Dons vs Hearts

[tlg1903]

Mcgarry has looked alright today

[BigAl]

Tobers off 

[OrlandoDon]

Getting close to Peter Ambrose time! 1-0 the big loon!

[OrlandoDon]

Ffs 

[OrlandoDon]

As Stevie tosh pointed out towards the end, we have no forwards. No no 9/attacking threat up top. Makes so many things harder as a result.

not a bad game, at least stops the rot.

oh, nae a bad save to be fair!

[redordead]

Garbage again. Strong start then lost belief. Tobers looked ok, mcgarry put in a shift. Otherwise we were bang average. 

Doohan makes two fantastic saves and deserves to keep his place.

Morris deserves more time because nobody else can create a thing. 

Props to Polvara, did really well again filling in at the back.

[wee toon red]

First half we were easily the better team but the second half was much more even so given the penalty at the end I'll take a point. Some save by Doohan.

Not really seeing what Duk brings these days but no other alternative to Nisbet so let's hope there's a striker in the works soon. Hopefully Okkers will have better days as well.

Palaversa is a really odd one. He looks like he should be a player but he's so prone to giving it away stupidly as well. Otherwise I thought most players did alright: Shinnie showed with the block near the end what he brings. He isn't the most technical player but he's got such drive and determination and that goes a long way in Scottish football.

Edited January 12 by wee toon red

[OrlandoDon]

40 minutes ago, redordead said:

Garbage again. Strong start then lost belief. Tobers looked ok, mcgarry put in a shift. Otherwise we were bang average. 

Doohan makes two fantastic saves and deserves to keep his place.

Morris deserves more time because nobody else can create a thing. 

Props to Polvara, did really well again filling in at the back.

I wouldn’t say we were garbage. Thought we were pretty solid at the back but, especially in the second half, very poor going forward. If we are to play a 4-2-3-1 we need a 10 between the two holding and the forward who is attack minded and always wanting the ball in an attacking central position. Clarkson and McGrath aren’t involved enough for me in that area.
We also need a 9 that makes defenders think twice. Miovski forced two central defenders to sit and even make the full backs think twice about pushing on. Our forwards cause so little concern, plus I hate that we drop so deep, almost having no 9.

thought tobers looked decent plus I wouldn’t mind seeing polvara given a run in center mid with shinnie or palaversa. Although I think last year he also did ok as the attacking central mid, maybe give him a run there?

[BigAl]

The issue with Polvara in my opinion is that he is turning into one of those players that can play a multitude of positions but doesn't really nail himself down as an automatic pick for any of them 

Shame really as I like him as a player 

[redordead]

I genuinely think Polvara could be a good centre half. He has height, pace and composure. 

As little as we've seen of him there, he takes away the threat over the top with his reading if the game and pace.

[Elgindon]

1 hour ago, BigAl said:

Tobers off 

Played well,but took a knock in the first half,so guessing something to do with that

  After the first 20 mins,thought we became too ponderous and predictable,and disjointed as to who does what going forward.Wonder if the persistent knocking along the back,side to side has a knock on effect of slowing/dulling our thinking further forward. We're so unco-ordinated in attack. Theres still a few square pegs in round holes,and new players bedding in,but we should be better than we showed today

 

Edited January 12 by Elgindon

[OrlandoDon]

2 hours ago, tlg1903 said:

Mcgarry has looked alright today

Agree on that. I’ll get shot down but I’d be inclined to play him over an incredibly off form Mackenzie and until our left back situation is resolved, either with a new signed contract or new signing.

[BigAl]

35 minutes ago, OrlandoDon said:

Agree on that. I’ll get shot down but I’d be inclined to play him over an incredibly off form Mackenzie and until our left back situation is resolved, either with a new signed contract or new signing.

No shooting down from me O.D

Totally agree

Short term mind 

[Jute]

I thought McGarry was caught out of position time and time again but we got away with it as Hearts were as bad as us going forward. Better team will exploit it. Not usually a fan of Doohan but he his two saves won us a point today. Was eye bleeding stuff to watch at times from both sides. 

