When Jim McIntyre took over as manager in Dingwall, he inherited a side bottom of the table with zero points, level with St Mirren, and a goal difference of -11. Ten league matches later the side have amassed 8 points, the same as St Mirren, and have seen their goal difference dip to -19.
It must be noted that the Ross County squad under McIntyre’s predecessor had swelled to ridiculous proportions and he, therefore, cane be afforded time to sift through his options. Matters were made even worse when another 3 players were added on transfer deadline day, shortly before McIntyre's appointment - although he has frequently used all 3 – before he added a further 5 of his own.
Ross County were deficient at both ends of the park early in the season and these problems have continued under the reign of McIntyre. The goals from Yoann Arquin and Darren Maatsen in the defeat to Dundee United on Friday night were the 5th and 6th league goals - of their 15 this season - that has failed to alter the outcome of the match.
The Staggies have only taken the lead in just 4 of their league matches this season and have also failed to take the lead in three cup outings. More often than not, they have found themselves further behind before finding the net – if they do at all - rendering many of their goals meaningless in terms of points accumulated.
If your team has only managed 6 first half goals in the league so far – with 3 of those coming in a 3-0 victory - then ideally your defence should be resolute, allowing the few goals you can muster the chance of being converted into points.
Unfortunately, this has not been the case. Ross County have conceded the first goal in 11 of their league matches, have conceded a total of 34 goals – and average of 2.27 per game – and have only managed one clean sheet in 18 matches across all competitions.
This is partially down to a lack of quality in their squad - County have limited resources and can only afford a certain level of player - but is also partially a consequence of the many combinations they fielded in a perpetually unsettled back four. Paul Quinn - signed by McIntyre shortly after taking over – may have performed admirably so far in a backline devoid of confidence, but his pairing with Lewis Toshney on Friday night was the club’s 10th different central-defensive partnership this season† .
Before then Scott Boyd had partnered Timothy Dressen, Jordi Balk, Ben Frempah, Darren Barr and Paul Quinn, while Frempah had previously lined up alongside Dressen, Jackson Irvine, Paul Quinn and Darren Barr (albeit for 4 minutes towards the end of their match versus Aberdeen) before Toshney and Quinn were selected for the defeat to Dundee United.
And while we can blame Derek Adams more than McIntyre for County’s scattergun approach to recruitment this season, McIntyre has been responsible for testing 9 of these 10 partnerships in the centre of defence.
The situation at full-back has hardly been much better. Toshney, Barr, Balk, Richie Brittain and Jim Fenlon have all been used on the right this season, while Barr, Fenlon, Graham Carey, Uros Celcer and Jamie Reckord have been tried at left-back*.
Three of the defenders signed in the summer – Dressen, Balk and Celcer – have already agreed to cancel their contracts, suggesting that a more meticulous transfer policy in the summer no doubt would have benefited the club. Rather than having 14 defenders on the wage bill at one point this season, they surely could have veered more towards quality over quantity before it got to that stage.
A similar argument can be made about the goalkeepers. Last season Kilmarnock were guilty of spending part of their budget on two first-team goalkeepers and have now released one and gone with young Conor Brennan as back-up instead. This allows them to use much needed funds to recruit for other positons.
The man Kilmarnock released, Antonio Reguero, initially made his way to Victoria Park to provide competition for Mark Brown. After a short, uninspiring run in the side, Reguero was dropped and hasn’t appeared since. And while Brown has, in the past, been known as a steady pair of hands at Premiership level, he has looked increasingly bereft of confidence as the weeks have progressed, culminating in Friday’s performance.
Jim McIntyre may be some distance off the squad and starting line-up he desires, but he surely now has to work on establishing some continuity with his first XI, especially in defence, and must only bring in players during the next transfer window that improve the starting line-up, rather than bulk up an already overweight squad.
