The thing that will win us the league

Every Other Saturday said:
The hunger and desire shown yesterday has to be there for 90+ minutes every game.

Too many times last season we seen the team be passive until the last 20 mins when chasing the game. The difference this time is that we can rotate the players with no drop in quality. The 5 subs is certainly a help too.

It was evident on the park in seasons gone by when we missed one or two key players. This time, we have went on an unbelievable run, went undefeated, and managed to carry some injuries to key players.
Click to expand...

The great thing is, we’ve actually missed such as Aribo & Roofe for big chunks of games so far, and they’re only now getting to peak fitness.

Add in Zungu too, and were actually now a better team than we have been over the first three months of this season.

The obvious addition from these guys is more flair.
 
The performance yesterday epitomised the determination in our squad right now.

Everyone on their game, no fucking about even after going in at half time 4 up.

And the depth in our squad now, we pretty much have a seamless transition when Gerrard can make 5 changes to his team from midweek.
 
barrheadbear said:
As you say, maintaining our great form will give us a great chance of 55 come May (if season completed).

We are in a fantastic vein of form. My one concern is how the team react to a draw, or heaven forbid a defeat. Previously a stumble has been our achilles heel, seeing us drop points over a number of weeks. Lets hope that should a mishap happen the team have learned how to quickly get over it and not let it derail our season as has happened in previiusly.
Click to expand...
would say Thursday night probably felt technically like a defeat for the players, especially as we could have hammered Benfica if we were more clinical

Hamilton obviously aren't Benfica but it was great to see a reaction like that as they would have been disappointed at that last 20 in Portugal
 
The team means everything as part of our culture

this is the message there is no moaning everyone going in the same direction

Gerrard has used the squad recently given loads of players game time and they have all responded

it’s great to see we look such a balanced and best of all happy determined team
 
Jimmy Jazz said:
Not chucking it after January will win us the league.

My battle scars are as such that I'm not allowing myself to get excited until March at the earliest.
Click to expand...
Absolutely this.

We're 3 points better off than them, in real terms.

Lots of the folk proclaiming we're going to win the league in November will be the same ones losing their shit next time we drop points.

I'm thoroughly enjoying the form we're in just now but I also accept that there's going to be a sticky spell at some point. Let's see where we are after it.
 
Personally like the fact yesterday after an 8-0 victory we had 3 players annoyed they never got a hat trick and Defoe angry he never got on the scoresheet.
One game at a time still a long way to go but looking good
 
Blueranger45 said:
would say Thursday night probably felt technically like a defeat for the players, especially as we could have hammered Benfica if we were more clinical

Hamilton obviously aren't Benfica but it was great to see a reaction like that as they would have been disappointed at that last 20 in Portugal
Click to expand...

I get your point but I meant how do we react to dropped points in the league with Celtic breathing down our necks.
 
Jimmy Jazz said:
Not chucking it after January will win us the league.

My battle scars are as such that I'm not allowing myself to get excited until March at the earliest.
Click to expand...
I’m the same.

I just think our high energy style of play had us burned out in the 2nd half of the season.

This year our squad is considerably stronger, allowing us to rotate 4 or 5 players at a time without a drop off in quality. I think that will make a huge difference.
 
Killer Bob said:
Agree and I think is consistent with the point of the OP.

We have the ability. We, for the first time, have the depth in squad. If we maintain high level of effort shown yesterday we have every chance of taking the title.
Click to expand...

reliable depth is a key difference to previous seasons
 
Forfar_Bear said:
I think it would be naive to think we'll get through the season without a wobble or a (hopefully small) spell of poor performances - how we react to that will define our season.

The best thing we can do is get ourselves ahead of them by as big a margin as possible while we can right now.
Click to expand...

we haven’t been Great in all games - maybe livi was our wobble?

the second round of games with the wins at home of the drawn games and beating them at Ibrox will get my really confident
 
Having strength and depth in all positions this season has been a huge factor. Competition for places, fitness levels, rotation of the squad all been good. We still need a wee bit of luck to remain covid free and injury free of key players and that mob to get a few more injuries, something they have got away with in the last few years. They‘ve played pressure free and practically injury free for the last 10 years. This season is coming together nicely with a few factors in our favour, and I still think empty stadiums are helping us more than hindering us, no moaning faced pricks at Ibrox to put up with if we’re not 3-0 up in the first 10mins. Still we’ve won nothing yet and we still need to rely on other teams making it hard for them. I’ve seen nothing to suggest that will change apart from us beating them. Just keep focus and winning is all that matters, long way to go yet.
 
Six league wins in a row now.

That is the type of run we just couldn't find prior to this season. That just needs to continue.
 
Last edited:
BlueKeld said:
Goal difference is a factor though, I don't care what anyone says, it is.

McCann and Rae said it yesterday also.
Click to expand...
It's only been a factor in deciding the title once (I think?) and in any case we've built up a healthy lead in that column too. Let's hope we keep it up.
 
PMB1872 said:
It doesn’t but we need to be racking up the goals against the bottom third of the league because it could come down to goal difference for all we know. Long way still to go.
Click to expand...
4lky3n.jpg
 
We are being a lot more direct around goal, less working the ball around the box and moving from side to side. If the ball goes to either full back they whip in a cross. They don't pass about or dilly dally waiting for the perfect opportunity.

What pleased me most about yesterdays result wasn't the score line, it was the hunger. We didn't stop at any point. That needs to keep going.
 
Grigo Yossarian said:
We lacked consistency to a large degree due to a lack of squad depth mate.

