Originally Posted by
The_Moog
The proverbial game of two halfs.
We were absolutely woeful first half - slow and ponderous, lacking intensity, directness and creativity.
Much better second half when we were more direct and got forward much quicker and therefore started to actually create chances.
Draw was fair though - farmers better first half, us better second.
Comments on a few players.
McKenna - good to see him back, was strong on and off the ball and handled Watt no problem. Watt tried to impose himself physically and got nowhere. Look forward to seeing him and Devlin get a run together in the middle now.
Logan - completely sleeping at corner for first goal where he lost his man as far as I could see. His defending really is poor at times.
Forrester - first time I’ve had a good look and not impressed I’m afraid. Based on that I can see why he’s not been playing. Created nothing and did nothing. Needs to step up big time or we’ve pished away £200k there I’m afraid.
Gleeson - does what he does well enough but he’s a really poor mans Ryan Jack. One of the main reasons we were so slow and ponderous first half was him constantly slowing any momentum and failing to get us going forward quickly any time he was on the ball. Don Ball was much more direct and helped get us forward much better when he came on. I also fail to see why you’d play Shinnie and Gleeson together as it just stifles us creating and going forward.
Stevie May - I actually felt sorry for him first half. Completely isolated and getting absolutely nowhere as one up front. One of DM’s big failings is the way he persists with something that simply doesn’t work. May as one up front simply doesn’t work so stop it ffs.
McGinn - fantastic free kick and was better today but we want and need more from him.
GMS - mirrored the team in a poor first half but much better second. Was very unlucky not to score when he cut in and let fly with the one the boy headed clear.
Cosgrove - I gave him stick after Dundee (rightly) but fair play, he did well today and helped turn us round second half. He won a lot in the air, held the ball up and linked with others well, and was very unlucky not to score with a great header that was well saved. Playing like that he does offer us something so no complaints with him today.
This boy Wilson better be something special and a goal scoring machine if he ever gets off the treatment table though as that team currently will struggle to score many in any game.
I’ve been at 4 of the 5 league games so far plus Burnley and sadly it’s clear (injuries or not - everyone gets them so no real excuse) we have gone backwards badly from last season. We’ve not replaced Christie or MacLean anywhere near adequately and it’s really hurting us. Nothing we can do before Xmas so it’s going to be a struggle.
Hope I’m wrong but it looks like 4th or 5th at best to me this year which is not good enough as anything better requires better results than today and last week for a start.
It grates a lot when you see what the diets have done so far. They have shown its is perfectly possible to put a good, winning side together on a budget like ours - sadly, it looks like we’ve failed big time to do so for this season...