† Ross County central-defensive partnerships this season:
Boyd-Dressen x3
Balk-Boyd x3
Frempah-Boyd x3
Barr-Boyd
Barr-Frempah (for last 4 minutes of Aberdeen match)
Frempah-Dressen
Irvine-Frempah
Quinn-Frempah
Boyd-Quinn x5
Toshney-Quinn
*Defenders who have played for Ross County this season (appearances in brackets):
- Scott Boyd (13), Darren Barr (6 overall, 4 in defence), Ben Frempah (6), Jim Fenlon (4), Lewis Toshney (7), Paul Quinn (6), Jamie Reckord (3), Graham Carey (13 overall, 5 in defence), Uros Celcer (5), Timothy Dressen (3), Jordi Balk (4), Richie Brittain (13 overall, 3 in defence)
Showing posts with label Jim McIntyre. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jim McIntyre. Show all posts
Sunday, 7 December 2014
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Dunfermline 0 St. Mirren 0
Dunfermline marked their return to the SPL with a 0-0 draw at home to St. Mirren. Jim McIntyre lined up his side in a 4-4-2 formation with David Graham and Joe Cardle flanking Martin Hardie and Gary Mason in midfield. Jason Thomson made his debut at right-back after a loan move from Hearts and John Potter and Paul Gallacher both made their second debuts for the club against their most recent previous employers. Steven McDougall was preferred to Andy Barrowman in attack.
Danny Lennon gave debuts to Steven Thompson, Gary Teale, Jeroen Tesselaar and Nigel Hasselbaink. Their formation was somewhere between a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 depending on the position of Paul McGowan. Teale and Hasselbaink began on the wings and switched regularly throughout the match. Jim Goodwin patrolled the area in front of the back four, allowing the St. Mirren full-backs the licence to push on.
St. Mirren dominate
St. Mirren completely dominated the first half, doing everything right except find the net. In an interview before the match, Lennon expressed his willingness to instil a passing approach, pointing out that he had signed players who are comfortable in possession. This approach was evident throughout the match as St. Mirren routinely passed it out form the back and kept possession well. Hasselbaink, McGowan and Teale were all finding space between the lines and the away side really should have done better with a few early opportunities, especially given how shaky Gallacher was looking in the Dunfermline goal.
To add to their frustration, Thompson passed up the opportunity to open his account with his new club when Gallacher denied him from the spot but despite their inability to score, St. Mirren can be pleased with their overall performance. David van Zanten and Tesselaar got forward to support attacks and the movement of the front four was superb: Thompson would often pull deep and wide, Hasselbaink would cut in from whatever wing he found himself on, Teale would look to drop deep to collect the ball and McGowan was given something of a free role.
St. Mirren not only dominated possession, they worked so hard off the ball that they stopped Dunfermline from building any momentum. Hasselbaink and Teale were quick to close down the Dunfermline full-backs, who were rushed into direct passes down the channels, almost all of which were inaccurate. Other than this, the home side’s only strategy was for the goalkeeper to hit Hardie with long balls.
It was perhaps surprising that Dunfermline manager Jim McIntyre decided to set up in a 4-4-2 formation. He too articulated his intention to retain a passing approach in an interview during the close season. However, the fact that he chose to go with two banks of four and two strikers, therefore conceding the midfield battle, suggests that his strategy, initially at least, was to soak up pressure and hopefully catch their opponents on the break.
Their set up in opposition to St. Mirren’s meant that they were met with the classic problem of the 4-4-2 versus a three men central midfield: a man disadvantage in the centre of the pitch. The fact that neither of Dunfermline’s strikers looked to drop deep and help out only perpetuated the problem. Further, the presence of Hasselbaink and Teale pushed high up the pitch meant that the Dunfermline full-backs could not advance and help out the midfield as much as they’d like to.
As the half progressed Dunfermline became deeper and deeper as a unit and whenever they regained possession they struggled to find any sort of out-ball. This, again, was partly due to how hard St. Mirren worked off the ball.
Dunfermline’s second half changes
The second half continued in much the same vein as the first, St. Mirren dominating possession but struggling to find the net. They came close through efforts from Teale and Thomson early in the second half but struggled to create anything clear-cut after that.
As the half wore on it seemed that St. Mirren were beginning to run out of steam and McIntyre responded by making a few substitutions. The first change was to bring on Barrowman for the ineffective McDougall, a straight swap which did little to change their set-up.
With around twenty-five minutes remaining, McIntyre then introduced Paul Burns for Graham, which at first seemed like it may have been another straight swap but in actual fact, Burns positioned himself closer to the centre circle than Graham had, and with Jason Thomson now pushing on from right-back, this meant Dunfermline were now effectively matching up 3v3 in the centre of midfield.
