Motherwell v Dons (league cup QF)

[baggy89]

But its the players lack of skill and communication too if theyre not performing as individuals.

 

Formations can be blamed but only so much.

 

1-2s and shots on target and goals should still be achieved if they have the skill.

 

Sorry min but you don't understand fitba at the top level. if that's your opinion. I've heard top players describe it like chess, where they know where to play the ball because they know the formation and system, they know the players and runs they'll make, and so don't really need to look up to see the player to make the pass.

It's not like they have a kick about on a Tuesday evening and turn up on a Sunday for a match half pissed from the night before...

They are playing this team twice in four days it should be drilled in how to play, along with the "Plan B/C/D" if their "Plan A" is countered.

 

The second best team in Scotland should not be knocked out of the cup by a team that contains Ryan Bowman and yon cunt goalkeeper.

[Nips_and_Tatties]

Yes you did...

 

You called them "pish".

 

Did you forget that you said it? It wasn't very long ago.

 

Or are you incapable of thinking with clarity, which might explain the utter shite you post?

 

You have proved time and again that you are a bit insane.

 

You spout pish about the fans eveey week and you obviously support Kilmarnock and are not a dons fan at all.

 

Your taste in music is abhorrent and I happened to disagree with one song u liked so you now have some pathetic agenda towards me.

 

Why dont u go back to your asylum room and stop being a cunt.

 

[rocket_scientist]

You have proved time and again that you are a bit insane.

 

You spout pish about the fans eveey week and you obviously support Kilmarnock and are not a dons fan at all.

 

Your taste in music is abhorrent and I happened to disagree with one song u liked so you now have some pathetic agenda towards me.

 

Why dont u go back to your asylum room and stop being a cunt.

 

 

That's not very nice. Perhaps you're not a very nice person.

 

You're definitely confused, not just about me but about much more it appears.

 

For the third time, I'll ask the same question. No I won't. I'll make it even easier for you. I'll pinpoint just one of your unfathomable utterances.

 

What did you mean by "fitness pish"?

[Nips_and_Tatties]

That's not very nice. Perhaps you're not a very nice person.

 

You're definitely confused, not just about me but about much more it appears.

 

For the third time, I'll ask the same question. No I won't. I'll make it even easier for you. I'll pinpoint just one of your unfathomable utterances.

 

What did you mean by "fitness pish"?

 

See there you go again.

 

Can you comprehend anything written or is your other bad brain part taking over?

 

Oh oh.

[Nips_and_Tatties]

Sorry min but you don't understand fitba at the top level. if that's your opinion. I've heard top players describe it like chess, where they know where to play the ball because they know the formation and system, they know the players and runs they'll make, and so don't really need to look up to see the player to make the pass.

It's not like they have a kick about on a Tuesday evening and turn up on a Sunday for a match half pissed from the night before...

They are playing this team twice in four days it should be drilled in how to play, along with the "Plan B/C/D" if their "Plan A" is countered.

 

The second best team in Scotland should not be knocked out of the cup by a team that contains Ryan Bowman and yon cunt goalkeeper.

 

Sorry min but you dont know much about football if you dont understand that yes, a bad formation can obviously upset balance and performance but that a good team of players should be able to still gwt a good rrsult AND performance against the lower teams of that league.

 

You getting it now?

[rocket_scientist]

See there you go again.

 

Can you comprehend anything written or is your other bad brain part taking over?

 

Oh oh.

 

You're avoiding a simple question. You are failing to back up what YOU wrote.

 

Throwing insults and fabrications out as a response won't disguise this fact.

 

So grow up. We are meant to be adults here.

 

We use language on forums. You know, to discuss ideas? This forum is for adults to discuss AFC.

[BobbyBiscuit]

Sorry min but you dont know much about football if you dont understand that yes, a bad formation can obviously upset balance and performance but that a good team of players should be able to still gwt a good rrsult AND performance against the lower teams of that league.

 

You getting it now?

 

Come off it. Motherwell away in the quarter finals of the cup and you just expect the team to go out there and win regardless of formation and balance? I think that's misunderstanding the situation in terms of the game itself but also where we are as a side.  It's also not giving enough credit to a pretty dangerous Motherwell team.

[Nips_and_Tatties]

Theyre dangerous because they have a striker at the top of his game scoring regularly making the team confident and a big threat.

Something we have lacked for a while.

