The Pars v The Bully Wee

[Tartan Army Par]

Defence are normally solid but both times they have let us down this season is Clyde and Petrehead at home. Maybe a bit of complacency creeping in to games that we are expected to win. 

[Secure Par]

56 minutes ago, Tartan Army Par said:

Defence are normally solid but both times they have let us down this season is Clyde and Petrehead at home. Maybe a bit of complacency creeping in to games that we are expected to win. 

Tbh I don’t expect us to win any game in this league. As said before McPake inherited a squad built last season from the Grant/Yogi era, and I’m sure he has tried to move players on.

He’s done a great job in league 1 and if we get promoted most of the squad will go… but he has to get us there. 
 

[rosythpar]

On 12/11/2022 at 18:51, Boston Red Sox said:

Any word on why they have left?

Someone was telling me today that Main has went back to work offshore.

[Al k]

Just watched the highlights, not convinced the first was a foul, could easily have had 3 in the first half. Again our finishing was the issue. Wighton very unlucky hitting the post with what i thought was a half chance at most, had that gone in it would have been a completely different story. 

At least we are creating chances at home, earlier this season we weren't creating much at all. 

Don't think the second was a penalty either, i thought he made an effort to turn away from the ball. Must do better against Peterhead and make amends for the home game. 

 

[Digs]

1 hour ago, Al k said:

Just watched the highlights, not convinced the first was a foul, could easily have had 3 in the first half. Again our finishing was the issue. Wighton very unlucky hitting the post with what i thought was a half chance at most, had that gone in it would have been a completely different story. 

At least we are creating chances at home, earlier this season we weren't creating much at all. 

Don't think the second was a penalty either, i thought he made an effort to turn away from the ball. Must do better against Peterhead and make amends for the home game. 

 

Agree on the first part, but the second pen was a stonewaller. It was right in front of me and he jumped out and away from the wall with his arm/elbow stretched right out from his body. Absolute stick on. The highlights don't actually show how far his arm was out. 

Overall, we deserved a point. I know McPake was clearly seething after the game in his interview but I disagree with him that Clyde were the better team. Even in the first half when we were absolutely honking, we missed 3 good chances, as well as Wighton's header which I agree was unlucky, and he couldn't have done much more with doing what all good strikers do and getting across his man at the front post. 

Both of our goals were atrocious. Folk have claimed a foul on Josh for the first but I disagree. He was caught out on the soles of his feet, struggled to recover and was bullied off it by a guy 6 inches smaller than him. It was far too weak. The less said about his attempted backpass for the second, the better...

Second half I thought we did as much as could be expected and Todorov should get his backside kicked for his miss, despite it being a decent save from the keeper. He is poor in those situations IMO, and has missed a couple more just like it. 

Two good pens from the captain but if he's going to take them, he's going to have to start mixing it up a bit. They're always in the same place, never in the side netting and a decent height if the keeper can guess right. 

Overall, I'd rather have one point than none and as has been said, we will lose games, but I called this all week. Even putting aside the superstitious part of it with winning MOTM, them going 11 defeats on the bounce and having the 'new manager bounce' we put a shift in last week and looked a bit jaded first half. 

Onwards to next week, and to be honest, with the hard period we've got coming up, I'd rather get the poor performances out of the way, than set a trend of having to come back from defeats in the middle of that period because I don't think McPake missed and hit the wall with the team on Saturday. Hopefully that is all the kick up the backside they require to kick on.

[Raymie]

I think if the ref had given a foul against Allan, then there wouldn't have been too much complaining from Clyde? It's one of those - seen them given.

I thought our passing was too pedestrian in the first half, especially. Mostly from side to side. If you are going to recycle it, it has to be done quickly and zip the ball around, otherwise the defending team can easily shuffle across, whilst keeping their shape. We don't have too many players that can play vertical or defence splitting passes, but it's also fair to say, we don't have too many strikers that can make the runs down the sides for such passes. Mochrie did try to play balls into the feet of Wighton and Todorov, then look for a return, but by and large, they were snuffed out as that was a congested area already, with Clyde having three central defenders in there. The spaces were down the flanks, but Edwards and Comrie are essentially full backs, so it's a little harsh to expect them to be making great runs and whipping balls in. The lack of width was apparent when Benedictus popped up twice ( maybe three times ) on the left wing, but put in poor crosses with his weaker foot. I think this was probably an indication that Edwards was struggling?

In terms of chances, I recall a half chance for Wighton's header that hit the post, an excellent chance for Edwards when a dinked finish was required, and a Todd shot which ended up being cleared off the line. Second half, I can only recall a chance for Todorov? Similar in many ways to that of Edwards but more blame attached to this one as he is meant to be a striker and I feel he had more time than Edwards. My initial thought was that he could have gone around the keeper? 