McIntyre now sensed that his side could potentially snatch the victory and made his final change, withdrawing Andy Kirk in favour of Ryan Thomson, another holding midfielder. This meant that Dunfermline were now lined up 4-2-3-1 and this coupled with St. Mirren’s growing lethargy (it was surprising that Lennon made no substitutions at all) meant that Dunfermline enjoyed their best spell of the match.
Conclusion
Dunfermline were completely outplayed in this match until McIntyre switched their formation and matched St. Mirren man-for-man in the centre of the pitch. It is surprising that this wasn’t noticed and responded to earlier but, as alluded to earlier, perhaps the strategy was to hold a deep defensive line, remain compact and then go for the victory late on.
If so then it is a very risky strategy to say the least. St. Mirren carved out many opportunities and should have had the lead through Thompson’s penalty kick.
St. Mirren were very unlucky not to win and if last night’s performance is anything to go by then they will likely achieve their highest finish since their return to the SPL. Lennon has brought some exciting attacking talent to the club. Thompson looks an excellent signing despite his penalty miss and his height, strength and first touch looks like it will be complimented nicely by the pace (with the exception of Teale) and trickery of the three just behind him. The real test for St. Mirren will be how their defence and goalkeeper cope against better opposition.
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Season Preview: How will newly-promoted Dunfermline fare in the SPL?
The upcoming SPL campaign will see Dunfermline Athletic make their return after a four year absence. The Pars deservedly won promotion after spending the vast majority of the season in the top two positions of the First Division, before hitting a rich vein of form in the closing months. In the end they finished ten points clear, only lost one home match all season and accumulated more points away from home than anyone else.
As we have seen in the most recent SPL campaign, the promoted side can often catch the other teams unaware and string together an impressive run of results, which, given that there is only one relegation spot, can all but ensure SPL survival going into the second half of the season, even when the side inevitably hits a poor run of form.
The team referred to are of course Inverness Caledonian Thistle who, under Terry Butcher, continued their impressive unbeaten away record, stretching it over an entire calendar year which included coming from two goals behind to draw at Celtic Park. When this type of scenario unfolds, it is usually down to the side carrying on the form and confidence, harbouring that winning mentality, that got them promoted in the first place. If Dunfermline can maintain their form from the tail end of last season and carry it into the new season in the same way Inverness managed to, they will be certain to avoid the drop.
Relatedly, something may also be said for sticking to the same system and strategy that brought about promotion. In recent English Premier League seasons, newly-promoted Burnley, and latterly Blackpool, have shown that sticking to the same enterprising football that earned promotion, as opposed to reverting to a more solid, defensive strategy, can reap rewards. Both sides were eventually relegated in their maiden season in the Premiership, however, both enjoyed a terrific first half to their respective seasons and did not learn their fate until the final day. Furthermore, even though both were relegated it should be noted that they had three relegation spots to avoid to the SPL’s one.
The converse, also apparent in recent SPL campaigns, is for a side to struggle initially but then slowly find their feet, hit a decent run of form at a certain point in the season and avoid relegation relatively comfortably. Despite winning three of their first five matches on their return to the SPL, a run of only one win in thirteen saw Hamilton rooted to the bottom of the table by the end of November in the 2008/09 season. The Lanarkshire side then embarked on a string of results which saw them win six of their next eight matches which ultimately saved them from the drop. A similar example can be found with Derek McIness’s St. Johnstone who, in the 2009/10 season, managed only one win in their first nine before hitting a run which saw them lose only three matches between December and March.
Not since Gretna in the 2007/08 season have a side won promotion and then instantly been relegated again. Since then Hamilton, St. Johnstone and Inverness have all survived their first year in Scotland’s top flight.
So it remains to be seen whether Dunfermline will be able to carry their momentum from last season or whether they will struggle initially, heaping on the pressure to start finding results from somewhere. One thing is for sure, they already have a huge amount of SPL experience amongst their ranks. Of last season’s contingent, Andy Kirk, Chris Smith, Austin McCann, Kevin Rutkiewicz, Calum Woods, David Graham and Martin Hardie have all had spells in the top flight, while summer recruits Paul Gallacher and John Potter have a wealth of SPL experience between them.
