Malta Match Thread

[slasher]

The negativity on here is a complete surprise to me ?

[Toepoke]

Interesting watching the highlights and seeing McCoist explain how the ref may have thought it looked like a blatant foul for the penalty from where he was standing, and the replay seemed to back that up.  I expect the Malta player will get the card rescinded.

As others have said though it's about time we got a break ot two!

 

[sbcmfc]

I just hope we didn't use up our luck for the campaign tonight.

[Return of Yermaw]

Oh FFS. Lots of idiots on twitter are writing off Oliver Burke because he made a couple of mistakes and didn't score. He's nineteen for the love of ........

Honestly, what are these idiots on ?

Twitter.

[runningtings]

8 hours ago, Langtonian said:

Lot of empty seats in the so called sold out Scotland end

Nah that's because you couldnt see from the front rows or in the corners. Lot of folk were just standing at the back.

[EddardStark]

I know.. I know its only Malta but I thought our all round approach was very positive. Bad goal to lose but we came back well. A lot of positives to take into the next game.

[Parklife]

We started well last night. Got an early goal and I really thought we'd do things the easy way. Then we conceded a pathetic goal, that could easily have been prevented. The rest of the first half we spent in a state of shock. Conceding possession cheaply, looking vulnerable to counter attacks and without a plan. 

2nd half we were excellent. Got the early goal and looked in charge. The penalty is an absolute joke. As soon as that happened we'd won the game. Would been interesting to see how the rest of the match had played out 11 vs 11. However I was impressed with our ruthlessness. 

[vanderark14]

Job done, now the really hard work starts.

 

[giblet]

First time in a long time we have been given a break with a goal and a dodgy penalty.  

A great start and that goal difference will help us.  I like the idea of Ritchie and Burke on the wings.  3 pts against Lithuania and we can all start to get excited.

[wellyman]

If we had been offered a 5 v 1 win before the game yesterday we would have taken it - it amazes me how people can still come on here and moan and groan about things.

There is room for improvement and some of the younger guys will lmprove with each game,  also take into consideration that the goal machine that is "Leigh Griffiths" was not playing or else it could have been 8 or 9 !!!!!

Generally a good performance a comprehensive win .

[Squirrelhumper]

8 hours ago, buckielugger said:

And loved the "BLOODY EEJITS TARTAN ARMY" saltire...pure class !

That ones been about for years.

Wee Yeti and Co from Killie.

[Squirrelhumper]

8 hours ago, aaid said:

No there weren't, it was pretty full.  There were some spare seats at either corner, primarily as it would have been impossible to see the game from there.   That was made up though as there were lots of people standing in the aisles and up the back.  

That's what i thought too, looked pretty packed from what i saw.

Perhaps Langtonian is mixing  up pink shirts with empty seats.....

[Spark]

Good to get the 3 points but lost a poor goal and the penalty should never have been given which changed the game so I won't be getting too carried away just yet.

[Saint4805]

Great start but we are surrendering leads far too easily for my liking. We go up the park and score only for the opposition to equalise immediately. Not sure if this is players' concentration or decision making. Either way Strachan needs to address this.

 

[Langtonian]

1 hour ago, Squirrelhumper said:

That's what i thought too, looked pretty packed from what i saw.

Perhaps Langtonian is mixing  up pink shirts with empty seats.....

Not at all plenty empty seats in the corner next to the stand but it's been explained why by others

[Third Lanark]

13 hours ago, Duncan Blackheart said:

Robertson didn't have his best game tonight. I'm just glad we snatched Chris Martin away from under the nose of England.

You mean Burke, no? Or are you being sarcastic?

[dipped flake]

12 hours ago, Orraloon said:

Having watched the replay I would say that was definitely Paterson's ball. Doesn't make him a bad player though.

Paterson was marking the guy behind him. The CBs failed to cover the goalscorer so Paterson had to try and do it for them, and failed

[Caledonian Craig]

No I would have to say that was the full-backs (Martin and Hanley) to track him as he was centrally positioned. I'd have blamed Paterson if it had been crossed to the far post into his area of the pitch.

