completely sinking, and he did that. However, with this now being his team with his signings and his stamp on tactics / formations... Unlike Gus and Danny, with Rae, I cannot even figure out what in the name of fcuk he is trying to do, what he wants St Mirren to be. We look even more directionless than we did under Murray. I would guess that what Rae wants us to do is cut out the over-ponderous and ineffective passing the ball around at the back lark aka tippy tappy football and get the ball forward quickly down both wings (Morgan and Walsh) and whip in some good crosses for Sutton and Shankland, or have some quick balls forward for Hardie to get in behind the opposition defence. At the minute however we can't win the ball or keep it long enough to do what Rae wants. Just my guess of course. We have a small squad and 5 players who are either injured or coming back from injury and have had 3 games out of 3 in the league against teams who were much better than us last season. Maybe when we have a fuller squad to chose from we will give them a much better game in a month or two's time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ulysses Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 I think Rae should be given time, but he must sort out the midfield situation. We need a strong, composed central/defensive midfielder in there pronto. Quinn will make a difference, but he is a little injury prone. Worth noting this opinion from a Dundee fan: Quote I said in the St Mirren thread, Alex Rae lost his job because he couldn't sign a dominant midfielder, the exact same thing is happening here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
norrie82 Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 Quinn wasn't all that great last year. He was average. He also doesnt win ball enough. We need a ball winner who is hard and does the ugly side well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faraway saint Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 5 minutes ago, norrie82 said: Quinn wasn't all that great last year. He was average. He also doesnt win ball enough. We need a ball winner who is hard and does the ugly side well Let me have a stab at this....................begins with a J and ends with a N? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibbles old paperboy Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 2 minutes ago, faraway saint said: Let me have a stab at this....................begins with a J and ends with a N? John McGinn? :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windae cleaner Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 2 minutes ago, faraway saint said: Let me have a stab at this....................begins with a J and ends with a N? He would have struggled as well in the 4-4-2 we persist in playing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
faraway saint Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 Just now, Dibbles old paperboy said: John McGinn? :-) Feck off.........................next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddieinEK Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 25 minutes ago, Dibbles old paperboy said: I would guess that what Rae wants us to do is cut out the over-ponderous and ineffective passing the ball around at the back lark aka tippy tappy football and get the ball forward quickly down both wings (Morgan and Walsh) and whip in some good crosses for Sutton and Shankland, or have some quick balls forward for Hardie to get in behind the opposition defence. At the minute however we can't win the ball or keep it long enough to do what Rae wants. Just my guess of course. We have a small squad and 5 players who are either injured or coming back from injury and have had 3 games out of 3 in the league against teams who were much better than us last season. Maybe when we have a fuller squad to chose from we will give them a much better game in a month or two's time? I reckon you are spot on and that those tactics could work really well... ... IF we had a slid central midfield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibbles old paperboy Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 I also think there was a reason why tactically naive Alex Rae was happy to switch from a 4-4-2 against a Morton team who hadn't had a corner all game or shot on target in the 2nd half and go 3-4-3 but didn't risk repeating it against Hibs who were 2-0 up going on 5-0 up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FTOF Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 (edited) 26 minutes ago, windae cleaner said: He would have struggled as well in the 4-4-2 we persist in playing Indeed. It's the persistence in playing four in midfield rather than the personnel themselves, as players are being asked to play positions that they're not used to. We were talking about this yesterday and we reckoned that Hutton would do O.K if played just in front of defence in a five man midfield, with Mallan pushed further forward. I certainly don't believe that you can play both Walsh and Morgan in a four man midfield. Maybe our current level of incompetence might force Rae to rethink, and when Quinn comes back we might play 5 in midfield. However, that leaves us with four forwards vying for one place, and I'm not convinced the any of them are suited to the lone striker role. We might potentially have some decent players, but the team is looking more and more like a jigsaw made up of pieces from different boxes that don't fit together. Edited August 21, 2016 by FTOF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibbles old paperboy Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 We have a lot of unhappy roasters at the moment. Here's hoping results pick up and fans calm down a bit. If professional players can't cope with playing 4-4-2 because they are playing in unfamilar roles maybe they should find other day jobs. Now about Hutton, anyone reading the BAWA would get the impression he can't cut it at Championship level. One poster I saw today said he can't pass, can't tackle and is useless and we'll never win anything with him in the team and anyone would do better. When I enquired who would you replace the useless Hutton with, their suggestions were either Jason Naismith a defender who doesn't like defending and also can't tackle or pass (or jump and win headers, or mark) or one of our spare strikers David Clarkson. Can you imagine the meltdown about a manager playing a striker out of position as a holding midfielder and if that experiment didn't work. I fail to see how playing Naismith also out of position and in a role where his main job is to protect the defence and begin our own moves will be an improvement on Hutton. If Hutton is useless and can't do the basics or hack playing in a midfield 4, how does he become quite good in a midfield 5 once our tactically inept manager chooses the right formation. This is a time for cool heads. Let's not put the manager under so much pressure that the temptation to rush players back from injury ends up resulting in further injury and longer on the sidelines. When we get everyone fit I still don't think it will be Greenhill Road for thrills but I do think that we have a decent chance of being in the top 4 when all 36 games have been played. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
santaponsasaint Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 Have we got 5 fit midfielders at the moment. He could throw some defenders or strikers into midfield but imagine the outcry if that never worked, playing guys out of position is the man clueless or something? Who's fault is it he's not got enough midfielders. Eh let guess. ANYONE?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibbles old paperboy Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 Rae admitted that the signing policy was going to be a bit of gamble, going with a smaller squad would mean we are vulnerable if a lot of injuries and suspensions kick in, and already we have 2 defenders on the way back from injury and 2 midfielders injured and another starting training having been injured. I would have loved Goodwin to have been given a new contract but I think there was pressure on Murray and Rae from upstairs to not give him one and move him on. I never expected Rae (or any other St Mirren manager) to have a perfect transfer window and address all our problems in one go. I do think he moved on most of the people who should have been shown the door (Goodwin and possibly Kelly being the ones I might dispute). I am hoping that once Quinn returns it will help other midfielders who have struggled so far and we'll see a different Kyle Hutton and Stevie Mallan in a few weeks time. For now I think we need to ride out a stormy start to the season. It couldn't have been a much harder opening set of fixtures and we have not been at full strength as we have faced those. Give them a chance and a bit of time and support and I think Rae and Farrell with have us as a tough to beat, competitive team with a decent attacking options going forward once we have got a grip and gained a bit of confidence. I think Morgan, Walsh and Hardie have shown in flashes what they are capable of and I think Sutton is a good addition and Shankland can score once we start creating a few chances for him even when he is floating in and out of games. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddieinEK Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 We have a lot of unhappy roasters at the moment. Here's hoping results pick up and fans calm down a bit. If professional players can't cope with playing 4-4-2 because they are playing in unfamilar roles maybe they should find other day jobs. Now about Hutton, anyone reading the BAWA would get the impression he can't cut it at Championship level. One poster I saw today said he can't pass, can't tackle and is useless and we'll never win anything with him in the team and anyone would do better. When I enquired who would you replace the useless Hutton with, their suggestions were either Jason Naismith a defender who doesn't like defending and also can't tackle or pass (or jump and win headers, or mark) or one of our spare strikers David Clarkson. Can you imagine the meltdown about a manager playing a striker out of position as a holding midfielder and if that experiment didn't work. I fail to see how playing Naismith also out of position and in a role where his main job is to protect the defence and begin our own moves will be an improvement on Hutton. If Hutton is useless and can't do the basics or hack playing in a midfield 4, how does he become quite good in a midfield 5 once our tactically inept manager chooses the right formation. This is a time for cool heads. Let's not put the manager under so much pressure that the temptation to rush players back from injury ends up resulting in further injury and longer on the sidelines. When we get everyone fit I still don't think it will be Greenhill Road for thrills but I do think that we have a decent chance of being in the top 4 when all 36 games have been played. Some good points but personally I think Clarkson could and would do a better job than Hutton in midfield.He is stronger, a better leader, more experienced, has better