Do We Have A Game This Weekend ?

[Elgindon]

Gurr sleeping

[BigAl]

4 minutes ago, Elgindon said:

Gurr sleeping

Yep I appear to have put a curse on him by praising his first half performance

[HaarDon]

Play your best team then make changes when/if you are winning!!!

 

 

[Jute]

Just now, HaarDon said:

Play your best team then make changes when/if you are winning!!!

 

 

This.

[HaarDon]

I can't believe we are about to go out...and we are.

 

[redordead]

Disappointing. Too many changes for me. Mcgeouch not up to it. jenks is the new ghost in midfield. 

Second half was awful. Ramirez has done very little in the last three games and that's a concern.

[DantheDon]

19 minutes ago, HaarDon said:

Play your best team then make changes when/if you are winning!!!

 

 

Easy to say now, but that team should have had enough to beat them. Besides what is our best team. Ojo was anonymous today yet was brilliant midweek. Maclennan aswell. We do need to be able to rotate the team at times and it was a reasonably strong lineup today.

[Panda]

18 minutes ago, redordead said:

Disappointing. Too many changes for me. Mcgeouch not up to it. jenks is the new ghost in midfield. 

Second half was awful. Ramirez has done very little in the last three games and that's a concern.

McGeouch has been excellent this season so not sure I agree with that. He was far from the worst. 

I don't agree either we made too many changes - that suggests we didn't pick a team that was good enough to win. We scored early, dominated the first half, and really we should have added to our lead. What let us down was the lack of a penalty box striker to finish off the moves. We've all identified we're still short up front - maybe Ramirez should have started but that's about the only pre-match change that stood out. You can't legislate for Jack Gurr making those mistakes (and you can't keep playing Calvin Ramsay twice a week and burn the guy out), everyone was raving about Funso Ojo in midweek, the injuries to Hayes and Hedges shows why its a risk playing your strongest XI days before a massive game.

We got too lazy at 1-0, too slack in possession. We didn't up the tempo to match Raith. It was back to last season and the players needing a kick up the arse at times. That could have happened whoever we picked.

We looked like a team that got a wee bit too cocky and have began to believe their own hype, overplaying things at times inside the box (we actually only had one shot on target the whole game) rather than showing the hunger to go and finish the tie off when on top. 

[RicoS321]

Pretty much what Panda said. A frustrating game. By the time we started taking it seriously, it was too late. I have to say, I'm not remotely a fan of the three subs at once pish, it's desperate stuff. I think Glass thought he could hold off on the subs thinking we'd get a goal but then left it late and played all his cards at once. Our midfield was all over the shop two minutes later when they scored. Gurr should have been taken off when he took out Berra, he was incredibly poor for the goal, but perhaps he was wary of his yellow. 

I think Glass probably got it wrong overall today, I don't think our depth of squad is as good as he gives credit. Hayes injury was worrying, think Hedges looked minor. We're paper thin though, and especially in attack.

[Elgindon]

Maybe not a bad thing to get what we'd thought our weaknesses were,exposed this early in the season. Hopefully keep the tie alive on Thursday and make a change or 2 soon

 

[sancho_panza]

4 hours ago, Panda said:

You can't legislate for Jack Gurr making those mistakes 

I think you can legislate for someone with his ability blowing a game with a basic mistake like that. We all expected him to be terrible and he's won a few people over by exceeding those expectations with some limited game time, but today we probably saw why Atlanta let him go in the first place. He wasn't the only right back in the world available, we could have signed someone else as cover (we in fact own a Venezuelan international right back... allegedly) so Glass has to at least take some of the responsibility for it.

[HaarDon]

I disagree with the above.

We played our second team and desperation set in way too early which I don't believe would've happened had we played our strongest team from the start.

Too much fannying in the midfield by McGeoch for me.

Gurr was shite and jenks was poor.

Jet had some lovely touches again.

We just didn't pressurise their goalie at all and should be shooting way more.

There was tons of side passing possessive football and no ideas on how to break Raith down.

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by HaarDon

[Panda]

4 hours ago, sancho_panza said:

I think you can legislate for someone with his ability blowing a game with a basic mistake like that. We all expected him to be terrible and he's won a few people over by exceeding those expectations with some limited game time, but today we probably saw why Atlanta let him go in the first place. He wasn't the only right back in the world available, we could have signed someone else as cover (we in fact own a Venezuelan international right back... allegedly) so Glass has to at least take some of the responsibility for it.

