Scott Allan

[Stevie Reid]

Surprised not to see a thread about him on here today, thought he was excellent - great on the ball and always looking to take possession and make things happen. Made the wrong choices at times and missed a good chance when he shot wide from a good position, but his quality of passing and dynamism were a welcome addition to the team.

[B.H.F.C]

Obviously has quality. Need to see him further up the park though IMO.

[Brightside]

Needs to lose weight and get fitter...fast.

[Stevie Reid]

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Obviously has quality. Need to see him further up the park though IMO.

I would agree with that. Thought it might have happened late on yesterday.

[HappyAsHellas]

Thought he had a great game yesterday and made certain that if he continues to perform like this he will be a very important player for us this season. Another similar quality signing this week to play alongside him would be excellent. A good step in the right direction, but more needed, and quick.

[Heisenberg]

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Needs to lose weight and get fitter...fast.

Despite that he was better than everyone else in the midfield besides maybe Kennedy.

[MWHIBBIES]

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Needs to lose weight and get fitter...fast.

Or what?

[HoboHarry]

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Surprised not to see a thread about him on here today, thought he was excellent - great on the ball and always looking to take possession and make things happen. Made the wrong choices at times and missed a good chance when he shot wide from a good position, but his quality of passing and dynamism were a welcome addition to the team.

I'm not surprised at all. It's a common theme on this site that posters ignore the good stuff and go out of their way to dwell on the negative. You are an obvious exception and I applaud you for it.

[Alfred E Newman]

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Needs to lose weight and get fitter...fast.

Oh no, here we go.

[Winston Ingram]

He was excellent.

[JimBHibees]

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Surprised not to see a thread about him on here today, thought he was excellent - great on the ball and always looking to take possession and make things happen. Made the wrong choices at times and missed a good chance when he shot wide from a good position, but his quality of passing and dynamism were a welcome addition to the team.

Agree thought he was good, quality on the ball and will only get better.

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

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Or what?

Or we won't see his full potential? Or he will be easily injured if not fully fit?

[Brightside]

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Or what?

Or he won't be any better that we have. No doubt he has talent and is comfortable on the ball but he was blowing oot his rear end in the 2nd half and he's just a young boy - who was playing in the holding role. Once fully fit id like to see him in the middle of the 3 behind the striker.

[matty_f]

I thought he had a very good game. He looks confident and very assured. I thought he brought a lot more to the side than either Stanton or Robertson have this season. Definite starter, IMHO.

[Brightside]

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Despite that he was better than everyone else in the midfield besides maybe Kennedy.

Our midfield is a concern. Personally i'd have changed up to a 4231 again. There was no penetration through the middle of the park.

[Pretty Boy]

Done enough to keep his place. It's finding a partner for him that could prove tricky.

[JimBHibees]

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Our midfield is a concern. Personally i'd have changed up to a 4231 again. There was no penetration through the middle of the park.

I was surprised we went back to 2 strikers again at home. Thought we would have started 4231 with even someone like otj sitting with Allan further forward. To start with Heff was IMO odd.

[Heisenberg]

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Our midfield is a concern. Personally i'd have changed up to a 4231 again. There was no penetration through the middle of the park.

I totally agree. 4-4-2 just doesnt look very solid in defence and our attacks became very predictable. As you say, 4231, Craig/Stanton/Robertson and a new player (I'm praying we sign a proper defensive midfielder and get rid of OTJ) holding, Allan in behind El Alagui and Harris/Kennedy out wide.

[B.H.F.C]

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Done enough to keep his place. It's finding a partner for him that could prove tricky.

We need someone that'll allow him to go and play. I think if you can get him further up the pitch he'll make things happen. Stanton is a good footballer as well. Kennedy looked dangerous. We need a solid spine to back these type of players up. And something a bit different up top.

[Stevie Reid]

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I was surprised we went back to 2 strikers again at home. Thought we would have started 4231 with even someone like otj sitting with Allan further forward. To start with Heff was IMO odd.

