Best XI ... Sept 2023

Aye aye guys .... jist thought it might be a welcome diversion .... winna numb the pain, but maybe tak oor minds aff it ;)

Fit d'ye think oor best XI is right now ... albeit based on very little ...?

Ah'll go first cos Ah dinna gie a fuuck aboot makin' a feel o' masel ...

Goalie ... Roos .. nae contest,

Defence .... hmm ... in spite o' the Farts defeat, Ah thought Rubezic had his best game for us so far ... nae sayin much ... but nah, nae in my defence.
Ah think McKenzie is as maybe nae AS good, but has DONE as good any we've signed so far ... but Jensen dis look like he is worth that left back role ...

Right back ... got tae be Devlin.... in a back 4 where he can go forward and link wi a wide mid ... or even a winger??

McDonald right centre back.

Gartenmann looks like he could be a good centre half, in a sweeper role, but Ah think he could thrive as defensive mid .... might even be that elusive Ramadani replacement.

Jensen appears tae be half decent at left centre back in a 3, and Ah think he would dae fine at left CB in a 4 .. so McKenzie goes tae left FB ... where he has done fine previously ... and wi' his ability tae tak the baa forward doon the left.... an' nae lose it ower often!

So Ah'm goin wi a 4-1-3-2

Up front? ... Oooh ... Miovski has earned his place ... even in oor worst games ... Duk? ... hmmm ... maybe needs a bit o' 'rehab' ... but, is there anybody done better? ... Sokler maybe? .... Ah think Ah'd stick wi Duk.... on condition he dis a good first 45 mins ... if he wants tae play the second half.

Midfield .... oh fk! ...

If Gartenmann diz as good a job playin in front o' a back four as Ah reckon he would, then oor mid should consist o' 3 forward mids ... right, left an' centre.

R and L would need tae be able tae play wide ... like fkn wingers! ... sadly, options are limited. Duncan can dae the left, Ah like Duncan a lot, and think he'll only get better ... but for now, McGarry looks better.

On the right? Morris is injured, Besuijen would be my first choice, but he's pretty much oot the picture. Ah might be wrang, but Ah think Dadia can play there, but nae evidence yet he will be ony good.... and Ah canna think o' anybody in oor squad fa can play wide right/right wing (ither than Hayes!).

Gueye played mainly left attackin mid yesterday and ... jist fkn no! .... He has a decent track record, but disna understand Scottish fitba!

Shinnie has tae play. Clarkson is too good for the bench ...

And so .... wi one hell o' a good squad on paper,

Ah would still be puttin' oot a team Ah wisna entirely happy wi. unless it worked!:D ... and that team is ....

Roos
Devlin, McDonald, Jensen, McKenzie,
Gartenmann,
Shinnie, Clarkson, McGarry,
Miovski, Duk.

4-1-3-2?

If a 3-5-2 becomes favourable at any point? ... Gartenmann drops tae MCB ... Devlin and McKenzie become wing backs ... easy.

4-3-3? ... Gartenmann moves forward allowin either o' Shinnie, Clarkson or McGarry tae try bein a striker ... although, Ah'd rather we had a decent right sided player tae tak on that role .... onywye ....

Come on then ye radges, Ah've stuck ma neck oot ... chap it aff ... or dae likewise wi' yer ain neck ;)

Too narrow

.......................................Roos

Devlin............McDonald.........Jensen......... .McGarry

............................Clarkson (deep lying playmaker)

..................Shinnie.................Barron (both box to Box

..**** Knows............................................. ............Duk (inside forward)

................................Miosvki

Abandon this 5 at the back ****e

So, a dynamic 4-3-3?

I know f all about coaching football but what would happen if you took LDR’s formation and flipped the midfield 3 to create a stronger platform to protect the defence and pushed Clarkson forward to help unlock the opposition defence?

I’d then put Vinny on the right.

My only other question then is whether McDonald makes the starting 11 or whether the new lad Gartenmann might turn out to be better. Let’s see.

(I also thought Ruby did well yesterday, hopefully he continues to learn and improve)

I don't know what it is with us but we always seem to have an unbalanced squad. Too many midfielders one year not enough the next and that is our problem just now. No defensive structure to our midfield (of course not forgetting that we can't defend and not score). I'd be interested to see how your Gartenman experiment would work. I also think Devlin could do a job there but we have no other RB option. Pillars was coming on it might be worth giving him a go. I like Barron but with him Clarkson and Shinnie we are a bit see in the middle. I also think Vinny would be our best side player. So the team that will never picked is
Role
Devlin Mc Donald Jensen McKenzie
Gartenman
Vinny Clarkson Shinnie Duk
Miovski

I hope I'm wrong but Sokler hasn't looked great and whatever has happened to Dadia and Williams. Folk will have noticed my comments about Barron being sma and my 4 behind Miovski are just that but we need someone that can play wide

I haven't seen more than highlights other than the Celtic game and the Hacken second leg, but I would go with:-

Roos
Devlin Gartenmann Jensen McGarry
Shinnie Barron
McGrath Clarkson Duk
Miovski

I think we could then use Morris/Hayes/Vinnie behind Miovski - I also reckon Hayes could do a job next to Shinnie.

I have no idea what our best eleven is, but when you watch the highlights against Hearts most players would struggle with those tactics.

We were told our defence would improve with McKenzie not in the team, not really happened with no defender looking like a standout. Hopefully that will change in the coming weeks and we can find a settled defence, whether that is a back three or four.

I still reckon our defence is struggling due to our weak midfield, just like it did under Goodwin. Ramadani and Shinnie playing together in the middle of the park, with Pollock, McDonald and Scales in our back three was fairly solid at the end of last season and we have lost that core and with that we have lost any creative spark elsewhere on the pitch, hence why Clarkson and Duk have been getting a bit of stick as they are playing in a system (if we can call it that) that just doesn't work.

I also think McGrath is a good player, but is wasted in our current set up.

I'm still of the belief that if we get a win, we will go on a decent run, Europe aside, as I think that is just too much for us this season.

I really hope we can get a bit of continuity going on the management front and the squad can be a bit more stable in future seasons. Obviously if the run keeps going, BR will find himself punted and the next overhaul will begin.

If you hold your nose there’s a good piece with Steve Cowan in the Daily Ranger on the team’s set up and why it’s not working. DD will approve I think.