Livi vs TNS

Callum Carson wrote:TNS have scored more than double any other team in the Welsh league this season (52 goals in 14 games) and have best defence, seven conceded

Difficult to put that into real terms not really knowing the Welsh league but obviously we need to be on the top of our game.

Based on nothing but a gut feeling I'm going to suggest a 3- 2 win to the Lions with the first goal in 20th minute.


EDIT - Bugger! I'd forgotten it was a Sunday kick off - wont change the result other than the entire game will probably be under floodlights but BUGGER! none the less.

Well we know they haven't much competition in the Welsh league as they skoosh it every year, and the only other team I've seen from that league were Bala and they weren't up to much. Forfar also gave them a game but lacked quality up front to damage them, that shouldn't be a problem for us so would imagine we'll score goals against them.

Suppose it also depends how Hoppy sets us out, whether he starts with our strongest 11 or leaves out the likes of Buchanan/Mullen, Mullin, Pittman and brings them on 2nd half to make an impact in the last 25 mins to win the game.

Don't know how good their defence is when they're up against a team with a goal threat but feeling optimistic about us winning this and will put the usual 3 goals for us.

3-1 Livi, fg 14 mins.

52 goals in 14 games is almost 4 goals per game. They got 3 at Forfar.
7 goals conceded in 14 games is concede 1 every 2 games.

We have kept 1 clean sheet, 3 if you include the wins over Edinburgh and the replay against Crusaders.

Last I checked they had a 100% win record but that may have changed.

While I agree we can't really know how good they really are given the weak league they are in but that's not their fault, they can only try to beat whoever is before them and they are doing that with ease and winning breeds confidence regardless of the opposition.

Liv 1 TNS 2 FG 38 mins

Crusaders were undefeated until they played us too, they struggled against Forfar, and if Forfar had a bit more quality up front they'd have beaten them.

Like everyone else, I'm really unsure what standard they are truly at. Worthwhile comparing their recent European record to Crusaders', since their respective coefficient sits around about the same. The past three seasons for example, they've beaten Sammarinese and Faroese teams in UCL QR1 games, but been well beaten by Slovakian, Hungarian and Cypriot sides. Crusaders in the same time frame have beaten Lithuanian and Estonian teams, and been defeated by Swedish, Dutch and Albanian (!) teams. I'd contest there's probably not a lot between them in terms of quality, but the fitness aspect of it will definitely play a part I feel. Could see in the first game against Crusaders that they tired towards the end, Cadden and Mullin pumped them, with TNS I can see it being a different story.

Vital not to discount the winning mentality they've built up domestically; they'll be coming up here probably expecting to win I think. A tough one to call but hopefully we do put out a strong team for it, I believe it's a competition we can win - 1-1 at FT, 2-1 Livi AET, FG 61 mins.

I think Hopkin will approach this like he approached the first Crusaders game: keep the pace in players like Mullin and Cadden on the bench and use them in the second half to really tire them out. And he might bring in Carrick for Mullen on the back of his goals on Monday night. Because of their full-time status, I can't see Hopkin taking the risk to drop players like Miller, Pittman and Buchanan.


Saying that, 2-1 TNS. FG 26 mins.

Had a look at the TNS twitter page; sounds like they are really up for this.

They also had scouts at the Alloa game.

Would imagine we're really up for this too.

Noticed they only beat Bala 2-1 last month, Alloa strolled their game against Bala, reckon we'll beat them by a few goals.

Having watched TnS s last six six games online ive come to the conclusion that the standard of their football is probably on a par with the top end of our league and no more.Even the bookies cant seperate us in the betting for this match.Yes they seem to be strolling away with their own league but i would have to question the opposition their coming up against week in week out.Their a tall side and have a decent goalkeeper however i strongly feel that if Pitts Rafa Liam and Danny get in about them we will cause them alsorts of problems.Hopefully Hoppy will have done his homework on them as i have and recognise the game plan to overcome this hurdle before us.Yes they are decent for this level but not unbeatable although if we listen to the bookies we could be in for a long afternoon with penalties ultimatly deciding this.Also hope we get a decent turnout for this .The players deserve a response from the Livi faithfull.Lets give them the support they need and cheer them on to another semi final.Do it Livi!!!