Tactics
I would love to be able explain theformations and strategies employed by Dunfermline manager Jim McIntyre last season but unfortunately I didn’t get to see them play. Instead I will extrapolate what I can from the reports from John Maxwell’s wonderful Ross County Tactics website.
Dunfermline 3 Ross County 2 16.10.10
In this match, Dunfermline lined up 4-4-2 with one winger, Willy Gibson - who has since been sold to Crawley Town – higher up the pitch that the other, Joe Cardle. The home side were allowed to build from the back but lacked anyone from midfield to drop deep and aid the transitions to attack. This was due to the two central midfield players, Steven Bell and Gary Mason, pushing on simultaneously which meant that, when out of possession, Ross County’s Michael Gardyne was able to exploit the space left between the lines.
Dunfermline will not get away with this in the SPL. All the top sides, and most of the others, have players that play in this area and capitalise on any space found there. You only have to look at the scoring records of the likes of Steven Naismith, Kris Commons and Rudi Skacel over the past season, as well as the performances of Alexi Eremenko and Danny Swanson for this to become apparent.
Another interesting feature of this match was Andy Kirk’s tendency to drift left during counter attacks, to receive the ball and cross towards the back post, which brought about two goals. Dunfermline will likely play on the counter attack when away from home, something Inverness Caley Thistle managed to great effect last season, and clever off-the-ball movement will be key to capitalising on these.
Ross County 0 Dunfermline 0 22.02.11
Here, Dunfermline did switch to a central-midfield-three with two wingers pushed high against the Ross
County full-backs, making them rush their passes while in possession. This approach is certainly effective when executed well although carries major risks. If the team fails to remain compact, that is, if there is too much of a distance between the defence and attack then this will inevitably leave space, either between defence and midfield or midfield and attack, that can be taken advantage of by the opponents. However, even if a side is to remain compact, meaning they now are holding a high defensive line, then they will become vulnerable to the pace of some SPL attacks. Throughout these three reports, John Maxwell refers to the Dunfermline defence as “immobile”. If this is the case, then they will without doubt be punished by the more pacey attacks in the SPL.
Mason was, for the most part, the spare man in midfield and was afforded time on the ball and allowed to dictate the play. He and his teammates would form triangles around the County midfield, which allowed the Pars to bypass the home side’s midfield easily. Gardyne found himself higher up the pitch than the last meeting between the sides, which is strange since playing in his usual central attacking midfield role would have meant he could have kept tabs on Mason and thus negate Dunfermline’s man advantage in the centre of the pitch.
Most sides in the SPL now play with at least three central midfielders, usually in the form of one central attacking midfielder along with two holders, meaning that Mason will likely not be afforded this amount of time on the ball, or else will have his own direct opponent to track.
Ross County 0 Dunfermline 1 29.03.11
For the final meeting between the sides last season, McIntyre again changed his formation, this time to a 4-2-3-1 with two holding midfielders that allowed the attacking four of Liam Buchanan, Martin Hardie, Joe Cardle and Steven McDougall licence to attack.
Of the two holders, one was always spare which was likely due to the presence of Hardie just off Buchanan in attack. Yet again, the positioning of the two wingers high up the pitch pinned the Ross County full-backs back and caused them to rush when in possession.
Towards the end of the match, with the score still 0-0, McIntyre decided to move to a 4-2-4 and was eventually rewarded when Hardie nodded in the winner in the last minute. A similar attacking move was made towards the end of the 0-0 draw between the sides earlier in the season, only this time it failed as it negated their man advantage in midfield and, as a result, they struggled to create any more chances. Make of that what you will: Is McIntyre brave or tactically naïve?
Conclusion
This is obviously a very small sample but it allows us to draw at least some provisional conclusions. Firstly, of the three matches reported, Dunfermline have employed a different system each time even though Ross County have stuck with more-or-less the same 4-4-1-1 formation in each of the matches. This suggests tactical flexibility and a willingness to chop and change things. It is also notable that of the three matches mentioned above, Dunfermline drew once and were victorious in the other two, meaning that, overall, the changes were effective.
One of the few constants that can be identified is that McIntyre likes to play with a winger on each side. As well as this, the Dunfermline manager admitted that “Passing the ball is the one thing Dunfermline have been renowned for”, adding that “we’ll always try to pass the ball, we don’t bang it long…that won’t change.” Even if a passing approach is retained, it will be interesting to see whether they stick to having two out-and-out wingers in their side.
