The Alex Rae Interviews

[pozbaird]

17 minutes ago, Lethal89 said:

He has a point, he sends out a team with a game plan and instructions on how to compete and the players he trusts to execute it. After that it really is down to the players.

 

His game plan is shite though.

[Tam M]

 

His game plan is shite though.

Exactly. It's his tactics that are f'king it up.

[aldo_j]

Nothing about his role in this? Nothing about being tactically inept?

[Dibbles old paperboy]

1 hour ago, aldo_j said:

Nothing about his role in this? Nothing about being tactically inept?

People have short memories. The same tactically inept manager brought about a massive change in results comparing the first half of the season to the second half of the season with almost the same set of players. We looked more organised, had a better shape, were more competitive and oh, managed to improve our tactics enough to win more games than we lost and became one of the form teams during the second half of the season, without ever looking like a free flowing entertaining team.

Our 1st 3 league games this season are all against teams who were comfortably ahead of us for most of last season. The same Morton who played us off the park last week (while having 1 corner in 90 minutes and no shots on target in the 2nd half) are 1 point better off than us after 2 games. Are their fans screaming that Duffy has 2 or 3 games left to save their season?

[Rabinho]

Bottom line is Alex Rae isn't actually a very good manager. End of story.

Talks a good game but next to no substance. Apart from Rangers game on last day of last season we haven't really competed well in any games against the top 4 sides in the league.

Assembled a decent squad this season to compete in this league and make a fist of getting into top 4 but I don't think Rae is actually a very good manager.

I am not a boo boy and this isn't a knee jerk reaction to a disappointing result. I just don't think Rae is a good manager.

I'm inclined to agree, he talks a great game but all the talk in the world to the media regarding standards and unacceptable performances count for nothing if he can't coach or motivate the players to improve.

[Dibbles old paperboy]

20 minutes ago, Rabinho said:

I'm inclined to agree, he talks a great game but all the talk in the world to the media regarding standards and unacceptable performances count for nothing if he can't coach or motivate the players to improve.

He coached and motivated last year's team just fine. Many of the better ones (except Goodwin) are still here this season.

Would you prefer we had a managed who didn't talk a great game to the media? Danny Lennon took pelters for his media interviews and for trying to talk the club up. Or would you prefer coming away from today's game and hearing Rae say we were statistically better than Raith in every department and unlikely to lose comprehensively - the kind of thing Murray would have come away with last season, making out we were doing OK when we were dire?

Here's a radical thought. Maybe if Rae's post match comments are honest and fairly spot on in their analysis then it is just possible that when he is preparing the team for games and doing half time team talks and choosing who to take off and which subs to send on he is also fairly clued up and able to communicate what he expects from the players. I can't remember being at many games in Rae's time where I disagreed wildly with who he took off and which subs he brought on. So far a lot of his tactical changes and substitutions during games have worked out more often than they have bombed.

[Rabinho]

He coached and motivated last year's team just fine. Many of the better ones (except Goodwin) are still here this season.

Would you prefer we had a managed who didn't talk a great game to the media? Danny Lennon took pelters for his media interviews and for trying to talk the club up. Or would you prefer coming away from today's game and hearing Rae say we were statistically better than Raith in every department and unlikely to lose comprehensively - the kind of thing Murray would have come away with last season, making out we were doing OK when we were dire?

Here's a radical thought. Maybe if Rae's post match comments are honest and fairly spot on in their analysis then it is just possible that when he is preparing the team for games and doing half time team talks and choosing who to take off and which subs to send on he is also fairly clued up and able to communicate what he expects from the players. I can't remember being at many games in Rae's time where I disagreed wildly with who he took off and which subs he brought on. So far a lot of his tactical changes and substitutions during games have worked out more often than they have bombed.

Danny rightly took pelters, they were cringeworthy.
Since you're into radical thinking, isn't it possible that any appointment would've been an improvement on Murray?

[Bud the Baker]

Haven't listened to or read any of AR's post match interviews due to a belief that like my posts they'll turn out to be 90-odd% crap or blindingly obvious - only posting now cos I'm incontinent see the thread is approaching 100 posts. Either he'll get it right on the park or he'll find himself back on the wireless.

 

I'd like to think I figured this out for myself but it's possible I absorbed Sturgeon's Law at some point.

Edited August 14, 2016 by Bud the Baker

[aldo_j]

7 hours ago, Dibbles old paperboy said:

People have short memories. The same tactically inept manager brought about a massive change in results comparing the first half of the season to the second half of the season with almost the same set of players. We looked more organised, had a better shape, were more competitive and oh, managed to improve our tactics enough to win more games than we lost and became one of the form teams during the second half of the season, without ever looking like a free flowing entertaining team.

Our 1st 3 league games this season are all against teams who were comfortably ahead of us for most of last season. The same Morton who played us off the park last week (while having 1 corner in 90 minutes and no shots on target in the 2nd half) are 1 point better off than us after 2 games. Are their fans screaming that Duffy has 2 or 3 games left to save their season?

4-4-2 doesn't work at this level as it leaves the midfield far too exposed. Yes, he solidified the team last year but now needs to build on that.

its no coincidence that our form in games has improved when he's moved to a back 3.

[Soctty]

Go 3-5-2, extra body in the middle, licence for Mallan to get forward, less hoof ball, more use of wingers & Mallan, settled front two.

We can't keep losing the midfield battle due to being outnumbered when the opposition have the ball & hoofing it when we have it.

Finger oot time.

[Edinbuddie]

The manager will always carry the can, but the players need to take responsibility as well. We were hesitant, static and ponderous. No professional should need to be told to close down, tackle, track runners, make space and runs or match the opposition for effort. They are all basics, and should be in evidence no matter what the tactics are.

