Blog entry 1, 6/10/2009: Away at Paisley

[George Foulkes]

Kickback (JKB) has kindly asked me to do a regular blog – sticking to football – so here goes.

 

When did we last have such a bad start to the season? Not long ago, unfortunately, I had high hopes for a better run after the home game against Dinamo Zagreb and only losing in the extra extra time against Celtic.

 

But the St Mirren result really hurt. We had seats right behind the goal and after first surviving the pre-match shooting practice; we had a perfect view of the goalmouth and of all the misses.

 

We would have had a clear lead by halftime if only a fraction of the chances had been put away.

 

Goncalves showed how it should be done when he netted a perfect cross from Craig Thompson, but all the other chances went a-begging. Robbo would have put half a dozen in the net. Yes, we lack a striker, as so many have said, but that is, sadly, not all that is wrong.

 

It was obvious which team at Paisley played with commitment and desire to win.

 

With the possible exception of Suso, there was no one who took responsibility when the ball came to him. It was passed on as if it was red hot. Then so many passes went astray. Mickey Stewart seemed to be confused by the strange similarity of the strips, if his passes to St Mirren players were anything to go by.

 

And when St Mirren took the lead, our players seemed to lose the will to win – there was no fightback.

 

In the second half, the team lacked any form of structure and the substitutions were inexplicable.

 

But strangest of all was the game strategy, if we can call it that. Every time Balogh got the ball, he punted it up, presumably seeking the head of David Obua.

 

I started counting how many times it went instead to opposition players and gave up when I ran out of fingers.

 

Having listened intently to a discussion on Radio Scotland about this, I am even more convinced we need to get the keeper to throw the ball to a defender and then keep possession and keep the ball on the deck.

 

Everyone around me was shouting that at St Mirren Park – I do not know what Csaba was shouting but he was either ignored or has strong tactics.

 

But all the ills cannot be laid at his door. I cannot remember when I last saw a Board member at a match – home or away.

 

It needs leadership from the top to the manager and then on to the players to achieve success, which is what we had in the short reign of George Burley.

 

However, it is too much to hope that will come soon so meanwhile we have to hope a fixture break will see some more familiar players return to fitness, a few more lucky breaks and then success can be built on success.

 

Like nearly all Jambos, I am the eternal optimist and have already fixed my travel to Pittodrie. Hope to see you there.

 

 

George Foulkes

6 October 2009

 

 

 

 

Copyright hmfckickback.co.uk and the author, 2009

[Ulysses]

BTTT for one last time.