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On Reflection I thought McCoist Did Well Yesterday


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I appreciate this won't be a popular view but yesterday's performance was actually quite heartening and one that suggested to me that McCoist actually does have a chance.

Let me explain before cries of 'burn the witch' and the pitchforks are produced.

 

We took on a top six SPFL side yesterday, most if not all of us expected nothing from the match, yet we payed probably as well as at anytime this season.

We showed a lot of fight and spirit yesterday, we matched our opponents for that, that hasn't always been the case this season. There clearly was a reaction to last weekend and to the criticism the side and players have had. That shows the players are still playing for the manager if nothing else. We didn't chuck it yesterday, even at 3-1 the heads didn't go down. That tells us something about the squad.

 

The match itself told us the gap between the top and the third flight is small but telling. Individual errors cost us the match, no manager in the world can legislate for what Simonsen did. Likewise when we lost possession for their second, what can the manager do about that? I've read some blame Smith for the first, I disagree. It was scored by a midfielder, he ran from deep and should have been tracked, but not by Smith who was on the other side of the ground and already playing someone offside.

 

We'd two excellent chances, they fell to our strikers too. We wasted them, however it showed the gap between the sides. In the third tier our strikers get lots of chances, in the top tier their strikers don't, so when they get chances they took them. Again, I'm not sure what we expect the manager to do about that.

 

We created some very good chances yesterday, we had one cleared off the line and hit the woodwork. They had four chances and scored three of them. That's the reality of the gap between our sides just now.

 

We'll need to improve next season, we'll need to cut put the errors and take our chances because we'll get fewer next season as the sides we'll play are slightly better than this season. It's hardly an unbridgeable gap.

 

We were missing Bell, Wallace, MacLoed and Little yesterday, four certain starters, so all criticism should keep that in mind too.

 

Like most supporters I've found our performances difficult to watch this season, there is much wrong with our side and our club. However, oddly, yesterday was the first time for a while I've thought McCoist just might make it after all.

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There clearly was a reaction to last weekend

 

Its a decent summary but why do we have to be put in a performance based on a reaction to last week. I wonder if we had beaten Raith would the effort have been the same. Sorry no confidence in the management ability long term.

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My only problem is that when things dont go to plan or players start doing their own thing then Ally doesnt seem to have the ability to change things .I doubt the players really respect or fear him because we are unable to change anything or move them on , they are lax and seem to be in control , as for the game , the first half was like a scene from a horror movie both upfront and at the back , and the second half just pettered out as a spectacle .

 

Why he lets Aird take corners is a mystery , they are either front post balls or long deep crosses , he doesnt have the ability to fire them in with pace , Peralta is a utility player ( which can be defined as someone who is shite in all positions) , Foster and Smith are triers no more no less , Jig and Moshni are a partnership made in hell .

 

The one bright spark was McLeod after he got ill its been torture watching this team, how people can happily renew their ST is beyond me

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First half was one our best of the season but went into half time 2-1 down. Horrendous defending and even worse finishing sealed our fate. The Simonsen mistake was in the post. His positioning throughout the game was poor and never looked confident or comfortable.

 

Second half the team assumed normal service: long balls, little movement and no guts. The SPL standard player we've signed is for cup comps IMO and they went missing yesterday. I'm probably the one who felt Black was okay yesterday, whose technical ability got him out of a numerous tight situations and kept possession. Law's the real problem in midfield. You'll all have noticed DU closed down much quicker than league 1 sides.

 

Aird's pace was hurting United but his crossing wasn't. Second half United countered that and nullified the lad's only strength. Shield and Daly don't look interested but then Sheils is never good enough for us, Daly is if we play it on the deck with Clarke pairing up. Both of them can get us to the SPL.

 

The gap isn't all that big between ourselves and the top six but we do have SPL players and a much bigger wage budget, that in theory should mean we have better players. Two decent defenders and we will romp the championship if the attitude is right. The SPL under Ally's leadership could get very embarrassing as he fails to inspire and motivate his players, never mind suspect tactics.

 

Preferably we gut out the team but that's not going to happen.

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He watched Mohsni making mistakes all match without once telling him to sort it out, never once told Foster to calm down and make sure his passes find a blue jersey instead of tangerine and he stood and watched Ian Black and Nicky Law hiding and being dominated in the centre of the park without demanding more from them. His substitution of Aird instead of Shiels was appalling, not to mention sticking Clark on at left wing, no, left half, maybe, inside left, possibly, only he knows knows where Nicky was supposed to be playing.

 

Second half he got desperate and told or allowed the players to go back to the same old s*te we have seen all season.

 

But aye, he done alright.

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Its a decent summary but why do we have to be put in a performance based on a reaction to last week. I wonder if we had beaten Raith would the effort have been the same. Sorry no confidence in the management ability long term.

 

That's a fair point, last week was woeful. The fact the players did react is telling though, it says if nothing else McCoist hasn't lost the dressing room.

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See, I didn't think our midfield was overrun yesterday. I actually thought our midfield held up well. It was our strikers and goalie who really let us down. I also thought Aird played well, he worked hard, was positive going forward and set up a fantastic chance for Daly with an intelligent run and lay off.

 

Aird reminds me a little of Lovenkrands, I also don't think he's a natural winger, but his pace and direct style could cause trouble through the middle or running from deep.

 

I'm not sure what McCoist could have done to change things. We were playing well, matching them in most areas, creating chances, we just couldn't take them. Their first goal was a good goal, it was an intelligent run and good finish from Armstrong who looks a decent player. The second was poor and aided by a wicked deflection and the third a gift. Nothing McCoist or his coaching team can do about that.

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Where were the subs as well surely with twenty minutes to go you could see it wasnt really working. Put Crawford and Gallacher on and go for it? The third goal killed us but there were only about 5 mins left by that time anyway

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we played quite well in the 1st half but were terrible in the 2nd. Ally clearly told the players to stop focusing on passing and just launch the ball to Daly. All the cohesive passing and creation of chances stopped. Ally ruined the game for us.

 

At the end of the day we lost at home 3-1 to Dundee United and that should just never happen.

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We played well 1st half and were unlucky to go in one down.

 

The usual ended up letting us down, bad defence and we have a striker who doesn't score.

 

Ally just doesn't know how to change things, on the park and off, it is time for fresh ideas.

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