It would also appear that the apparent weakness from these matches is the lack of pace at the back. Maxwell refers to the Dunfermline defence as “immobile” on a few occasions which, coupled with the willingness to press opponents high up the pitch, means that they may face the dilemma of pressing high and being vulnerable to attacks with pace, or else keep a deeper defensive line and leave space between the lines.
All this depends on what approach McIntyre decides to adopt. He has stressed his willingness to retain a passing approach but this does not necessarily imply an attacking approach. A deeper defensive line and a counter attacking strategy could potentially serve them well. Whatever initial approach the SPL new boys adopt, their manager has shown a tactical flexibility that could serve him well in his inaugural season as an SPL manager.
As we have seen in the most recent SPL campaign, the promoted side can often catch the other teams unaware and string together an impressive run of results, which, given that there is only one relegation spot, can all but ensure SPL survival going into the second half of the season, even when the side inevitably hits a poor run of form.
The team referred to are of course Inverness Caledonian Thistle who, under Terry Butcher, continued their impressive unbeaten away record, stretching it over an entire calendar year which included coming from two goals behind to draw at Celtic Park. When this type of scenario unfolds, it is usually down to the side carrying on the form and confidence, harbouring that winning mentality, that got them promoted in the first place. If Dunfermline can maintain their form from the tail end of last season and carry it into the new season in the same way Inverness managed to, they will be certain to avoid the drop.
Relatedly, something may also be said for sticking to the same system and strategy that brought about promotion. In recent English Premier League seasons, newly-promoted Burnley, and latterly Blackpool, have shown that sticking to the same enterprising football that earned promotion, as opposed to reverting to a more solid, defensive strategy, can reap rewards. Both sides were eventually relegated in their maiden season in the Premiership, however, both enjoyed a terrific first half to their respective seasons and did not learn their fate until the final day. Furthermore, even though both were relegated it should be noted that they had three relegation spots to avoid to the SPL’s one.
The converse, also apparent in recent SPL campaigns, is for a side to struggle initially but then slowly find their feet, hit a decent run of form at a certain point in the season and avoid relegation relatively comfortably. Despite winning three of their first five matches on their return to the SPL, a run of only one win in thirteen saw Hamilton rooted to the bottom of the table by the end of November in the 2008/09 season. The Lanarkshire side then embarked on a string of results which saw them win six of their next eight matches which ultimately saved them from the drop. A similar example can be found with Derek McIness’s St. Johnstone who, in the 2009/10 season, managed only one win in their first nine before hitting a run which saw them lose only three matches between December and March.
Not since Gretna in the 2007/08 season have a side won promotion and then instantly been relegated again. Since then Hamilton, St. Johnstone and Inverness have all survived their first year in Scotland’s top flight.
So it remains to be seen whether Dunfermline will be able to carry their momentum from last season or whether they will struggle initially, heaping on the pressure to start finding results from somewhere. One thing is for sure, they already have a huge amount of SPL experience amongst their ranks. Of last season’s contingent, Andy Kirk, Chris Smith, Austin McCann, Kevin Rutkiewicz, Calum Woods, David Graham and Martin Hardie have all had spells in the top flight, while summer recruits Paul Gallacher and John Potter have a wealth of SPL experience between them.
Tactics
I would love to be able explain theformations and strategies employed by Dunfermline manager Jim McIntyre last season but unfortunately I didn’t get to see them play. Instead I will extrapolate what I can from the reports from John Maxwell’s wonderful Ross County Tactics website.
Dunfermline 3 Ross County 2 16.10.10
In this match, Dunfermline lined up 4-4-2 with one winger, Willy Gibson - who has since been sold to Crawley Town – higher up the pitch that the other, Joe Cardle. The home side were allowed to build from the back but lacked anyone from midfield to drop deep and aid the transitions to attack. This was due to the two central midfield players, Steven Bell and Gary Mason, pushing on simultaneously which meant that, when out of possession, Ross County’s Michael Gardyne was able to exploit the space left between the lines.