We lost 4 goals on our last visit to Kirkcaldy through balls over the top and break aways, we lost 3 due to pretty much the same tactics yesterday. That's unforgiveable from the management and players.

It's going to be yet another long season if they dont learn lessons quickly and show a bit of hunger. It's the least that the fans should expect.

[TopCat]

Another passionate post loss interview from Alex today?

[shull]

 

[Kemp]

On 8/14/2016 at 2:21 AM, Dibbles old paperboy said:

People have short memories. The same tactically inept manager brought about a massive change in results comparing the first half of the season to the second half of the season with almost the same set of players. We looked more organised, had a better shape, were more competitive and oh, managed to improve our tactics enough to win more games than we lost and became one of the form teams during the second half of the season, without ever looking like a free flowing entertaining team.

Our 1st 3 league games this season are all against teams who were comfortably ahead of us for most of last season. The same Morton who played us off the park last week (while having 1 corner in 90 minutes and no shots on target in the 2nd half) are 1 point better off than us after 2 games. Are their fans screaming that Duffy has 2 or 3 games left to save their season?

Sorry, at no point did we look more creative.

He can manage to get a squad of players to grind out results when up against a worse squad of players (sometimes, we were still losing games to the likes of Dumbarton and Livingston remember) but that is all.  There was certainly no progress in attacking or creative abilities.

It was an improvement on Murray, but it was rank.  Now it looks even worse than Murray, who at least had done a coaching certificate recently and didn't send his team out in a 4 4 2 to get utterly steamrolled every week!

[norrie82]

Rae must be afforded time. I think he will get us going. I hope he will

[Dibbles old paperboy]

1 hour ago, Kemp said:

Sorry, at no point did we look more creative.

... and where exactly did I say that he did?

I think Rae needs to be given the benefit of the doubt for now. He did improve things last year with someone else's squad. At the minute we have Quinn, Gordon, MacKenzie, Morgan and Gallagher out, and the feeling is although we have plenty of decent enough striking options we are being overrun in midfield and vulnerable at the back and not creating any decent chances for our striking department to take advantage of. Rae said we were going with a smaller squad and we could be vulnerable to injuries and suspensions having an impact... we now have a decent sized injury list in defence and midfield and have also played Morton who finished above us last season, and 2 teams who were in the play off last year and 20-28 points ahead of us last season.

I think Quinn made a difference when he joined our midfield last year and made us competitive, I think he is a solid performer who does his own job pretty well pretty consistently and who also makes the players around perform a bit better too.

I am still a fan of Jim Goodwin and argued last year that he should not have been frozen out to prevent a new contract being awarded. I think he could do a job for us this season if he had been retained, especially at time like this. However, I think after he was given a final warning and dismissed as a coach the board may have encouraged Iain Murray and Alex Rae to try and offload him and avoid giving him enough games to win a contract renewal.

[norrie82]

Jim Goodwin leaving was a disgrace. He was a natural leader. He was playing v well before hi injury last season. rae has made a huge error and now hasn't midfield. Those who believe quinn will fix this need to wake up

[windae cleaner]

2 hours ago, norrie82 said:

Jim Goodwin leaving was a disgrace. He was a natural leader. He was playing v well before hi injury last season. rae has made a huge error and now hasn't midfield. Those who believe quinn will fix this need to wake up

Quinn every week he isn't playing is turning into innesta according to most on here

[Dibbles old paperboy]

2 minutes ago, windae cleaner said:

Quinn every week he isn't playing is turning into innesta according to most on here

When I saw Quinn last season I didn't think he was outstanding. But he did the simple things well and provided a bit of the missing dig and leadership we require and I would also say other midfielders began playing better too and we had more of a unit and began to compete in midfield battles.

[Dibbles old paperboy]

5 minutes ago, windae cleaner said:

Quinn every week he isn't playing is turning into innesta according to most on here

I thought Goodwin had a good season last year until his injury and I voted him my player of the season. But your comment about Quinn also applies to Goodwin. Plenty of people posted he was a liability with his discipline, and Top Cat posted that he was finished at his age and didn't have the legs to do his usual role.

[santaponsasaint]

 

He must have been watching a game on Sky while our game was on. The guy has no clue. He said there was a overload in Midfield. So why 2 wingers. Plus the Walsh never beat a man all day or stopped a cross. I mean I'm no coach. But if there's a overload in Midfield why not put 5 in Midfield to deny them space. Never once did he change. Wrong man for Saints. Don't think he'll last to xmas. Empty stands will be his down fall.

[Dibbles old paperboy]

40 minutes ago, santaponsasaint said:

He must have been watching a game on Sky while our game was on. The guy has no clue. He said there was a overload in Midfield. So why 2 wingers. Plus the Walsh never beat a man all day or stopped a cross. I mean I'm no coach. But if there's a overload in Midfield why not put 5 in Midfield to deny them space. Never once did he change. Wrong man for Saints. Don't think he'll last to xmas. Empty stands will be his down fall.

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?

[shull]

Just now, Dibbles old paperboy said:

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?

Every St Mirren player is out of position. 

They are all on a f**king football pitch. 

Useless Basses. 

[TopCat]

Quinn every week he isn't playing is turning into innesta according to most on here

Indeed. I thought Quinn was poor for us for the majority of the time he was here last season. He had two or three good games but was largely ineffective.

We desperately need a new central midfielder to do the dirty work to complement Mallan. It's not Hutton and I don't think it's Quinn either.

[pozbaird]

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.