SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP
WATT AND SAMMON NEED GOALS
It’s been a positive start for both Hearts and the strike duo of Tony Watt and Conor Sammon. The Jambos gave Celtic their toughest test yet – at least in domestic competition – and came within ten minutes of holding the champions elect. Three successive victories, before defeat at St Johnstone, then put them second in the table. Watt and Sammon, meanwhile, combined to form a formidable partnership.
The former needs to succeed more than the latter. Watt has gained a reputation for having attitude problems, travelling from one club to the next, never fulfilling his potential. The fact he’s been at Airdrieonians, Celtic, Lierse, Standard Liege, Charlton Athletic, Cardiff City, Blackburn Rovers, and now Hearts since debuting in 2010 – eight clubs in six years – highlights that he’s never settled at a club, yet obviously has something about him that managers are willing to take a risk. He’s Scotland’s Mario Balotelli.
Sammon, on the other hand, is a more experienced hand. The 29-year-old, though, should be a warning sign to Watt. He too travelled across the border, young and promising, and returned having failed to match that potential – he notched just three more goals in 167 games in England than his 17 at Kilmarnock. Yet Sammon is also a good professional. His attitude and work-rate on the pitch should be an example for Watt. It helps that both have settled at Tynecastle.
Watt looks like creating something every time he gets on the ball. He possesses that bit of spark that Sammon lacks; the ability to create something from nothing, whether it be a dazzling run past a defender, or a little pass that opens up a back-line. Sammon is a more physical threat. He bullies the opposition defence, using his imposing frame, and tends to find more success linking-up attacks than creating chances for himself. The one thing, despite acclimatising quickly, that both lack, however, is goals. After a combined 13 appearances, the duo have scored just one goal each. Hearts’ goalless draw against Ross County demonstrated why that’s the case.
Sammon and Watt had innumerable opportunities to strike. The duo latched onto several counter-attacks, coming up against a weakened and disorganised defence, and yet seemed to over-complicate the attack each time. One would pass to the other – neither could be accused of being selfish. Scott Fox did a commendable job making it a tough afternoon for the pair. The County goalkeeper proved equal to their best attempts and deserved his clean sheet. It was a performance he’ll be proud of. And, yet, Watt and Sammon should’ve done more. It can’t become a recurring theme.
FAMILIAR PROBLEMS FOR PARTICK
I’ll admit that I had high hopes for Partick Thistle at the beginning of the season. Could the Jags, buoyed by the return of Chris Erskine, push for the top six? The answer appears to be: no. After six games – the postponed game against Celtic is unlikely to yield any points – Thistle have five points, three of those gathered from the first game of the campaign.
A 2-0 defeat of a disorganised Inverness CT seemed to confirm my suspicions. The midfield looked both creative and solid in equal measure, the defence had pace and mobility, if lacking in a bit of experience, and the lack of a consistent striker would be made up for by the contributions of Erskine and co. That optimism soon waned. Stuart Bannigan suffered a knee injury that ruled him out for at least six months. Three successive defeats, although against the current second, third, and fourth place teams, sunk expectations, before a disappointing draw at Kilmarnock – a game that Killie looked the better in – sent them to the bottom of the table. Thistle’s weaknesses have been exposed. And they all look so familiar.
Goals are the number one problem. Thistle have conceded just nine goals, better than any side in the bottom six – including Rangers – and the same as fifth place Motherwell. Although the defence looks suspect at best – the Liam Lindsay/Danny Devine partnership lacks experience and consistency over 90 minutes – it’s good enough to deserve a mid-table position. It’s a lack of fire-power that is denying them. Six games in and neither Kris Doolan nor Adebayo Azeez have scored a goal. Azeez looks like another strong but technically weak striker, a Matthias Pogba 2.0, and Doolan is just not consistent enough to warrant a starting berth week-after-week. Liam Lindsay is the club’s second highest scorer. If not for the brilliant form of Erskine, who appears to be loving his football again, the team would be in dire straits. It’s something Alan Archibald needs to address soon. A relegation battle could be the result if he doesn’t.
SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIP
ST MIRREN DEFENCE NEEDS FIXING
Alex Rae’s dismissal did not come as a shock. Rae did an excellent job after Ian Murray’s departure, steering the club to safety, albeit by unattractive means. The question was: Could he build on that? It looked like he’d done positive business over the summer. However, it became clear that his business was a little too lopsided.
Four strikers arrived in the form of David Clarkson, John Sutton, Ryan Hardie, and Lawrence Shankland. The Aberdeen loanee was a welcome returnee after impressing the previous season. Hardie looked like a coup, as he had proven to be a dangerous striker while on loan at Raith. And although Sutton’s career had stagnated at St Johnstone, his experience and close-range finishing could be great attributes in the Championship. But no one came in to replace Perth bound right-back Keith Watson. Nor did anyone come in to fill the Jim Goodwin shaped void in front of the defence. Rae even felt confident enough to let centre-half Ben Gordon depart on loan to Alloa. This imbalance proved to be his undoing.
