Willie Wastle wrote:I thought we lined up correctly, and the substitutions were sound.
Yummy Fur wrote:Willie Wastle wrote:I thought we lined up correctly, and the substitutions were sound.
Hard to disagree with this and despite the near hysterical reaction on here and social media every time Accies get beat the fact remains that since the Annan and Celtic debacles Canning has the team well set up and well organised. For at least the 3rd season in a row we have bizarrely found ourselves in the odd position that we have no specialist cover at either full back and on Saturday had to play a holding midfielder at right back and even worse switch our best player to play out of position at left back on the back of a suspension to Kurakins - whether this is Canning's fault or not is open to debate but my guess is that both crosses that led to the goals would of been shut down quicker if we had options in those areas.
On Saturday we started well but slowly reverted to that aimless punt up the park - was that Canning's tactics? I doubt it but it's standard practice for Accies now to see any confidence or belief drain away very quickly and especially at home. The most dis-heartening thing against Thistle was that final 6 or 7 minute after they scored where we showed no urgency or belief that we could ever get back in it. Danny Redmond and the paradox which is Gramoz Kurtaj must be grateful for the presence of Ali Crawford on a Saturday who takes all the fan's flak and divert from their lack of any effort or contribution (admittedly Kurtaj did set up the goal in his only meaningful contribution for weeks). As a fan of Crawford it does pain me to admit that recently he deserves the criticism, on Saturday at best he had zero confidence and at worst zero interest. Getting Crawford back playing well is a priority if we want to stay up when Crawford plays well then Accies play well. We desperately need some leaders on the park to either encourage Ali or give him a boot up the backside - recently I've seen neither.
I'm sure that this will be seen as a stout defence of Martin Canning - but it really isn't. Having a manager that can organise and put the right team out (I think Canning does this most of the time) is almost a given but having a manager who can instill confidence, drive belief and get the very best out of players is what separates the good managers from the average and from all evidence I don't think Canning is clueless just average. Unfortunately with Accies resource (yes I've said it because it's true) we need a manager better than average if we are to survive in the top league.
The Accies board are now in an awkward position in that they didn't replace Canning after Annan & Celtic because they now have a manager who like it or not is achieving the objective set at the beginning of the season which was to avoid relegation and whose sacking could now be argued to be unfair, however McDonald, Gray & Maitland are football men first and foremost and I don't believe for a moment that they are happy with what they are seeing or think that they have the right man to get the best out of their resource going forward and the expensively produced talent which appears to be coming down the tracks.
Yer Sisters Yer Maw wrote:At this stage of the season when we're fighting against relegation we need battlers in the middle of the park and Crawford just isn't that type of player. He's ineffective when we're not playing the short passing game on the deck even though he's probably the best passer in the team.
redandwhite1874 wrote:Ali in the U20s tonight. Match fitness and form related, hopefully.
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