I must have been pished last night thanks to the Scotland game because I've somehow got about 4 bets on different kinds of Livi wins. Don't think we've ever won a game I had a bet on.

Still go for a 2-1 Livi win, FG 37 mins.

Some of the TNS boys were in Asda this evening; they look quite young but that could be cause I'm an old fart these days.

Did you no run over and slide tackle them into the veg and fruit stall?

They were too quick for me, as I said, I'm an old fart these days

I found this game to be reasonably entertaining. Unfortunately they took their chances better than us and defended better than us.

I saw a great similarity between this game and my assessment of the East Fife game, only this time we did the bulk of the attacking in the first half and TNS came into it more towards the break and got their opener. I had just mentioned the similarity a few minutes before they scored. Second half reminded me of the second half of England v Scotland in that we got caught out with their first real attack of the half.
The third was a peach.

All in all I didn't think they were 3 goals better than us but I thought the better team won as they adapted to the conditions better than us, were more clinical with their chances and more sound defensively.

LF mentioned he thought they were weak defensively against Forfar... Don't think they were weak defensively today.

Hopefully this game gets the manager of the month curse off our backs and we can kick on again in the league.

Wasn't too impressed with TNS, but they're clearly a very professional side adeptness at seeing games out. Didn't think we played too badly tbh, on another day if either of Rafa's two headers or Buchanan's shot goes in its a totally different game. Have to say, their GK, number 11 and the boy who scored the third all looked easily Championship standard. Was an interesting insight into how we may cope in a higher league next season too, thought there were a few players who are plainly unsuitable and would struggle. Maley, obviously, but the likes of Mullin and Byrne just weren't at the races - willing to give them the benefit of the doubt given they came off the bench but it wasn't too encouraging.

Not too bothered to get beat given it wasn't the pumping some are portraying, we could do with putting in a good shift against Peterhead to get some confidence back.

That was a damp squib, the weather must've put out the fire in our attack, could've played till next week and not scored.

Difference between the two teams was quality in the finish, and we were found wanting in our shooting.
Once the first goal went in it kinda knackered us, TNS just played in behind our defence as we pushed forward in attack and picked us off. Credit where it's due though they stepped up their attack for a spell pushing for their goal and they got it. For all their talk of being a technical team not used to the physical game up here they were fairly dishing it out with pushes and full bloodied tackles. Looked a decent passing team too though when they moved the ball about in slippery conditions.

Most disappointing thing was us not scoring and at least making a game of it, felt like we went out with a whimper.

Ah well it was fun while it lasted, playing teams from other countries, back to league business and keeping our run going so we stay top.

I think you are being harsh on Byrne in particular and Mullin. Byrne came on and was composed in possession and able to make space for himself. He lacks pace but reads a game well. Mullin managed to get a cross or two in.

IMO Pittman was our best player, our forwards looked lively but couldn't get enough on target, largely due to a well marshalled defence. Maley's kicking, particularly in the second half was poor and his "punching" wouldn't have ripped a wet paper bag. I thought we were poor defensively for the first two goals, did well to hold up Quigley when they broke for the third, unfortunately he produced a superb curler to end the contest. Maley then produced a save or two to keep the score down.

Crighton seems to have lost form, but the biggest worry for me was our inability to come to terms with the conditions. Heavy pitches are going to be more common between now and March/April.

I was also unimpressed by Hoppy's inability to spot TNS starting to get a grip of the first half. Around the 30 minute mark when we were pushing forwards and they got the ball, we hared back to defend and gave them the freedom of the park to build their attacks. Up until then we were closing down from the front. When they had goal kicks we forced them to kick it long and we won the ball back and built our attacks but for some reason after 30 mins we stopped tightening the game up which let them get a foothold and then their opening goal.

Aye that bugged me too when we let them just walk up the pitch with the ball till they got almost into our box, gave them far too much room when they scored their first goal too. As I said though they were pushing up for it and were pinning us back in that spell when they scored.

Still, league wise the Brechin result was good for us and we're still 2 points clear, and have a game in hand, the weekend wasn't a total bust.