vision, is a more accurate passer, has a higher workrate and plays as if it matters to him!Apart from that, I can't see the point in trying to change a central midfield that is being bossed by the week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 For a gameplan that employs two wingers, there is a paucity of crosses being delivered to the front men. I suspect you could the number of crosses into the box yesterday on one hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddieinEK Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 For a gameplan that employs two wingers, there is a paucity of crosses being delivered to the front men. I suspect you could the number of crosses into the box yesterday on one hand. As many hands as that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibbles old paperboy Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 16 minutes ago, Drew said: For a gameplan that employs two wingers, there is a paucity of crosses being delivered to the front men. I suspect you could the number of crosses into the box yesterday on one hand. I haven't seen anyone support the wingers when they have the ball. No defenders or midfield run with them to help them or receive a pass and we seem to have fingers crossed Morgan will singlehandedly skin every defence and midfield like he did against Ayr and set up goals all by himself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dibbles old paperboy Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 24 minutes ago, BuddieinEK said: Some good points but personally I think Clarkson could and would do a better job than Hutton in midfield. He is stronger, a better leader, more experienced, has better vision, is a more accurate passer, has a higher workrate and plays as if it matters to him! Apart from that, I can't see the point in trying to change a central midfield that is being bossed by the week. I think Clarkson is alright but seem to be in a silent minority in the main stand where he is one of the boo boy targets - past it, useless, unfit, doesn't try, get him off are the shouts about Clarkson I've heard and that's him being played in position!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuddieinEK Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 I think Clarkson is alright but seem to be in a silent minority in the main stand where he is one of the boo boy targets - past it, useless, unfit, doesn't try, get him off are the shouts about Clarkson I've heard and that's him being played in position!! In fairness... Most of us Saints fans are all knowing non knowing arseholes who know it all... Not.Happy to confess to having wrong opinions that I defended strongly in the past. Most of us do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isle Of Bute Saint Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 I think Clarkson is alright but seem to be in a silent minority in the main stand where he is one of the boo boy targets - past it, useless, unfit, doesn't try, get him off are the shouts about Clarkson I've heard and that's him being played in position!! I'm in the main stand did not hear one critical comment on Clarkson. Wingers seriously where are they and not just yesterdays game. You think Rae was told to move Goodwin on ? Well you think wrongly mate. I don't like to see anyone lose their job. However where is the improvements. If I run a team of chefs some are better at certain things. I don't mold them into something I know they are not good at. I use them to what they are good at. That way you get the best out of them in turn they enjoy their work. Rae is using a system that is not working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isle Of Bute Saint Posted August 21, 2016 Report Share Posted August 21, 2016 I think Clarkson is alright but seem to be in a silent minority in the main stand where he is one of the boo boy targets - past it, useless, unfit, doesn't try, get him off are the shouts about Clarkson I've heard and that's him being played in position!! Just to add. The majority on here including myself was delighted to see Rae organise a shit Murray team to which I wrote at long last we have a real manager. Most of us looked to this season with real optmisum given what Rae achieved with a terrible team. I'm all for giving someone a chance as long as they learn from what is crystal clear mistakes that being tactics that are not working. Let's see what the Ayr game brings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hendo Posted August 22, 2016 Report Share Posted August 22, 2016 While I can understand Rae's logic in going with a smaller squad, part of the problem is there is next to no versatility in the players he has signed. If he had a centre half who could also play defensive midfield, or a wide midfielder who can also play centrally we'd be in much better shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lethal89 Posted August 27, 2016 Report Share Posted August 27, 2016 No video of the post match interview yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isle Of Bute Saint Posted August 27, 2016 Report Share Posted August 27, 2016 No video of the post match interview yet? Alex had to leave quickly so will have no interview Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lethal89 Posted August 27, 2016 Report Share Posted August 27, 2016 Alex had to leave quickly so will have no interview Thanks. I was looking forward to hearing what he had to say. No doubt the conspiracy theorists will think it's all to convenient [emoji23] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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