Winning ugly or absolutely riding our luck just now ?

[Tagsbear]

The idea that having a good start AND needing to improve are mutually exclusive is nonsense for me.

The start has been excellent stats wise. @Tagsbear put it up on twitter earlier, outstanding.

But - and there’s a huge but - this habit we have of disappearing from games for 46/50/60/70 minutes is going to absolutely kill us.

First half against Livi a few weeks back, Killie, all of St Mirren, most of the game last night - I’d even argue the last half an hour against Feyenoord, we just seem to completely die off.

We lack aggression for vast periods in games and if we go in like that against Porto or the mentally challengeds or anyone half decent, we’ll get torn apart.

I don’t think its realistic with the schedule we have to expect 90 minute domination in any game. I think its being a wee bit skewed by the fact we seem to be starting games slowly and having to finish strongly.

For example, if we’d scored 4 goals in the 1st half vs St Johnstone at the weekend past and coasted the second half no-one would have batted an eyelid, instead it felt like a slog until we turned the screw.

Ideally we start games quicker and can then afford to take it a bit easier, but you don’t always get what you plan.

Celtic aren’t running amok either in every game, they had a similar type of struggle as we did last night vs Hamilton a couple of weeks back, Dunfermline took them to extra time etc.

I think we need to accept that we’re not going to roll over teams, and for me anyway, games like last night, Kilmarnock, St Mirren show more progression as a team/squad than anything else. Those are games we’d have lost/drawn in any of our seasons since coming back up.

 

[1690]

Stats would point to us winning ugly rather than being lucky in most cases I believe. Take last night - grim as it was, we had more clear-cut chances and potent attacks. Even with the worst performance this season besides the OF, 1-0 ultimately flattered them, not us.

 

[WinkieWATP]

Our away win against killie was winning ugly. Tonight we rode our luck. They were the better team for first 25 mins of the second half which could have lost us the game.

We scored0 one so to go out Livi would have had to score two. Did they even have a shot on target? We might have been poor but we're never really threatened other than their CF lobbing one over the bar?

 

[AC_55]

We scored0 one so to go out Livi would have had to score two. Did they even have a shot on target? We might have been poor but we're never really threatened other than their CF lobbing one over the bar?

The lob over the bar, they hit the post & Dykes would have been through on goal with the Helander challenge. There were others i'm sure.

It was a shaky performance in general, its not a bad thing to face up and recognise that and demand better. Last night we rode our luck.

 

[Now and forever]

We won't win by playing ugly all the time.

We need to hit a bit of form.

 

[calderbear]

We scored0 one so to go out Livi would have had to score two. Did they even have a shot on target? We might have been poor but we're never really threatened other than their CF lobbing one over the bar?

Both teams had 10 shots at goal last night.
We had 6 shots on target - they had zero shots on target.

 

[iaatpies]

Bit of both.

The distinction is only made at the end of the season. Title winners don't care either way. Runners up can look back and regret.

 

[Bigbluebear]

I'm fed up hearing about plastic pitches.

If you have superior footballing skills than your opponent, then the skill should shine through whatever type of pitch and whatever the weather conditions. A simplistic outlook? Very probably.

Oh, and I believe our game in Europe next week will be played under a UEFA endorsed synthetic park also.

As for riding our luck, that will only hold out so long with that pairing in central defence.

Yeah, we've been winning ugly more often than not domestically this season, it would be nice to see us really hit the mark and Saturday would be an ideal starting point.

It will be watered though. I watched them play on it it it looked a great surface.

 

[Sheik Ma Shammy]

Bit of both but if we keep on winning and do them it will inspire real confidence in the team.