23 Feb 2017 12:31:59
A natural reaction to critisim is to go out and prove your doubters wrong surely. I don't even think Keirnan and Halliday are that bad. They just keep making the same mistakes over and over and over again. They say a coo will only lick an electric fence once and then remember how much it hurt first time and never do it again. Now I'm not suggesting for a minute that these boys have the same intellect as a coo but when you hurt yourself and your team and the tens of thousands of supporters who canny wait for the weekend to come round to see their team play (altough that has been less of a problem for me lately) and you keep making the same mistakes over and over (getting caught in possession 30 years from your own goal to name but one) you really have to question the mentality of these boys. Surely your first thought when you get the ball in that area (Halliday your the holding midfielder this is your domain) surely the only thing in your head at that moment is keep the effing ball. The opposition players recognise me as a weak link so their going to be right into me in a matter of seconds "DO NOT LOSE THE BALL" turn and go look for options ahead or on the wings
Failing that put it back to your goalkeeper. But no, he's facing his own goal, his touch is awful, he turns slower than the titanic the opposition are onto him

1.) 23 Feb 2017
23 Feb 2017 15:25:17
Halliday is not a Holding Midfield player and shouldn't be deployed in that area. Either he plays further up the park or if he is not good enough for that role then he should be now there near the team.

The fault, that he plays in that role and continues in that role despite being at fault for goals week in, week out, is not his. It is the fault of management!

What I would criticise him for, (since he is supposedly a died in the wool bluenose), is his lack of commitment, his lack of fight and his lack of guile. Indeed I reckon that LVB hit the nail on the head when he questioned his mentality. He is not, for me, the brightest of people. In the recent Celtic game, with Brown booked early on and controlling the midfield, someone with a bit of intelligence would have had the guile to get him a second booking and a red card!

As for Kiernan, for a big guy he sure lacks fight and solidity. He should be commanding that penalty box in the air, he should be attacking and winning every ball in the air, but then if the coaching staff don't coach you to play the ball in the air what chance do you have!

2.) 23 Feb 2017
23 Feb 2017 17:44:52
Tomusa, Halliday has been playing in this so-called unfamiliar position for the best part of two seasons so there is no excuse for his ineptitude.

3.) 25 Feb 2017
24 Feb 2017 13:55:43
I agree with most of what you are saying about Halliday. However he isn't slow at all. Remember he was a winger in a past life and even in recent games I remember him outpacing midfielders to bring the ball forward. His main problem as far as I can see is that he is far too casual in possession and often not aware of players around him. I think he is playing with a winger's mentality, ie if he loses possession in a forward area the repercussions are often not serious.

If he loses possession in front of the defence it often causes big problems. And yet I've seen him play a blinder in odd games (the semi final last year for example) but it very rarely happens now. As you say opposing players can predict what he is going to do and they close tight on him. And you are right about it being of paramount importance that the ball is not lost in his area of the field. I genuinely think he has still not grasped the concept. It's so frustrating as I think there is a very decent player in there.

4.) 25 Feb 2017
24 Feb 2017 18:32:43
Could someone enlighten me as to where is the natural preferred position of Andy halliday?