I was happy for Heff to start as I was of the belief that it was worth trying to get him match fit - that said, the header and one on one he missed were snips by his standards, and we cannot afford to miss chances like those too often. I'd be happy with the set up you have suggested.

[Smartie]

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I was surprised we went back to 2 strikers again at home. Thought we would have started 4231 with even someone like otj sitting with Allan further forward. To start with Heff was IMO odd.

We create very little with 1 up front.

We had 18 chances yesterday and I think that vindicates the choice of playing 2 up front. We had far more bodies up there and looked far more threatening. It does leave us a bit more open though and I thought that was why they always looked threatening on the break.

If we'd played at least one striker who could hit a coo's erse with a banjo then we'd have won that game by about 4 goals. Finding one of them has to be the challenge this week.

I'd much rather see us play an open game like that and occasionally come unstuck than play solid, compact, dour football with 1 up front at home in the First Division and struggle to break teams down.

[Smartie]

Oh, and I also thought Scott Allan was superb yesterday. He'll prove to be a huge asset as the season goes on. How we balance the team around him who knows but I'd consider playing Stevenson in centre-mid with him as he has the energy to get up and down and is probably our best player at winning the ball back. Would complement Allan well, better than I could see Robertson, Craig or OTJ doing.

[SMAXXA]

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Surprised not to see a thread about him on here today, thought he was excellent - great on the ball and always looking to take possession and make things happen. Made the wrong choices at times and missed a good chance when he shot wide from a good position, but his quality of passing and dynamism were a welcome addition to the team.

Why are you surprised Stevie, this place is full of folk just want to moan like **** nae room for a positive threat.

[malagahibby]

Are we sure about this ?
Actually praising a hibs player

[TheFamous1875]

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Oh, and I also thought Scott Allan was superb yesterday. He'll prove to be a huge asset as the season goes on. How we balance the team around him who knows but I'd consider playing Stevenson in centre-mid with him as he has the energy to get up and down and is probably our best player at winning the ball back. Would complement Allan well, better than I could see Robertson, Craig or OTJ doing.

Came here to post much the same re Stevenson

Our midfield for this year has to be centre around Allan. He's potentially our best player alongside Hanlon and potentially Kennedy. We had no dominance in the middle yesterday. Craig doesn't command the midfield area whatsoever. He never wins the ball, never intercepts and never pushes the team up the park.

In Craig's defence (how deviant!) it hasn't previously been his game to be a holding midfielder. I don't know why he's captain or why he's being played there. He's a #10. He needs freedom to express that and he's up against it as soon as he's on the park.

Personally, I'd like us to sign a captain. A midfield 'general' type who dominates the centre of the park and enables his teammates to burst forward and attack. We don't have anyone like that in our squad just now. The closest resemblance we have to anything like that is potentially Stevenson with his work rate, his composure, his passing and his tackling we could use him as a foil to the more 'cultured' and creative Allan. This blend could potentially get the best out of both players. The only concern I have about trying this type of game is that neither of them is particularly the biggest, but having said that, neither is Keith Lasley and neither is Willow Flood, two players who've both came to Easter Road in the last few years and dominated the middle of the park.

We need a force in the middle of the park to dictate the game, and failing that I see Stevenson and Allan potentially being a more than capable solution. I would also like to see Sam Stanton in the centre of the park as that's where he's shown his strongest performances, both behind the striker as a #10 and in the centre of the park as a box-to-box MF (#8?) but he needs to be eased into first team football, playing understudy to the midfield two. With protection and support he can blossom into a real good player for us, potentially a future captain.

Craig and Robertson have experience but it doesn't show. Craig tries to play the cultured CDM role but doesn't impose himself onto the game and it's like we're a man short. Robertson is a good cog who provides energy and guile, but he is rash and un-composed and his contributions to matches can sway from driving and positive to destructive.

I'd like to see Robertson on the bench as an impact player, an engine that can burst forward and drag the team with him (to do this he needs the support of a DM in the middle i.e. Stevenson/new signing) and Craig needs to play behind the striker and get shots from there, to not worry about anything else and focus only on creating and scoring.