 

Would you agree?

 

Thats motherwell.what about the other teams.were they a huge threat?

 

My point is..you cant just use the formation which isnt tertible for our last few results and europa.

It is utterly to do with the performance of the players...lack of skill..lack of a decent defence and a severe lack of a decent striker.

 

Thats very clear isnt it?

 

Why are people making this the sole contribution and picking arguments with me when irs obvious what im saying.

 

And rocket..you started this shit you patronising fool.

 

Read your posts

[rocket_scientist]

Andrew Southwick made a decent point on twitter last night :

 

'Aberdeen have  the players but no system. Mcinnes throwing random teams and formations out and hoping players will work it out for themselves.'

 

Think this is pretty spot on

 

Agree 100%. Michael Stewart on the radio said so during the game at Murrayfield.

 

Yet one balloon is sticking to his guns and only blaming the players. And says that formations and fitness is "pish".

[rocket_scientist]

It is utterly to do with the performance of the players...

 

I'm going to stick my neck out and probably get hammered for this but gonna say that McInnes is at fault here.

 

Make up your mind.

[BobbyBiscuit]

Theyre dangerous because they have a striker at the top of his game scoring regularly making the team confident and a big threat.

Something we have lacked for a while.

 

Would you agree?

 

Thats motherwell.what about the other teams.were they a huge threat?

 

My point is..you cant just use the formation which isnt tertible for our last few results and europa.

It is utterly to do with the performance of the players...lack of skill..lack of a decent defence and a severe lack of a decent striker.

 

Thats very clear isnt it?

 

Why are people making this the sole contribution and picking arguments with me when irs obvious what im saying.

 

You're all over the place here.  You're saying it's "utterly" to do with the players - so your blame of McInnes earlier no longer fits?

 

Lack of a decent striker? We've got Adam Rooney who, some may remember, has scored a shitload of goals for us over a few seasons.  We've also got Stevie May, who I'm pretty certain we were all rather happy about signing.

 

But if the formation of the team does not help us use these players effectively then we will struggle to score goals.

[CtS]

Motherwell wanted it more, they were fired up and once they went ahead (albeit fortuitously) their confidence grew. When we went two down it should have been a time for calm heads, patience, and a strategic plan to find a way back into the game - we showed none of those things. I remember in Keane's book he wrote about Man Utd's approach when they went 2-0 down in Turin, how it focused everyone's minds and their mission became clear. We were like headless chickens, no obvious shape or tactics, no composure, it was painful viewing.

 

Pass marks for Christie who never gave up and always wanted the ball. All the others, including DMC, should be feeling ashamed today.

 

(Also......We're all hurting lads, but pointless and petty insults and name calling isn't going to help. We're all on the same side here, don't forget that.)

[Nips_and_Tatties]

You're all over the place here.  You're saying it's "utterly" to do with the players - so your blame of McInnes earlier no longer fits?

 

Lack of a decent striker? We've got Adam Rooney who, some may remember, has scored a shitload of goals for us over a few seasons.  We've also got Stevie May, who I'm pretty certain we were all rather happy about signing.

 

But if the formation of the team does not help us use these players effectively then we will struggle to score goals.

 

On the pitch its to do with players. Their formation doesnt stop them making a decent pass...a decent tackle..a decent shot on goal once they use their skill to get into a position which they CAN do irrespective of them being played wide or through the middle.

Is everyone saying here that we have shit players but with the right formation every game, we should beat anyone or not lose or draw to lesser teams?

Now to my other point...in direct relation to the players not performing well as a unit. Is this McInnes and his lack of drive or team talks or research on how to beat other teams before the game..at the interval or even after the game?

 

Lack of fitness pish was referring to many fans points of view on why we were put out by Apollon and not playing  very well at times. I dont buy into that.look at how much work tennis players put into their year or other athletes.many on these forums have made that excuse for poor performances. I think its shite personally.

 

 

Was making relevant points and a few posters replies were unnecessary.

 

Very patronising guys and just no need.

 

Im done with this now.

 

 

[TheDeeDon]

Last night was a sore one, but not unexpected. Those of us who have been to games this season know we haven't been as good as we potentially could or even should be.

 

We just seem to lack balance in our squad and trying to fit square pegs into round holes at times on the pitch, we also have went backwards at the back and that is a worry, as it has been our weakness for a while now. I have said it before, but we don't half miss Hayes, even when he was shyte his head hardly dropped and would run all night, a phenomenal work rate which hasn't been replaced, I bet Logan and COnsi cried the day they knew Hayes and McGinn were going.

