RicoS321

Fantastic achievement. Looking forward to one actually breaking through to the first team, before not signing a contract and leaving on a free after six appearances.

Absolutely massive game, and I'd expect the winner of this one to go on and win the coveted bottom six trophy. A draw would set up a fairly intense final day, with the helicopter hovering over Tayside awaiting the results.

I think it's not speculation to say that we won't be paying the £2M plus that Killie will be expecting for a player like Watson we're he to leave in this window! I agree though, and it'll be interesting to see if Thelin gets any notion of the squad in the remaining games to identify what's missing.

He's contracted until 2026, there's no chance we're paying the money required to sign him. We could sign three players for the seven figures required.

I don't watch that European pish, but I think that we all know that the only problem with VAR in this country is the people operating it, and that the referees and VAR operatives across the rest of the world provide seamless, error-free decision making without exception. Sounds like it was a traditional case of offside being wrong, which has been fine for 100 years. If you blow the whistle, then obviously play stops (even though they might not have actually stopped). I'm assuming that the linesman will be banned from football for life, because football is too important and money etc.

Because Wikipedia?

True legends of the game.

Never heard of them.

"Previous winners of the award include Daniele De Rossi, Nicolo Barella and Sandro Tonali." Nothing like playing down the award. Surely "previous winners: Xavi, Pirlo, Touré, Pogba, Iniesta" would sound a little better.

Will that stop him being in the BBC gossip page every single day, despite having zero link to the SPFL?

But it is, definitely, what Robson was attempting (and largely failing) to do. Your description of the game could be used to describe our performance against the Huns at Ibrox earlier in the season for example. We had 29% possession, but 14 shots on goal with 6 on target, dominated them and nobody could deny we deserved our win. Shinnie was immense in that game, and the chasing down of the ball was generally centred around him firing in, but with the rest actually backing him up (as opposed to the Flood-esque chasing shadows that we've often seen as the rest remain in shape). Of course, that game was largely against the norm for a couple of reasons. The first is that we didn't have the personnel to do that - as soon as you add an unpredictable Duk to the mix, you're screwed for example. The second is that for 70% of our games, we'll be up against a team that sits deep and allows us possession, and we'll need a separate strategy for those games (where Duk of two seasons ago would be immense). Either way, we're maybe four or five players short for the Thelin approach. I imagine guys like Sokler might be useful, Shinnie definitely, but we'll need far more intensity from McGrath for example and at least another midfielder that's willing to cover a lot of ground. Our biggest problem will be when we get injuries or suspension and have to delve deeper into our squad. There's basically nothing there that will fulfil the energy gap. Polvara would need to really buckle down in preseason to improve his yardage, for example, and then he would be feeling aggrieved if not in the first eleven. That said, the different approaches and intensity required will work to our advantage in maintaining squad harmony. I can imagine a few players needing a rest, and that option will be available as we change tactics depending on opponent.

It's what Robson tried and failed to do. It works well against good teams, but we're not going to be sacrificing 70% of the possession against County or Killie at home. It doesn't take long for teams to figure out a team's style either. You need to have at least two ways of playing in the SPFL (unless you're a Livingston or Hamilton or whoever). I agree that passing out from the back falls down massively when we recruit a hoofer at the back because that's what we can afford.

We're on course to become bottom six champions. Next week is massive for everyone involved at the club. A fairly tired performance today, a real lack of sharpness all over, but we were fairly comfortable against a shite team. Another clean sheet too, but it's difficult to tell if it was confident defending or just zero threat from the opposition. I suspect the latter, as Devlin and MacDonald both made stupid decisions at times, with Barron and Clarkson giving the ball away in positions they shouldn't too. A real lack of balance in the team, as there has been all season. That trio of McGrath, Clarkson and Barron just too similar. With Polvara just an average midfielder also. Anyway, a much needed three points.

Should have stuck with Warnock. Young lads can't hack it.

More importantly, if she's a Dons fan, why isn't she saying that she couldn't give a fuck about thon weegie pish? Again, it goes back to the point I made. The women's game had the opportunity to be something completely different to the men's game. As you say, it's a different type of person that attends the women's game and it should be marketed that way and built around expanding that demographic, without expectation. They should have built upon not being the men's game rather than expecting equality for something entirely different. I much prefer taking my daughter to women's games than men's games. I'd prefer it more if they pushed their differences as a positive. Of course, maybe they do but I'm not seeing it, but a glance at the huge disparities across the league already would suggest otherwise.

What do you mean by this? There are women (I assume) that think, say, Dons' fans should actively support both men and women?

Peter's brother?

Probably. Although it's difficult for us to say that they might have also had some decent players. It'd have been nice if he'd just slipped in "fuck the Huns" when we scored. Typical BBC bias.

That was my thoughts too. Their Burke and Bell halftime combination was basically like they'd just borrowed from rangers TV.

If it's good enough for queens park.... Again, it should go back to what the players themselves want. If it's been their dream to play the national stadium, then it does seem a little shite to piss on that because of image, or whatever the justification would be for moving it. However I think, more generally, the women's game has missed an opportunity in this country by aligning itself with the clubs in the men's game. They've actually looked at the game in this country (and the wider men's game) and thought that was a model worth emulating. In that sense, you're correct, they could have toured their game across the country and not centred on Glasgow. They could have produced a model based on fairness and sporting integrity and marketed themselves as the antithesis of the men's game. Now that it is effectively amalgamated with the men's game, the question then turns to one of why don't we (the women) have what they (the men) have, rather than: this a women's game designed by women along our principles and for that reason it is different (and in our opinion, better). Questions about Hampden shouldn't even be on their radar.

Maybe just ask the players what they want? I was at pittodrie last night for the women v Montrose and it was a great game and atmosphere despite only the main stand being filled. Having been to several of their other games at Balmoral, last night's crowd was bigger because of the change in venue, with a decent away support too. I'm guessing that despite the venue being too big, the crowds are still always larger than they otherwise would have been.

Tom Ritchie? It's been a while since we've had a keeper through the youth (Esson the last to play more than a handful?).

Any chance of getting Mitov from St Johnstone? A year left on his contract. The keeper situation worries me, and I'd like for us to have a known quantity, and he's been very good any time I've seen him. Kicking maybe not brilliant, but not terrible either.

Yep, that's basically all it is. Very much like Shinnie, his footballing ability was limited, but his workrate and pressing were fantastic. It makes it even more unbelievable that Goodwin saw fit to play him as a holding midfielder in front of the defence when his main attribute was his coverage. The equivalent of playing Willow Flood there. You wonder how this isn't coached into more limited players more often. I'd like to think that most adult males would be capable of running long distance regularly. Imagine Polvara added fitness and mileage to his game for example? I'd love to see some stats around Miovski, this season versus last, as it's very clear he's added a mile to his game, with his workrate being a simple, yet massive, improvement. Edit: shoddy work from Ferguson too, always knew he was 12 yards short of being the real deal

Buckie fucked by the establishment?