Derek McInnes

[afc1903mad]

That’s still 2 holding midfielders if one of them dropped deep

You didn’t answer the question, which one would you have dropped, else what formation would you have used?
I didn’t particularly think Ferguson or Shinnie were playing a “holding” position.
The three (including Stewart) were pretty flexible, rotating with each other.

[RedStarTorphins]

Meaning ???...

I think he means West Ham fans have this mythical notion that they should be an entertaining, attacking football team, almost to the detriment of actually winning?
They’ve sacked managers in the past, when they’ve been comfortably mid table, just because the team hasn’t been “attractive” enough to watch.

As a match yesterday in isolation, we should be doing both.
Winning & doing so entertainingly with a few goals.

Against the huns, I’ll take any form of win, lucky or otherwise.

[Aldo1983]

That’s still 2 holding midfielders if one of them dropped deep

[GGMDONS]

our problem is clear we need a Goalscorer & shouldn't have let Rooney leave until his replacement had been signed

Wilson if he's not good enough to start every game why did we bring him in

[RED_JOHN]

McInnes going back to his default formation of 4-2-3-1 is obviously going to make it harder for our team to score goals. In December he became a bit more adventurous by playing 2 up top and the team started scoring a bit better. The man is an absolute idiot that he goes back to the formation that he cannot see past against a poor Stenhousemuir team and ends up drawing the match 1-1 at our home venue.
No wonder McInnes doesn’t get rated or chased by teams searching for a new manager as he truly is tactically inept.
McInnes got the rub of the green when Wm Donald helped wiping the debt off as it helped our playing budget. McInnes isn’t a good manager but more a lucky manager. His luck is running out so he will need to start turning up himself in matches if he wants to be rated.

[Donanddusted]

I don’t understand this.
Why would you be worried that we’d win?

I missed out a not to be grammatically correct.

I realise that use of language on here might be a sensitive subject for some.

[korzak]

I think he means West Ham fans have this mythical notion that they should be an entertaining, attacking football team, almost to the detriment of actually winning?
They’ve sacked managers in the past, when they’ve been comfortably mid table, just because the team hasn’t been “attractive” enough to watch.

As a match yesterday in isolation, we should be doing both.
Winning & doing so entertainingly with a few goals.

Against the huns, I’ll take any form of win, lucky or otherwise.

Thats a fair one..and very very true..mouthy chunts most of them..

[Red Zone]

They weren’t exactly holding though, were they.
We played Stewart, Ferguson and Shinnie, who all seem to rotate.
When Stewart dropped deep, either Ferguson or Shinnie would have may a run forward.

Who would you have dropped though, Shinnie or Ferguson?

The issue isn't whether they both played a holding position but rather the type of player they are. I would describe both as battling midfielders rather than creative midfielders (and yes I know that Shinnie set up Lowe's goal). In a game where we are playing a very limited team at home that were always going to play with 10 or even 11 men behind the ball for us to play with 7 players that are defensive/battling players and only 4 creative/forward players is simply the wrong balance. The evidence was there for all to see yesterday where we created overall far too few goalscoring chances. We should have gone with one more creative/goalscoring player and one fewer defensive/battling players and most certainly should have been playing two up front.

I would have picked the following team

Lewis
Logan McKenna Considine Lowe
Shinnie
McLennan Stewart GMS
Cosgrove Wilson

So to answer your question I would have left Ferguson on the bench on the basis that Shinnie is captain and may yet stay (if we know for certain he is leaving but are just not disclosing the news then I would have left out Shinnie). As you have said yourself we will have to rest him at some point so why not yesterday given we have a lot of games in the next month that we will need Ferguson flat out

I would have picked Wilson on the basis of the Livi game but would have been just as happy with May up front with Cosgrove

I am generally a supporter of McInnes but he was way too conservative, even for him, in the game yesterday

Yesterday showed how badly we need a creative midfielder (maybe that can be Stewart - we will see) and a higher class forward.

[afc1903mad]

The issue isn't

Very good, reasoned post.
Most welcome.

You may indeed have a point. We always seem to struggle to break down teams that sit in.
I thought we were very comfortable yesterday and they scored with their only real chance.
With a bit of luck, we should have scored more than 1.
I thought the Stewart shot off the bar was going in and he also had a great chance to square the ball for Cosgrove to tap in unmarked, but shot into the side netting.

I accept your point that Wilson for Ferguson may have been a better option for putting Stenhousemuir out, but I know some will not like this, but I think playing the system were likely to play in the coming games against Hamilton, Killie and even Hibs will have benefitted with giving Stewart that game in our set up in his best position.

We’re still in the cup, about to find out who we’ll face in the next round.

I’ll also take the positive that i’ll be able to pop down to Larbert and stay with a mate and take in a game to go a little way to eradicate 1995.

[Red Zone]

Very good, reasoned post.
Most welcome.

You may indeed have a point. We always seem to struggle to break down teams that sit in.
I thought we were very comfortable yesterday and they scored with their only real chance.
With a bit of luck, we should have scored more than 1.
I thought the Stewart shot off the bar was going in and he also had a great chance to square the ball for Cosgrove to tap in unmarked, but shot into the side netting.

I accept your point that Wilson for Ferguson may have been a better option for putting Stenhousemuir out, but I know some will not like this, but I think playing the system were likely to play in the coming games against Hamilton, Killie and even Hibs will have benefitted with giving Stewart that game in our set up in his best position.

We’re still in the cup, about to find out who we’ll face in the next round.

I’ll also take the positive that i’ll be able to pop down to Larbert and stay with a mate and take in a game to go a little way to eradicate 1995.

I agree that despite him picking the wrong team and formation we should have won comfortably if Stewart and GMS had taken their easy chances or Stewart's shot was 2 inches lower however we didn't and sorry not seeing the positives about an away game down there. I absolutely expect us to win but we are now playing Sat/Wed/sat/Tue/sat/wed/sat and so could have been doing with a free midweek plus we will be playing on a crappy 3G pitch probably when it's around zero degrees so bone hard - just injuries waiting to happen unfortunately.