 

Hopefully we can rectify last night on Sunday, but DM needs to pick a back line and stick with it for a few games, for me it should be Arnason and O'Connor, but you just know the tombola will be out again.

 

 

[DollyLongstaffe]

Hopefully this is a wake up call.

 

We don't want a wild over-reaction to one bad result, but as others have said this feels like something that was coming.  Better results than we deserved have been papering over the cracks in our performances.

 

GMS, Stewart, May and Maynard all looked decent signings based on historic form, but every singe one of them also arrived here on the back of recent failures and/or injury issues.  Confidence needed to be nurtured.  You don't do that by chopping and changing the side every time out, picking players one week and dropping them the next for no obvious reason, experimenting with different formations.  Deek has previous on this:  every spell of good form under him has coincided with a settled line-up and game plan, every period of tinkering has coincided with a grim run of results.  Get the message, Deek, ffs.

 

The number of players showing poor form after this spell of tinkering is truly shocking.  None of the new guys has really hit the ground running, with May as the half exception.  Logan, Considine, Reynolds, McLean, Rooney and Shinnie have all been very poor by their own standards.

 

I'm a McInnes fan, but I've been saying for years that it doesn't look like he knows how to manage a big squad.  He's going to have to decide his best team and start playing them, and if that means writing off a couple of good-on-paper guys who are earning decent money then I think we will have to take that on the chin and remember a lesson learned the hard way.

 

 

[BobbyBiscuit]

On the pitch its to do with players. Their formation doesnt stop them making a decent pass...a decent tackle..a decent shot on goal once they use their skill to get into a position which they CAN do irrespective of them being played wide or through the middle.

 

That is true to an extent, however, the players don't look comfortable with things at the moment, and some actually look unsure of what they're being asked to do.  That has an affect on confidence, the feeling a player has of "feeling right" goes, the familiarity of movements of team mates and yourself when out of position means players take an extra touch and an extra second on the ball and at that level of football a second is a huge thing.

 

Is everyone saying here that we have shit players but with the right formation every game, we should beat anyone or not lose or draw to lesser teams?

 

No, but this is why you get people arguing against you. You are stating extremes and absolutes. There are none or very few absolutes in football, it's not an exact science.

 

Now to my other point...in direct relation to the players not performing well as a unit. Is this McInnes and his lack of drive or team talks or research on how to beat other teams before the game..at the interval or even after the game?

 

They're not performing well as a unit because they don't know if they're coming or going. Formations changing, personnel changing, nothing is settled in the side other than the goalkeeper.

 

 

Lack of fitness pish was referring to many fans points of view on why we were put out by Apollon and not playing  very well at times. I dont buy into that.look at how much work tennis players put into their year or other athletes.many on these forums have made that excuse for poor performances. I think its shite personally.

 

 

That was 2 months ago. I'm not sure what relevance this has now as I don't think anyone has said we look unfit at the moment?

 

 

Was making relevant points and a few posters replies were unnecessary.

 

Very patronising guys and just no need.

 

Im done with this now.

 

Some of your replies - not just in this thread - are unnecessary, rude and patronising... but it doesn't really matter because it's only the internet, so dry your eyes and stop feeling sorry for yourself.

[LA-Don]

Andrew Southwick made a decent point on twitter last night :

 

'Aberdeen have  the players but no system. Mcinnes throwing random teams and formations out and hoping players will work it out for themselves.'

 

Think this is pretty spot on

 

I've said something similar a few times in the past and again yesterday, except I say we have no style of play. We'd give it to McGinn or Hayes and expect them to create. When they were off we had no alternative. Now they're gone what exactly are we trying to do when we have possession???

 

In regards to Shinnie, he had a great year last year as a central mid. Now it appears he's being moved around or not quite knowing his role/position. Stick him back in central midfield. Fannying around with a 3-5-1-1 or whatever it is doesn't help individuals or the team.

[KennyFuckinPowers]

Here's a quote from Shinnie, which I would imagine most of us would agree with, and it certainly showed against Hearts and then again last night, didn't catch the Killie game so no comment on that, but for me, this is what we are lacking, obviously the formation and personnel changes don't help, but more noticeably, we are lacking fight.