Dunfermline will not get away with this in the SPL. All the top sides, and most of the others, have players that play in this area and capitalise on any space found there. You only have to look at the scoring records of the likes of Steven Naismith, Kris Commons and Rudi Skacel over the past season, as well as the performances of Alexi Eremenko and Danny Swanson for this to become apparent.
Another interesting feature of this match was Andy Kirk’s tendency to drift left during counter attacks, to receive the ball and cross towards the back post, which brought about two goals. Dunfermline will likely play on the counter attack when away from home, something Inverness Caley Thistle managed to great effect last season, and clever off-the-ball movement will be key to capitalising on these.
Ross County 0 Dunfermline 0 22.02.11
Here, Dunfermline did switch to a central-midfield-three with two wingers pushed high against the Ross
County full-backs, making them rush their passes while in possession. This approach is certainly effective when executed well although carries major risks. If the team fails to remain compact, that is, if there is too much of a distance between the defence and attack then this will inevitably leave space, either between defence and midfield or midfield and attack, that can be taken advantage of by the opponents. However, even if a side is to remain compact, meaning they now are holding a high defensive line, then they will become vulnerable to the pace of some SPL attacks. Throughout these three reports, John Maxwell refers to the Dunfermline defence as “immobile”. If this is the case, then they will without doubt be punished by the more pacey attacks in the SPL.
Mason was, for the most part, the spare man in midfield and was afforded time on the ball and allowed to dictate the play. He and his teammates would form triangles around the County midfield, which allowed the Pars to bypass the home side’s midfield easily. Gardyne found himself higher up the pitch than the last meeting between the sides, which is strange since playing in his usual central attacking midfield role would have meant he could have kept tabs on Mason and thus negate Dunfermline’s man advantage in the centre of the pitch.
Most sides in the SPL now play with at least three central midfielders, usually in the form of one central attacking midfielder along with two holders, meaning that Mason will likely not be afforded this amount of time on the ball, or else will have his own direct opponent to track.
Ross County 0 Dunfermline 1 29.03.11
For the final meeting between the sides last season, McIntyre again changed his formation, this time to a 4-2-3-1 with two holding midfielders that allowed the attacking four of Liam Buchanan, Martin Hardie, Joe Cardle and Steven McDougall licence to attack.
Of the two holders, one was always spare which was likely due to the presence of Hardie just off Buchanan in attack. Yet again, the positioning of the two wingers high up the pitch pinned the Ross County full-backs back and caused them to rush when in possession.
Towards the end of the match, with the score still 0-0, McIntyre decided to move to a 4-2-4 and was eventually rewarded when Hardie nodded in the winner in the last minute. A similar attacking move was made towards the end of the 0-0 draw between the sides earlier in the season, only this time it failed as it negated their man advantage in midfield and, as a result, they struggled to create any more chances. Make of that what you will: Is McIntyre brave or tactically naïve?
Conclusion
This is obviously a very small sample but it allows us to draw at least some provisional conclusions. Firstly, of the three matches reported, Dunfermline have employed a different system each time even though Ross County have stuck with more-or-less the same 4-4-1-1 formation in each of the matches. This suggests tactical flexibility and a willingness to chop and change things. It is also notable that of the three matches mentioned above, Dunfermline drew once and were victorious in the other two, meaning that, overall, the changes were effective.
One of the few constants that can be identified is that McIntyre likes to play with a winger on each side. As well as this, the Dunfermline manager admitted that “Passing the ball is the one thing Dunfermline have been renowned for”, adding that “we’ll always try to pass the ball, we don’t bang it long…that won’t change.” Even if a passing approach is retained, it will be interesting to see whether they stick to having two out-and-out wingers in their side.
It would also appear that the apparent weakness from these matches is the lack of pace at the back. Maxwell refers to the Dunfermline defence as “immobile” on a few occasions which, coupled with the willingness to press opponents high up the pitch, means that they may face the dilemma of pressing high and being vulnerable to attacks with pace, or else keep a deeper defensive line and leave space between the lines.
All this depends on what approach McIntyre decides to adopt. He has stressed his willingness to retain a passing approach but this does not necessarily imply an attacking approach. A deeper defensive line and a counter attacking strategy could potentially serve them well. Whatever initial approach the SPL new boys adopt, their manager has shown a tactical flexibility that could serve him well in his inaugural season as an SPL manager.
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