Sufice to say not one of our finest games.As has already been said they aquipped themselves better to the conditions weather wise.They took the chances that fell to them we didnt end off.Was god while it lasted but as ive said before this competition was a wee bonus for us but the league is surely our priority..Wil try to put this down as a bad day at the office and hopefully normal service will resume on Saturday against Peterhead.Thoughts on that one later in te week.

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree BB - thought Byrne's lack of awareness when pressed by an opposition who pressed as a unit was a worry, looked pedestrian in pace both when in and out of possession. Willing to give him the benefit of the doubt as he had come on and tactically we'd gone to pot, but for a technically decent(ish) player I'd be expecting more from him. Mullin looks very short of confidence to be honest, granted he's not getting a run in the team and he probably suffered in the same way the Byrne did in that the tactics and overall shape had gone to pot when he came on, but even so, he was on a par with Cadden who didn't look at the races at all. I still reckon we only have those two as wingers, De Vita looks like a wide midfielder who's looking to cut inside more often than not, and if he's up for it I wouldn't be virulently opposed to him getting a run up front with Danny over the coming weeks. Carrick isn't cutting it for me, either as a winger or a striker, tbh.

Positives though - thought Danny looked a step above anyone on the TNS side in terms of overall quality, and Scotty P shone again, despite it not being one of his best games. We'll be doing well to keep a hold of them come next summer I think.

Mullen's shooting has gone to pot, just isn't hitting the target, still puts in a shift and against League One sides he'll roast the life out of defenders but he's on a wee lull in getting goals. I shouted to him to stay up the pitch and stop being dragged back when we're defending corners and he stopped and turned back up the pitch, must've heard me and thought it came from our bench.

Mullin kept cutting inside instead of going down the wing, imo he'd have been better trying to hit the byeline and put balls in from there as we weren't going to get through their defence straight through the centre. I prefer having Cadden on as well as Mullin too, Mullin gets on the end of Cadden crosses and scores goals, but when Cadden went off we were one sided (esp with Longridge being subbed too) down the right wing and even then Mullin wasn't going down the wing so we were too compact in our attack.

When we played balls to our strikers in the box they had their backs to goal and had a defender right on top of them not allowing them to turn and hit the ball. Think our best bet would've been balls hit low and hard from the byeline that just needed a flick on past the keeper.

Just flicked through the game on Alba before I deleted it, pity Maley didn't just run into their player who was standing offside and that goal would've been disallowed for him interfering with play.

Liviforever wrote:Just flicked through the game on Alba before I deleted it, pity Maley didn't just run into their player who was standing offside and that goal would've been disallowed for him interfering with play.

"Maley" and "Run" in the same sentence?

One final thing from me on this game... I heard a complaint when we subbed Buchanan off to the effect that it was pretty stupid taking off our top goal scorer... well Mr I'msocleverIshouldbemanagingtheteamcauseiknowmoreaboutfootballthanhoppy did you not think that given the game was lost at this point, Hoppy might just be taking him off to prevent him getting injured and/or saving his energy for the much more important league games to come?

Bertie Bassett wrote:One final thing from me on this game... I heard a complaint when we subbed Buchanan off to the effect that it was pretty stupid taking off our top goal scorer... well Mr I'msocleverIshouldbemanagingtheteamcauseiknowmoreaboutfootballthanhoppy did you not think that given the game was lost at this point, Hoppy might just be taking him off to prevent him getting injured and/or saving his energy for the much more important league games to come?

I did think that substitution was odd; not because he took off a forward - it was pretty obvious he'd given up by then (a state of mind which had apparently also been spread to the team) and wanted to save any injuries (even though we had fifteen minutes and stoppage time to play) but I thought a better person to come off would have been Da Vita who had already been caught by a few sliders.

As far as someone coming on was concerned I've never been really impressed by Byrne and would have preferred to see Watt or perhaps to redress the suicidal three at the back and bring on Neill.

It really sticks in my claw to admit that the game was probably all over with fifteen minutes to go but we were hardly managing any effective attack with three forwards on the field and indeed TNS pretty much controlled the midfield by then