So basically you made up your mind about him before a ball was kicked? He's played okay this season, was decent enough in the first half and played a big part in Jet's goal. He's had a poor second half, it happens, but too early to completely write the guy off. 

[sancho_panza]

1 hour ago, Panda said:

So basically you made up your mind about him before a ball was kicked? He's played okay this season, was decent enough in the first half and played a big part in Jet's goal. He's had a poor second half, it happens, but too early to completely write the guy off. 

He's 25 and had played one professional game in his career before joining us, he was let go by a side who are now consistently playing a right back who couldn't get in our team last season, he just made a terrible mistake that knocked us out the league cup, and having watched every game he's played for us so far he looks to me like someone with a good work ethic who is pretty poor technically and a bit naive tactically.

I'm sure he's a nice guy, he looks to have a great attitude, I admire him for managing to get to this level given his complete lack of pedigree and I'm not going to "write him off completely", but on the balance of the evidence so far do I think he's going to be a good signing? No.

Edited August 16, 2021 by sancho_panza

[Panda]

4 hours ago, sancho_panza said:

He's 25 and had played one professional game in his career before joining us, he was let go by a side who are now consistently playing a right back who couldn't get in our team last season,

Atlanta fans could have written Hernandez off for the same reason, "couldn't get a game for Aberdeen". A lot of people questioned the signing of Ramirez too based on how many goals he'd scored. And Brown too was meant to be past it.

4 hours ago, sancho_panza said:

 

 

he just made a terrible mistake that knocked us out the league cup, and having watched every game he's played for us so far he looks to me like someone with a good work ethic who is pretty poor technically and a bit naive tactically.

I'm sure he's a nice guy, he looks to have a great attitude, I admire him for managing to get to this level given his complete lack of pedigree and I'm not going to "write him off completely", but on the balance of the evidence so far do I think he's going to be a good signing? No.

But when you say is he going to be a good signing - depends what you expect. He's probably not going to be first choice due to Ramsay's emergence. He's a pretty decent back-up who has actually been alright this season, but has had one poor half of football. I'd say in relative terms he has been a good signing so far.

He's getting the brunt of the criticism because his mistakes directly led to the goals. But Gallagher got done at 0-0 and Lewis bailed him out. McCrorie made a poor mistake at 1-0 that should have led to a goal. How many times has Lewis made horrific mistakes and lost us games? Who actually had a good second half for us yesterday?

Our poorest player this season I would argue has been Hayes, followed by Gallagher, then McGinn. Gurr not even in the bottom three despite yesterday.

 

[HaarDon]

We needed to carve them open a lot more. 

That was the midfield fault who were ordinary yesterday.

Having said that, Raith were very organised and closed us down fast if I remember.

These bang on average midfielders like McGeoch who can hold onto a ball when not pressured and pass sideways or to the unmarked wingers are pointless for me.

Ffs I can do that.

Bottom line is, Glass gambled by putting a B team out (understandably) and paid for it.

I'd take group stages in Europe over a cup though.

Fingers crossed!

[wokinginashearerwonderland]

B team or no B team we should be capable of beating a team that finished third in last year's Championship.  There were no young loons in that team.  We only managed one shot on target.

Realistically our only chance of silverware is in the domestic cups and yesterday, added to the Utd Scottish Cup exit last season is pretty poor stuff.  We would have never lost those games under McInnes.

Qarabag have been in the group stages of both the Europa and Champions League so will be a massive step up on Thursday night in the searing heat.  There is the potential for a hiding in that game if the players do not give themselves a serious shake.  Escape with a one goal defeat at the very worst and we will take them at Pittodrie next week.

 

[HaarDon]

I'm not sure. It's a cup game.

So called inferior teams are ALWAYS dangerous and try to play out their skin when up against a premier league team.

I think we will be well up for it on Thursday and this could actually have been the result we needed to focus again.

Gift horse in the mouth and all that.

 

[sancho_panza]

On 16/08/2021 at 13:52, Panda said:

Atlanta fans could have written Hernandez off for the same reason, "couldn't get a game for Aberdeen". A lot of people questioned the signing of Ramirez too based on how many goals he'd scored. And Brown too was meant to be past it.

Some variant of this argument has been used to defend just about every terrible player we've had in the last 20 years (the classic line used to be "remember when everyone thought Russell Anderson was shite after his first few games"). As an argument it's basically a recipe for saying nothing.