The two penalties were exactly that. Both penalties but needlessly given away. They were both well taken and I hear what you are saying but I'm sure moist of Shearer's penalties went that way? For the first one, the keeper did guess correctly but was beaten by the pace and the height.

I'm not sure the performance on Saturday was all that much different from what we have been serving up this season? We don't create that many chances and the defence seems a little less secure.

A win against Peterhead is a must. They are the worse team I've seen at EEP for quite a while

[parsforlife]

I agree that regular penalty takers need variety, the Falkirk one was unstoppable,  the first parry went the right way and was nowhere near it,  the second I felt he deliberately delayed slightly and let parry go down first which is why it wasn’t so well placed or as hard, it just needed to be the right side of the net.

[Digs]

50 minutes ago, Raymie said:

I thought our passing was too pedestrian in the first half, especially. Mostly from side to side. If you are going to recycle it, it has to be done quickly and zip the ball around, otherwise the defending team can easily shuffle across, whilst keeping their shape.

Totally agree. I said this at HT and after the game, it was like watching last season again. Chalmers was the only one trying to make things happen. I thought Mochrie was poor on Saturday, not as dynamic as he normally is, but he's a young guy so consistency will sometimes fluctuate. None of our players were willing to get beyond the ball, and whilst I thought defensively, Comrie did well (Edwards not so much) neither of the full backs did enough for me going forward. 

I agree they are defenders first and foremost but Edwards has been one of our most consistent players in terms of getting balls into the box this year and so I was screaming at them to go beyond on Saturday which they seemed reticent to do. 

If you are going to force the opposition into mistakes, you need to give them something to think about, and the more bodies you can get forward, and the more movement you create with that, the bigger the gaps to play in will be.

[Raymie]

Edwards is usually our biggest provider of chances but I think a combination of a dent in confidence by giving a couple of goals away and perhaps not being 100%, affected him?

I'd put money on McPake tearing into him at HT too, which won't have helped?

Edited November 14, 2022 by Raymie

[Eastendtales]

21 minutes ago, Digs said:

None of our players were willing to get beyond the ball, and whilst I thought defensively, Comrie did well (Edwards not so much) neither of the full backs did enough for me going forward. 

 

The first point absolutely rips my yarn constantly. There was a passage of play it might have been 2 down (certainly we were losing at this stage) where I think Chalmers had the ball about 23 yards out. McDonald proceeds to literally run backwards offering an easy, nothing pass rather than make an attempt to either get in behind, or at least pull a defender away. Was so glad he got hooked at half time after that.

We simply don't get enough bodies in the box.

[Raymie]

"We simply don't get enough bodies in the box"

Probably, our biggest single downfall last season?

[parsforlife]

11 minutes ago, Raymie said:

"We simply don't get enough bodies in the box"

Probably, our biggest single downfall last season?

It was something mcpake commented on at Alloa especially from the wingbacks, that seemed to improve since but since being forced back to a back 4 we maybe haven’t got the answers yet.

Edited November 14, 2022 by parsforlife

[GG Riva]

Just got round to watching the highlights now. Unbelievable, that some folk think that the lead up to the first goal wasn't a foul. A clear push in the back with his forearm, it's a foul all day long and incredible that the ref missed it. The two pens were correct awards. 

[Digs]

4 hours ago, GG Riva said:

Just got round to watching the highlights now. Unbelievable, that some folk think that the lead up to the first goal wasn't a foul. A clear push in the back with his forearm, it's a foul all day long and incredible that the ref missed it. The two pens were correct awards. 

Sorry GG, he's got to be stronger there, football is a physical contact sport, he shouldn't be getting bullied by a boy that size, it was his lack of awareness in the first place that put him on his heels and in a position to be 'fouled'. Agree with Raymie that I've seen them given but if I'm playing and that's one of my team mates, I'd be telling him he's got to be stronger and do better there. 

[GG Riva]

27 minutes ago, Digs said:

Sorry GG, he's got to be stronger there, football is a physical contact sport, he shouldn't be getting bullied by a boy that size, it was his lack of awareness in the first place that put him on his heels and in a position to be 'fouled'. Agree with Raymie that I've seen them given but if I'm playing and that's one of my team mates, I'd be telling him he's got to be stronger and do better there. 

As someone who has played the game, you'll know how easy it is to lose your balance if you're suddenly pushed while running. I get that football is a contact sport and some players fall over when an opponent breathes on them, but a hefty push is a foul and that looked like a hefty push to me. 

Btw, some wee guys are amazingly strong - well, I used to be anyway.🙂