 

"The quality is always there but I think we need to fight a wee bit more, fight for each other, work as a team a wee bit more, then the quality shines through after that."

 

 

[rocket_scientist]

Here's a quote from Shinnie, which I would imagine most of us would agree with, and it certainly showed against Hearts and then again last night, didn't catch the Killie game so no comment on that, but for me, this is what we are lacking, obviously the formation and personnel changes don't help, but more noticeably, we are lacking fight.

 

"The quality is always there but I think we need to fight a wee bit more, fight for each other, work as a team a wee bit more, then the quality shines through after that."

 

That's an honest assessment and you're right, we would agree.

 

But something he can't say, because he probably doesn't know, being a young man as he is, is this: -

 

"Fight is a quality that is both genetic and environmental".

 

Some burn to win and will fight to the death, whatever the circumstances. The best example we had of this at Pittodrie was Willie Miller. Roy Keane and Graeme Souness were phenomenal fighters. This was instinctive and natural within them.

 

Others need their fight drawn out by good management. One of the most important functions of a good manager is making sure a team works as a team and in order to achieve that, the manager needs to inspire them to fight.

 

I don't think McInnes is a very good manager and it was his captain who, without knowing it, corroborated it.

[LA-Don]

That's an honest assessment and you're right, we would agree.

 

But something he can't say, because he probably doesn't know, being a young man as he is, is this: -

 

"Fight is a quality that is both genetic and environmental".

 

Some burn to win and will fight to the death, whatever the circumstances. The best example we had of this at Pittodrie was Willie Miller. Roy Keane and Graeme Souness were phenomenal fighters. This was instinctive and natural within them.

 

Others need their fight drawn out by good management. One of the most important functions of a good manager is making sure a team works as a team and in order to achieve that, the manager needs to inspire them to fight.

 

I don't think McInnes is a very good manager and it was his captain who, without knowing it, corroborated it.

 

Hmmm, not sure I agree. Fight is in your heart in my eyes. You either have it or you don't. Shinnie has it. Fighters are leaders, true captains. In our best years miller, McLeish, Simpson, cooper, rougvie, bell, etc were all out fighters and leaders who wouldn't accept defeat. The rest complimented and provided much of the flair and creativity. Good teams have multiple fighters but not 11, the multiple protect those who are not true grafters and fighters, and they carry them with them. The fighters don't always provide the flair or creativity but put those guys in a position to succeed. The flair are inconsistent and I'd argue we have too much of that and not enough fight. Other than Shinnie who is a die hard who battles?? I'd even argue Ryan Giggs and Ronaldo weren't/aren't fighters but play(ed) in systems that work for them. Our problem is that we have too few and have done for a few years. We just play in a shit league and get away with it most often but this year we could get found out.

[LA-Don]

Lastly from above, who will go all out to win a tackle or header on our current team??

[rocket_scientist]

Don't think we disagree Mr Inglewood Compton South Central.

 

Our current incumbents are shit.

[Slim]

Lastly from above, who will go all out to win a tackle or header on our current team??

 

I would have said O'Connor before the Motherwell match, but if he put his head in harm's way the other night, Moult wouldn't have scored his first goal. Not sure if it's fair to criticise someone for not allowing himself to get kicked in the face.

 

He was also the one that got outjumped for their second goal too come to think of it. This may sound a bit simplistic or idealistic, but a number 5 should not be losing headers while defending a corner. That should be their bread and butter.

[LA-Don]

Don't know who commented that the balance of the team is not an excuse but that, to me, is the most important factor. I always felt our best team was when we signed Shinnie and he was left back with Anderson in the middle and ahead of him a midfield of Robson and Flood. We lost Anderson's leadership and composure at the back, and lost the bite/leadership in midfield we didn't replace. We're at our best with Shinnie in center mid, not because of his midfield play, but because of his commitment and leadership.

 

We're a lightweight team. I think Tansey was a good signing but now he's injured, curious to see what happens. Think we definitely need Arneson in there, he's not unlike Anderson. Shinnie back in his midfield spot helps. I don't know, I was critical of OConnor in center mid before but maybe worth another try. Think McLean offers so little when he's required to do heavy lifting.

[donsdaft]

OOT

 

 

A very easy 3-0 victory for the Dons followed by a change in formation to a back three on Sunday and a 1-0 defeat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you're going to be wrong..............