New Order were great
See PAOK got a last-minute winner against Frankfurt. Group's shaping up quite interesting like.
New Order were great
Can’t remember the last time I saw someone getting pulled up for a foul throw
Helsinki were not as good as Hacken but yesterday was a repeat showing in that if you don't take your chances at this level you will pay dearly. Across those two games we had enough chances to win four games, never mind two.
Standouts for me were Ruby & Miovski, sadly Duk once again failed to deliver with clear chances but after the elbow to the head then perhaps he shouldn't have stayed on anyway.
Clarkson really needs to step up and be the player we all hoped we were getting when he signed in the summer, think being the big signing has went to his head a bit and when Barron came on it was night and day. Getting stuck in, looking for the ball at every opportunity, playing neat passes etc, can only hope we get him signed up on a new contract as there's a player in there for sure.
Would say with exception of Miovski that all the players need to work on their heading, seemed to be every time we got a head on the ball it went here, there and everywhere and if it landed at one of our players it was more luck than design whereas HJK seemed to find their man the majority of times.
Was thinking it was going to be another big crowd let down when they scored but credit to Miovski once again, when he does eventually leave us it better be for a record AFC fee as he can easily play at a much higher level.
1-1 wasn't the worst result but when you look at all our chances then you have to think it was 2 points dropped and who knows, maybe that will be the difference in progressing from the group come final placings.
I do believe that over in Finland we'll take all 3 points, we just have to show a bit more belief and take our chances when we get them.
Aye, we`re still not firing on all cylinders as a team.
I predicted this one would be a bit like the forst leg with Gronigen. Feeling each other out. They came to not lose , and maybe nick a goal. And they did. Proper good European away performance. To be fir they were a well organised and good passing side.
Our new teams niavety showed. Like it was their first time into Europe . And it was !!
We`ll learn. Our young manager will learn. And I`d imagine we`ll be looking to try and beat them in Helsinki. ( But, ....carefully !! Back to 3-5-2-1. )
Duk hasn`t woken ( or wised ) up yet. Pulling him and putting on Ryan Duncan would have put more pressure on them.
Clarkson must be trying just a bit too hard ? Too many passes going to opposition , looking for the killer pass.
Against a team that was sitting in , reckon we were needing more " Dougie Bell " types . Who would pick the ball up and run at them. Shinnie didn`t do enough of that. I think of every cup final at Hampden v Celtic when we were all screaming at our team to tackle some randon Centre Half waltzing through the middle of the park. That`s something we need to develop.
Ho Hum. We still should have won it. But same went fro Quarabag etc. They`ll learn. This season , Europe is a bonus. It`s a season too early for this team.
Now lets get a decent run together in the League and Cup.
St Johnstone ? 5-0 . COYR !!!
Perhaps I was hasty. It all happened so quickly the ball did go out and the subsequent throw was taken v quickly with the guy lying on the ground (foul throw as you say) I was surprised there was no VAR review was it even a Helsinki throw ? the one certainty total lack of concentration by us.
[QUOTE=neilthedon;40366847] ( But, ....carefully !! Back to 3-5-2-1. ) /QUOTE] Think thr referee would be on to this.
I thought Shinnie was poor last night (for his standards anyway), but I am putting that down to tiredness.
Possibly the drive of Barron in the middle of the park from the off, would have gave us a different result. Clarkson was poor, but the loon is trying, but his passes just weren't happening last night, which must be frustrating for him as much as us.
Hopefully we can pick up a result on Sunday and the players (those not on international duty) can get a bit of a rest.