Greg Stewart

[Ten Caat]

I won't bite on your "understanding of not fitting our system" quote...….I absolutely guarantee I understand systems of play better than you do. (I will reveal here that I played the game professionally until sustaining a cruciate injury that in the mid 80s was a career ender. I was looked after well by my parent club....it occurred when loaned out to a lower league club to gain playing experience......My left knee has a carbon fibre graft holding it together which at the time was the gold standard of repairs)

 

 

When he takes corners.....look how often he fails to get it past the first man.

[rocket_scientist]

Not all footballers understand systems. Most footballers are intellectually sub-normal.

[rocket_scientist]

The problem with the vast majority of "football men" being of sub average intelligence (as exactly half the population are) is that they kid themselves on that they're not thick by elevating the tactical element of the game to something akin to a black art, only accessible by specialist brains.

 

McInnes doesn't have a "system" that he's followed his whole career and the "system" he has now certainly doesn't prescribe "one luxury player only". What he has settled into recently is a back 4, 2 defensive-minded midfielders and a random deployment of 4 "others" in a desperate attempt to try to find success... or more accurately, try to find a formula that doesn't humiliate and embarrass.

 

Ferguson didn't have a magical "system" or formula. He always played 4 at the back but unlike Mourinho nor particularly Benitez, he didn't stick rigidly to 2 banks of four in a classic 4-4-2 system. One thing he did do very effectively at AFC was to encourage the full backs to hit the wings with long passes, immediately turning defence into attack and getting the likes of Eric Black to sprint from the middle of the pitch to the wings to receive it, a tactic Kevin Gallacher at DU was so brilliant at. He appreciated that football is a simple game and he didn't over complicate matters. He simply recruited excellent footballers - the GK and 2 x CB's being his foundations - in the right positions, studied the opposition for weaknesses and managed and inspired his charges better than anyone ever has in the history of the game. I know this because i went to school with Neale Cooper and got all the stories about SAF's reign not just in the period of over half a decade that he was our manager but in the decades since.

 

The diamond formation and "the hole" are the funniest manifestations of football men trying to pretend they're not thick.

[RicoS321]

The diamond formation and "the hole" are the funniest manifestations of football men trying to pretend they're not thick.

 

Maybe, maybe not. I think that if you're trying to motivate your players to beat a better team (or any team) then you need to deploy these types of tactic. I don't mean the tactic of playing to either of the above, but the tactic of getting your players to believe that they are. If you're playing Celtic for the nth time this season, then it's important to differentiate between what you did last time you lost to what you're about to do that's going to get the win. These descriptions of formation are useful tools in motivating your team or individual players within that team. They don't have to physically manifest themselves on the pitch in order to perform a function. I don't doubt that Ferguson would have described a player as playing off (or behind) the front man in order to get across to that player that they had to track back from the front more than usual. That said, what your describing is the punditry use of these terms I expect. The good thing about last night is that when Stewart came on, he played very high up the park and centrally, giving the effective 4-4-2 in which he was succesful with at Killie. It worked.

[rocket_scientist]

The good thing about last night is that when Stewart came on, he played very high up the park and centrally, giving the effective 4-4-2 in which he was succesful with at Killie. It worked.

 

Now we are talking. From what I saw of him at Killie - and I wasn't studying that carefully - was that he was central or mid-left and deployed as an attacking option, creating much and scoring often. This is common sense given that he's left footed and is clearly better at creating rather than breaking. Getting the balance right is what every good team has and for every Neil Simpson and Brian Grant (breakers), we need a Gordon Strachan or a Jim Bett (creators/makers) in the middle of the park. Ryan Jack was an interesting one is that whilst he's more breaker than creator, his greatest strength is keeping possession and making the simple pass, which often leads to a sequence of passes where an opportunity is created and he can be at the thick of it.

 

What is NOT common sense was playing Greg Stewart on the right side, which McInnes has done. Whilst Clarke quite obviously got more out of GS than McInnes ever has, in two stints now, I think it will have much to do with "freedom" and "trust", not forgetting that his physical condition was appreciably better after he joined Killie. Clarke gave him the freedom to run at people and do what he does best, He didn't saddle him with strict positional or defensive or formation duties and he was free to get into the game how he saw fit. This obvious tactical deployment of putting a round footballer in a circular hole would have bred a positive mindset and trust in both what he was supposed to be doing and also the manager. It really isn't rocket science.

[RicoS321]

I suppose the problem that McInnes has is that every one of his wide players, bar GMS, would probably give their best performances through the centre. McLennan struggled out wide last night, specifically with the tracking part of the game (and tripping over the ball) because - as a youngster - he reacts to every knock or losing of the ball with a 3 second pause (like Magennis used to do) to complain or contemplate before chasing back. He was anonymous once Stewart came on. To an extent, Stewart does the same, which is why he's preferred in the centre. However, as a senior player, he should be disciplined enough to do the graft out wide as and when required. I have no doubt that if Stewart had played from the start last night, at some point he would have been shifted out wide, which he'd never have to have done at Killie. McGinn has proved (and improved) under McInnes that he has the work ethic and ability to play wide and centrally, which wouldn't have been the case under Brown I don't believe. At the moment the question is whether it's best for the team for Stewart to play centrally at the expense of McLennan (who may continue to play out wide, but he'll be the one playing shite instead of Stewart), or does McInnes try and keep all three front players happy by allowing them to switch around throughout the game. If Stewart keeps up his form from last night and brings McGinn into the game like he did, then it's undoubtedly the best option to continue through the middle and McLennan will just have to be content getting minutes and learning his discipline, getting involved where he can.

[BigAl]

SSN reporting that Stewart has signed for the Huns.

 

No loss, we move on

[manc_don]

We'll never know what he was actually capable of for us, shame.  He'll do well for them I think.

[Ten Caat]

We'll never know what he was actually capable of for us, shame.  He'll do well for them I think.

 

I think he will barely play for them and be punted off on loan possibly in January, certainly next summer.

 

Only thing we gained from him was depriving Killie of his services (his true level). We were forced to play him and in doing so he weakened us, although injuries sort of forced McInnes' hand a few times.

 

Won't be missed

[scotfree]

How come he could not score goals like this for us. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[HaarDon]

Pfft 1 man wall.

[tlg1903]

Anyone else get the fear when they saw this name again? 

[RicoS321]

3 hours ago, scotfree said:

How come he could not score goals like this for us. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was noticeable that he scored without having to move more than five yards.

[Jute]

11 minutes ago, tlg1903 said:

Anyone else get the fear when they saw this name again? 

Yes. Almost threw the phone across the room in rage. 

[scotfree]

10 hours ago, Jute said:

Yes. Almost threw the phone across the room in rage. 

I knew someone would shit it when they saw his name. 

[HaarDon]

I'd take him in a heartbeat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...

In a fight.