We played guys who were injured, tired, off form last season out of necessity, as the quality gulf was too large between the first eleven & the others.

This season it’s seamless.

We didn’t even need Morelos, Davis, McGregor or Kamara yesterday.

And our coaching team have not only improved so many of our younger players, but they’ve shown much more adaptability to our playing system, so they’ve improved too.
Click to expand...
We didn’t need McLaughlin yesterday either! ;):)):))
 
Sutton_Blows_goats said:
We are being a lot more direct around goal, less working the ball around the box and moving from side to side. If the ball goes to either full back they whip in a cross. They don't pass about or dilly dally waiting for the perfect opportunity.

What pleased me most about yesterdays result wasn't the score line, it was the hunger. We didn't stop at any point. That needs to keep going.
Click to expand...

Even in injury time the pressure we were putting on their possession was incredible SBG.
 
two2tango said:
In fact two things

the quality of our football is head and shoulders above them

the hunger and desire shown by our players this season

yesterday defoe was charging down a clearance at the corner flag in the 93rd minute while we’re cruising 8-0
Click to expand...
100%. There was also a moment yesterday when Tav was on our left wing overlapping Borna to create space, this team wants to win badly.
 
Gogso said:
I'm sure the last couple of seasons the likes of McInnes would tell his players..double up on Tav..close down Alfredo & we would struggle.
Bet he watched the game yesterday and will be wondering how/who best to stop.
He'll need permission to field 14 players. :)
Click to expand...
He might have that if Clancy and 2 of his pals are the officials.
 
Taffyblue said:
It’s the clean sheets for me. We defend as a team and give it our all not to concede - coupled with the fact that we always look like scoring
Click to expand...
I have been harping on for ages about keeping clean sheets.
I also think we will win the majority if not all the games vs the mentally challengeds.
 
two2tango said:
In fact two things

the quality of our football is head and shoulders above them

the hunger and desire shown by our players this season

yesterday defoe was charging down a clearance at the corner flag in the 93rd minute while we’re cruising 8-0
Click to expand...
There seems to be a United spirit in our team and squad. Great to see.
 
Strength in depth, consistency, continuity
Exciting, attacking play while keeping clean sheets
All things that matter - but we need to galvanise them together with the right blend of determination, commitment & mentality to make it count

There are signs that we're more together as a team already this season compared to last - imo

But obviously the right mentality deserted us after the break last new year- so we need to keep up the current level of commitment & even improve on it - till the last ball is kicked

I love where we are right now - but it's only one third complete - & we'll need to have determination in heaps to get us through the patchy times that we'll inevitably encounter in the next two thirds of the season
 
gersandproud said:
Strength in depth, consistency, continuity
Exciting, attacking play while keeping clean sheets
All things that matter - but we need to galvanise them together with the right blend of determination, commitment & mentality to make it count

There are signs that we're more together as a team already this season compared to last - imo

But obviously the right mentality deserted us after the break last new year- so we need to keep up the current level of commitment & even improve on it - till the last ball is kicked

I love where we are right now - but it's only one third complete - & we'll need to have determination in heaps to get us through the patchy times that we'll inevitably encounter in the next two thirds of the season
Click to expand...

I agree with you to an extent however it can't be forgotten that Tav, Borna and el Buffalo missing games in January and February were really felt because of a lack of squad depth.

We don't have that problem this season, unless our injury list grows, and you just need to look at our bench yesterday to see how much the situation is different.

Yes we've won nothing, yes last seasons collapse is still fresh however this season just seems so different in many many ways.
 
Bruce_Wayne said:
The only slight, and this is a very slight concern, is being able to keep up the intensity the full season.

Our most consistent performers, Tav, Goldson and Kent, thankfully don't go on International duty so that will help a lot and the squad rotation is working a treat so here's hoping it isn't a factor.
Click to expand...
I think having better strength in depth, something we didn't have last year,will help us immensely. Better options on the bench without the performance levels dropping is massive as well. Could well do without these crazy internationals, hopefully they don't kill our momentum. Can't look beyond the next game. For me anyway.
 
Last edited:
jackstar said:
I think having better strength in depth, something we didn't have last year,will help us immensely. Better options on the bench without the performance levels dropping is massive as well. Could we'll do without these crazy internationals, hopefully they don't kill our momentum. Can't look beyond the next game. For me anyway.
Click to expand...
Correct, in our last 2 games we have used 20 players without diminishing the quality on show.
 
Punt13 said:
I agree with you to an extent however it can't be forgotten that Tav, Borna and el Buffalo missing games in January and February were really felt because of a lack of squad depth.

We don't have that problem this season, unless our injury list grows, and you just need to look at our bench yesterday to see how much the situation is different.

Yes we've won nothing, yes last seasons collapse is still fresh however this season just seems so different in many many ways.
Click to expand...

I won't attempt to minimise the effect of the injuries you mention, had on us

Of course they didn't help- but I also think we were capable of overcoming these problems - but regrettably didn't show enough determination & commitment or engage the right mentality at crucial times last season

The games against hertz were- imo - the perfect example of our inability to fight in the face of adversity
They weren't better than us ( even without our injuries) they were just more determined

We could have clawed our way back into these types of matches if we'd had the correct mentality imo

Most title winning teams need to have the right blend of ability & the attitude that they are never beaten

I agree that we look better on that front this season - The Killie result helps confirm that - I just hope we continue because like any season - the right mentality is going to be needed to have any hope of bringing home trophies
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Latest posts

Back
Top