It's all idyllic and hypothetical but it's based on what I've seen of the squad in reality. Unless there's some drastic change in performance, I don't see how the Robertson/Craig partnership can be justified. We badly need that authoritative/domineering figure in the middle of the park, or more likely a no nonsense foil to the creative player in Allan (Stevenson). If Craig and Robertson can perform well enough to get picked and be utilised properly, then I don't see how they can't do well for the team.

A presence in the centre and everyone will perform better.

[manx hibee]

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Came here to post much the same re Stevenson

Our midfield for this year has to be centre around Allan. He's potentially our best player alongside Hanlon and potentially Kennedy. We had no dominance in the middle yesterday. Craig doesn't command the midfield area whatsoever. He never wins the ball, never intercepts and never pushes the team up the park.

In Craig's defence (how deviant!) it hasn't previously been his game to be a holding midfielder. I don't know why he's captain or why he's being played there. He's a #10. He needs freedom to express that and he's up against it as soon as he's on the park.

Personally, I'd like us to sign a captain. A midfield 'general' type who dominates the centre of the park and enables his teammates to burst forward and attack. We don't have anyone like that in our squad just now. The closest resemblance we have to anything like that is potentially Stevenson with his work rate, his composure, his passing and his tackling we could use him as a foil to the more 'cultured' and creative Allan. This blend could potentially get the best out of both players. The only concern I have about trying this type of game is that neither of them is particularly the biggest, but having said that, neither is Keith Lasley and neither is Willow Flood, two players who've both came to Easter Road in the last few years and dominated the middle of the park.

We need a force in the middle of the park to dictate the game, and failing that I see Stevenson and Allan potentially being a more than capable solution. I would also like to see Sam Stanton in the centre of the park as that's where he's shown his strongest performances, both behind the striker as a #10 and in the centre of the park as a box-to-box MF (#8?) but he needs to be eased into first team football, playing understudy to the midfield two. With protection and support he can blossom into a real good player for us, potentially a future captain.

Craig and Robertson have experience but it doesn't show. Craig tries to play the cultured CDM role but doesn't impose himself onto the game and it's like we're a man short. Robertson is a good cog who provides energy and guile, but he is rash and un-composed and his contributions to matches can sway from driving and positive to destructive.

I'd like to see Robertson on the bench as an impact player, an engine that can burst forward and drag the team with him (to do this he needs the support of a DM in the middle i.e. Stevenson/new signing) and Craig needs to play behind the striker and get shots from there, to not worry about anything else and focus only on creating and scoring.

It's all idyllic and hypothetical but it's based on what I've seen of the squad in reality. Unless there's some drastic change in performance, I don't see how the Robertson/Craig partnership can be justified. We badly need that authoritative/domineering figure in the middle of the park, or more likely a no nonsense foil to the creative player in Allan (Stevenson). If Craig and Robertson can perform well enough to get picked and be utilised properly, then I don't see how they can't do well for the team.

A presence in the centre and everyone will perform better.

10/10 👏👏

[JimBHibees]

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We create very little with 1 up front.

We had 18 chances yesterday and I think that vindicates the choice of playing 2 up front. We had far more bodies up there and looked far more threatening. It does leave us a bit more open though and I thought that was why they always looked threatening on the break.

If we'd played at least one striker who could hit a coo's erse with a banjo then we'd have won that game by about 4 goals. Finding one of them has to be the challenge this week.

I'd much rather see us play an open game like that and occasionally come unstuck than play solid, compact, dour football with 1 up front at home in the First Division and struggle to break teams down.

Maybe so but the 3 attacking midfielders behind the one are meant to be more creative due to their movement and runs. Not sure the balance was right with both Heff and Farid quite static and not really working together.

[Stevie Reid]

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Maybe so but the 3 attacking midfielders behind the one are meant to be more creative due to their movement and runs. Not sure the balance was right with both Heff and Farid quite static and not really working together.

Agree, didn't see any signs of a potential partnership there - though both of them did have several gilt edged chances.

We did create plenty chances at Ibrox with one up front.