[Orraloon]

4 minutes ago, dipped flake said:

Paterson was marking the guy behind him. The CBs failed to cover the goalscorer so Paterson had to try and do it for them, and failed

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the goal was Paterson's fault. A lot of mistakes were made leading up to the goal. We had chances to clear the ball and we didn't. We didn't close the guy down quickly enough and allowed him to get his wee chip into the box. By that time Martin and and Hanley were out of position. By the time the ball was heading into the danger area the only Scotland player in a position to get his head on the ball was Paterson. Maybe Martin could have tried a wee bit harder to get back but he couldn't see what was going on behind him. Paterson could see everything from his position and needed to be a wee bit more aggressive in going for the ball. It wasn't Paterson's man who scored but by that time, the guy he was marking was about 15 yards away. By the time all the other mistakes had been made, and the ball was going towards the Matleeser's head, I think the only guy who could have stopped it was Paterson. That doesn't mean the goal was his fault, but I still think he could have won the header or at least done more to put the goalscorer off.

 

[Ormond]

5 hours ago, giblet said:

A great start and that goal difference will help us.  I like the idea of Ritchie and Burke on the wings.  3 pts against Lithuania and we can all start to get excited.

Goal difference surely won't matter, will it? Unless the rule has been changed back?

[davew]

1 hour ago, Orraloon said:

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the goal was Paterson's fault. A lot of mistakes were made leading up to the goal. We had chances to clear the ball and we didn't. We didn't close the guy down quickly enough and allowed him to get his wee chip into the box. By that time Martin and and Hanley were out of position. By the time the ball was heading into the danger area the only Scotland player in a position to get his head on the ball was Paterson. Maybe Martin could have tried a wee bit harder to get back but he couldn't see what was going on behind him. Paterson could see everything from his position and needed to be a wee bit more aggressive in going for the ball. It wasn't Paterson's man who scored but by that time, the guy he was marking was about 15 yards away. By the time all the other mistakes had been made, and the ball was going towards the Matleeser's head, I think the only guy who could have stopped it was Paterson. That doesn't mean the goal was his fault, but I still think he could have won the header or at least done more to put the goalscorer off.

 

For their goal Martin was caught ball watching. If he'd been paying attention to where the man he was supposed to be marking was, he would have given himself a chance get a flick on the cross and maybe prevented the goal. There's no way Paterson could have got to that ball first.

However, I think our midfield was more to blame for the goal than Martin. Ritchie, Snodgrass, Fletcher, and Bannan are all standing still marking no-one when the cross goes in.

[SMcoolJ]

Has Paterson ever played centre half for Hearts?  Wondering if he might be better there than at right back.

Edited September 5, 2016 by SMcoolJ

[McTeeko]

Snoddy getting all the plaudits for his goals but I thought Bannan was excellent. Always available, heid up all the time, great touch and is always looking to play forward passes and look for the killer ball. We look a far better team with him in there, a proper footballer, rather than Brown. 

Ritchie's deliveries are quality, however he knows he's no pace and when faced with a 1-on-1 he looks to turn back too often. If only Ritchie had Anya's pace or Anya had Ritchie's left foot. 

Happy with the start though ??

[ceudmilefailte]

3 minutes ago, McTeeko said:

Snoddy getting all the plaudits for his goals but I thought Bannan was excellent. Always available, heid up all the time, great touch and is always looking to play forward passes and look for the killer ball. We look a far better team with him in there, a proper footballer, rather than Brown. 

Ritchie's deliveries are quality, however he knows he's no pace and when faced with a 1-on-1 he looks to turn back too often. If only Ritchie had Anya's pace or Anya had Ritchie's left foot. 

Happy with the start though ??

With you on that, can't believe the lack of praise for Bannan. Thought he was the best player on the park by some distance. Can imagine why some one who likes a player will see him as better than he was, but I  have never really rated him.

[Caledonian Craig]

24 minutes ago, McTeeko said:

Snoddy getting all the plaudits for his goals but I thought Bannan was excellent. Always available, heid up all the time, great touch and is always looking to play forward passes and look for the killer ball. We look a far better team with him in there, a proper footballer, rather than Brown. 

Ritchie's deliveries are quality, however he knows he's no pace and when faced with a 1-on-1 he looks to turn back too often. If only Ritchie had Anya's pace or Anya had Ritchie's left foot. 

Happy with the start though ??

The subjects of your post sum up lack of knowledge (not by you) but of TAMBers in the past. Bannan was not worth a place in the side if you listened to a sizeable portion of TAMBers and Ritchie is overly-criticized as well. They were our stand-out players last night (Snoddy aside) yet some TAMBers would have us believe they are not up to it. Likewise TAMBers wanted Paterson in and last night a lot were critical of him. Similarly, Chris Martin shouldn't have even been in the squad yet his goal and penalty win turned the game in our favour. Thank god TAMBers are not left in charge of the Scotland team. 

Edited September 5, 2016 by Caledonian Craig