It’s an issue his replacement, whoever that may be, needs to address straight away. The Saints need more options. They also need a defender in his prime. Against Dunfermline, St Mirren lined-up with Gary MacKenzie and Gary Irvine, both in their early 30s, alongside Jack Baird and Jason Naismith, the former a teenager, the latter just 22. Substitute Andy Webster, whose time appears to be up, did nothing to rectify this imbalance. The Buddies are in dire need of a centre-half in his mid-20s; someone who has both experience and can turn quicker than an 18-wheeler. There also needs to be a change in system.
Rae stubbornly clung on to his 4-4-2 despite the poor results it yielded. It didn’t help that the Saints had just two central midfielders to choose from: Kyle Hutton and Stephen Mallan – Rocco Quinn returned a week too late to help Rae. A 4-4-2, as Leicester fans can attest, relies on an energetic, mobile, and hard-working midfield; one that can perform both defensive and attacking duties. Hutton and Mallan weren’t up to the task. Hutton, quite simply, is not good enough. Mallan, meanwhile, is an attacker at heart. He longs to venture forward and often lacks the desire to get back and do the dirty work. Rae’s summer dealings forced him into this predicament. He needed a three-man midfield to help stabilise the defence, yet that would’ve meant sacrificing a striker. Rae dug himself into a hole.
SCOTTISH LEAGUE ONE
LIVI DEFENCE NEEDS A REJIG
The weekend’s surprising result in League One came at Bayview, where three goals in 26 minutes sunk Livingston. Jamie Insall, continuing his fine form in his second loan stint at East Fife, grabbed a brace, while Chris Kane, regarded as a failure at relegated Cowdenbeath last season, scored a howitzer. The considerable travelling support booed off their team at half-time, shocked at the lacklustre performance, but got behind them as it appeared a second-half comeback could be on the cards. Josh Mullin’s finish came as a result of a period of dominance for Livi. The Fifers sunk further and further into their own half, desperate long balls up to an isolated Insall becoming their only respite, as the visitors turned the screw. But East Fife held on. The threat subsided. The momentum began to even out. Although the game was out of reach for Livi, a couple of suspect red cards for Michael Miller and Alan Lithgow ended any hope of snatching a late point. However, David Hopkin must be questioning how Livi capitulated in those 26 minutes. All three goals could’ve been prevented.
The first came inside eight minutes, in part thanks to the aid of the East Neuk wind. Mark Hurst’s long ball cleared the entire Livi defence, landing ahead of the chasing Insall. Craig Halkett, the one Lions defender possessing an ounce of pace, watched the ball and failed to track the lurking East Fife striker. Insall let the ball take one bounce, before lofting it over the head of Liam Kelly, who found himself in No Man’s Land. Halkett should’ve been tracking the runner, but Kelly, who spent a spell on loan at Bayview last season, failed to make up his mind, and was caught in between. Halkett fumed.
It was a surprise lead for the Fifers, and one that was soon extended. Three minutes after celebrating Insall’s chip, Chris Kane added a second. Gary Naysmith’s free-kick found Kevin Smith on the edge of the box. His simple header fell to Kane, who swept the ball into the top right corner. The Livi defence sank deep as the free-kick came in and again focused on the ball rather than the man. Kane found himself in space around the spot. The afternoon was to get worse for Livi.
Smith’s long ball again cut out the Livi defence, lofting over the heads of Halkett and Alan Lithgow. However, the liability for the third East Fife goal wasn’t on them. A nervous-looking Kelly came out but didn’t jump to catch the ball; instead, he stood rooted to the ground, as Insall – who’s quite short in stature – leapt above him to head the ball. Insall, his back to goal, then spun on the spot and smashed the ball into the net. The goalkeeper shouted at the referee, claiming a foul, but he never tried to claim the ball. The furious travelling support lambasted Kelly, themselves not convinced by his desperate shouts.
One problem that Livi failed to address that afternoon was the amount of space between the defence and the goalkeeper. Three centre-backs should be able to handle a single striker. Yet Insall’s pace caused problems. Stranraer’s Cammy Belford was a key factor in keeping his side in the game when they visited Bayview, because he has the confidence in coming out to claim a ball and is comfortable using his feet. All too often that afternoon he had to speed off his line to help his defence and deny Insall. Kelly, however, looked devoid of confidence. After the third goal he remained rooted to his line, almost refusing to come out to handle crosses. That created a huge vacuum for Insall to operate in. East Fife – although not a long-ball outfit – quickly adapted to this. If David Hopkin doesn’t fix this, they won’t be the last.
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