[Nellie The Don]

Have to think that MacDonald has played his last game for us if he is fit enough to be on the bench, but Thelin prefers to play with no recognised central defenders at 0-0.

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, Jute said:

I thought McGarry was caught out of position time and time again but we got away with it as Hearts were as bad as us going forward. Better team will exploit it. Not usually a fan of Doohan but he his two saves won us a point today. Was eye bleeding stuff to watch at times from both sides. 

Bit harsh on McGarry. He played okay for a guy who hasn't had a lot of minutes. MacKenzie has been poor of late, he'll occasionally let folk in behind him and is poor in the air, however he doesn't switch off the way McGarry did a couple of times today. There was one in the first half where he forgot to track his man completely, and then once in the second where their fullback had the ball and the winger was in behind McGarry. It wasn't his fault that he was out of position as the move had broken down, but instead of going full belt into the winger to take man and ball, he just froze and they played the simple triangle round him and set up a very good chance. He was miles from being the worst player today, but it's those things that make it fairly clear he doesn't have what it takes. 

We were the better team today and earlier in the season we'd have scored either the one from the corner (which looked like a phenomenal save from Gordon) or one of Keskinen's. Fantastic save from Doohan, preventing what would have been an undeserved loss (they didn't do anything of note in the game). I'm still not convinced by Morris, despite his purple patch, but we do need to be giving him more time if he's expected to impact the game. How on earth Okkels got as long as he did, I've no idea. He basically waited for him to collapse. I don't think I've seen a guy have so little impact on a game and remain on the pitch. I'm sure he'll improve, but we don't need to be giving him anymore than a half to work on his fitness and sharpness. I liked the look of Tobers, think he'll be good for us. I really hope someone signs Duk this window, I hate that I've still got a flicker of expectation every time he comes on, and I still get completely frustrated when he puts in another shite performance. That bollocks towards the end where he was given an easy pass to collect, and he let the defender come and get it and threw himself to the ground to try and get a freekick nearly made my head explode. He's gone from hero to useless diving cunt. Nisbet made a few nice passes in the first half, especially that beautiful through ball for Keskinen, but just seems to lack any energy. It's like he doesn't want to be there. We need a number nine ASAP.

[OrlandoDon]

3 hours ago, Jute said:

I thought McGarry was caught out of position time and time again but we got away with it as Hearts were as bad as us going forward. Better team will exploit it. Not usually a fan of Doohan but he his two saves won us a point today. Was eye bleeding stuff to watch at times from both sides. 

I think it’s easy to pick holes at mcgarry as we all know he’s not very good, but recently he’s been terrified to push forward. Thought he played more on the front foot today and got up the park, but obviously that leaves space behind. You expect that and it happens with Makenzie too. That’s what covering defenders are for, plus the holding mids. I’d rather he played this way than played scared, and I’d rather play him who is trying than Mackenzie who is clearly off his game and either unsettled or focused on a move away and a new known or unknown club.

[OrlandoDon]

Ha, wrote this post above but didn’t post, never saw Rico’s post until now. Think mcgarry gets the participation trophy, he’s trying. I’ll also second that I hope duk goes asap, lost my patience with him long ago. Head down and dribble was unacceptable about 18 months ago, guy is dumb as rocks.

Edited January 12 by OrlandoDon

[RicoS321]

8 hours ago, OrlandoDon said:

I think it’s easy to pick holes at mcgarry as we all know he’s not very good, but recently he’s been terrified to push forward. Thought he played more on the front foot today and got up the park, but obviously that leaves space behind. You expect that and it happens with Makenzie too. That’s what covering defenders are for, plus the holding mids. I’d rather he played this way than played scared, and I’d rather play him who is trying than Mackenzie who is clearly off his game and either unsettled or focused on a move away and a new known or unknown club.

That's certainly an area of his game that could improve with a bit of coaching. You're right, he definitely got forward more, but it was almost always after a little stutter of uncertainty, that both allowed the marker to get back, and confused our own players as to whether he was coming or going. A little injection of confidence from the manager and more game time would likely solve this. We'll just have to cope with the switching off until we get a replacement for MacKenzie.