You have to judge players on something. I don't like Gurr on paper and I don't like much of what I've seen from him on the pitch as he seems to lack basic technique (his error was directly linked to that as he clearly wasn't confident using his wrong foot and waited too long on the ball coming as a result). If you've seen something you like and disagree then I don't have a problem with that, but this isn't a peer-reviewed academic study where we have to wait for six months of data before reaching a conclusion.

[HaarDon]

I dunno Sanchez.

 

We have waited quite some time for McLennan and he's showing signs of being not too bad lol.

[LA-Don]

19 minutes ago, sancho_panza said:

Some variant of this argument has been used to defend just about every terrible player we've had in the last 20 years (the classic line used to be "remember when everyone thought Russell Anderson was shite after his first few games"). As an argument it's basically a recipe for saying nothing.

You have to judge players on something. I don't like Gurr on paper and I don't like much of what I've seen from him on the pitch as he seems to lack basic technique (his error was directly linked to that as he clearly wasn't confident using his wrong foot and waited too long on the ball coming as a result). If you've seen something you like and disagree then I don't have a problem with that, but this isn't a peer-reviewed academic study where we have to wait for six months of data before reaching a conclusion.

My take on Gurr is that he’s very similar to Jon Gallagher. He started the same way doing some good things which we all saw and acknowledged but over time, and pretty quickly, we saw how limited he was. Gurr has done some nice things but he’s bang average at best. The fact that Ramsay has emerged makes me thankful that Gurr is a clear back up.

[baggy89]

The second goal was a really basic error. He had no idea Zanata was closing him down on his blindside. He didn’t get his head up and look and he was clearly concentrating so intently he did not hear the 3 or 4 players who must have been screaming at him that there was a man on. A half decent player at that level would have adjusted their body shape at the last second and gone to ground for FK or as has been said adjusted earlier and banged it high and clear. 

[wokinginashearerwonderland]

Joe Lewis was as much to blame for that second goal on Sunday, I think the commentators mentioned it as well. He should have done a lot better with the initial shot. He needs to cut out the stupid mistakes. Joe seems to have gone from Mr Dependable to a keeper quickly gaining the reputation of being capable of a howler. He got off with the one against Livi because we ultimately won the game but he is not the same keeper of a couple of years ago. He has not really been the same since McKenna left.

[RicoS321]

1 hour ago, wokinginashearerwonderland said:

Joe Lewis was as much to blame for that second goal on Sunday, I think the commentators mentioned it as well. He should have done a lot better with the initial shot. He needs to cut out the stupid mistakes. Joe seems to have gone from Mr Dependable to a keeper quickly gaining the reputation of being capable of a howler. He got off with the one against Livi because we ultimately won the game but he is not the same keeper of a couple of years ago. He has not really been the same since McKenna left.

I totally disagree, and I think the commentators got it completely wrong too. The ball is swerving and Lewis can see that his defensive line his far closer to him than the attack. The safest option was always to do exactly what he did, which is parry towards his fullback who can easily deal with it (if unsure, he has an easy header behind for a corner. The idiot red TV commentator even suggested he should have caught it, which shows that he hasn't touched a modern fitba in the last twenty years, and definitely not tried to catch one with a bit of swerve on it. Lewis got two solid hands on it and parried it sideways towards his defender, there was no option to parry it around the post and with the swerve parrying it downward to pick up at the second attempt would have been risky. It was his best option for dealing with that, and it's difficult to understate just how poor Gurr dealt with it. 

[Panda]

13 hours ago, sancho_panza said:

Some variant of this argument has been used to defend just about every terrible player we've had in the last 20 years (the classic line used to be "remember when everyone thought Russell Anderson was shite after his first few games"). As an argument it's basically a recipe for saying nothing.

You have to judge players on something. I don't like Gurr on paper and I don't like much of what I've seen from him on the pitch as he seems to lack basic technique (his error was directly linked to that as he clearly wasn't confident using his wrong foot and waited too long on the ball coming as a result). If you've seen something you like and disagree then I don't have a problem with that, but this isn't a peer-reviewed academic study where we have to wait for six months of data before reaching a conclusion.

Aye but the point was you wrote the guy off before you had watched a single minute of him play. It's convenient to your argument to declare you were right because of his mistakes on Sunday & the emergence of Ramsay.

To me he's looked a decent back-up player, which is what he is. I think he'll improve too once he plays more and settles in - maybe not better than Ramsay, but a better back-up. I don't really see it as the bad signing you're suggesting it to be. I'd say he's an improvement on last season's Shay Logan.