RicoS321

That's actually exactly how we approached things in his caretaker spell. Clarkson goes direct and if it doesn't come off, you press high. We didn't dominate possession but, with Duk and Miovski on fire, we were clinical and ruthless. Of course, a fair few of Clarkson's passes were connecting with Miovski over the top too, which helped. We're going to need a better left centre half and another hard working midfielder to make that happen again though. I'd expect opponents to counter with an even deeper line and a holding midfielder. It won't be easy once teams work us out.

It's difficult. If the guy challenging Sokler had scored, in my opinion it should have stood. There is possibly a foul, but it's soft and just a good case of the player being stronger. I don't think there is a clear and obvious error to say that it would be a foul. Where it becomes difficult is that the soft foul directly caused Sokler to raise his arms. Because of the stupid rule change, handball is now not really a subjective call, it's more like an offside yes or no type decision - did it touch his hand or not. It changes the way that decisions are made, and I don't know what the ref is actually being asked to check. Are the VAR team saying that there is no clear and obvious error by the ref in not giving Sokler a foul (which I'd agree with), the ref is simply to confirm whether it has hit the player's hand? This is what replays do, and have always done and always will - they segment the play, stripping out all context, into individual decisions that don't affect one another. Unfortunately, there is no quality commentary on this effect, in Scotland (probably the UK). Of course, the easiest thing to do last night was say that it was a handball but the player was victim of a soft foul, so there is no clear and obvious error by the ref that would be allowed to be called back (in other words, you wouldn't call it back for a freekick to Aberdeen). I don't really care how many decisions we get our don't get. I didn't even care whether they got a penalty or not. It's completely non-partisan for me, it's utterly shite in every single way, and was always going to be. Six years in, and we still don't have a definition for clear and obvious, should tell everyone everything they need to know. I'd be interested to know the number of decisions generated by VAR because of VAR alone (stupid handballs and three inch offsides), but those statistics won't exist.

I just saw it on the highlights, it hits Sokler's hand. Of course, he knows nothing about it, he doesn't see the ball and is simply raising his hands because of the shove he receives. Nobody claims, ref sees the incident in context and knows that there's nothing to it. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a choice when VAR intervenes. They've actually really shot themselves in the foot by changing the handball rule at the same time as introducing VAR. There are so many decisions like today's, involving handball, that could just be overlooked if they were treated as clear and obvious errors based on the old deliberate handball. Instead, we waited four minutes for a nothing decision that no supporter or player saw happening. For the umpteenth time this season, across the continent. The decision is correct as per the ridiculous rule. It's clear and obvious that it has hit his hand, and the VAR folk would be in trouble for not spotting it if they didn't give it. Yet, we've got a decision that lacks any sporting integrity or decency. The whole point in VAR was to reduce unsporting decisions, instead they've created an entire category of unsporting incidents by changing the handball rule. It'd be interesting to see the proportion of incidents that are handball related. I expect a lot. When people that lack of sporting integrity, it leaves a sour taste. Nobody will feel that justice was served by giving that pen.

Polvara actually covered a lot of ground tonight and at the start was alongside Barron, behind Shinnie. It's the biggest shift I've seen him put in for the Dons, he really did get about and they both took turns sitting, with Barron just moving the ball around keeping things moving (Clarkson was better when he came on).

I don't think they'd dare keep it here if their lords ditched it. It'd be embarrassing if that's what it took for our league to do the right thing. I feel a bit for the refs in all this (if that's possible). They've been handed an absolute fucking dud and have taken more shite than they ever got before because of it. Tonight's pen another example of the nonsense that they're forced to deal with. It'll eventually be taken away and they'll be worse off than they were before. Why on earth none of them saw this coming though, I've no idea. They should have been campaigning for better treatment of refs instead of the fucking nonsense of video replays. Idiots.

Just back, a fun night. They had all but given up, as expected. Hayes motm. Polvara and Hoilett excellent. If Polvara plays that way next season then we've finally got a player. Boyd did great for the goal, looks a good bit off the first team yet though.

I'm assuming that both Roos and Miovski will get a run out at some point too? Not like we really need to give Doohan a good send off. Edit: hopefully it is a send off for mcgarry too!

Dancing in the streets as Raith win away to Patrick in the first leg of the playoff. Raith looked okay, not sure County or St Johnstone will be comfortable playing them, especially the home tie for Raith, where they seem pretty decent. Raith keeper worth a look.

That is hilarious. That even beats the Warnock nonsense.

Hibs won't give McInnes the freedom he's had at Killie, I doubt he'd think it worthwhile. Wouldn't be surprised if used it to get more money out of Killie though.

What's really great to see is the competition for places in the squad really heating up, with everyone desperate to play. To the extent that Duk even tries to murder the young lad who could potentially take his place as first sub.

More importantly, what a weird question. I'm sensing Nick isn't going to be a long time poster.

Dons legend Ngwenya on as the time wasting sub.

Weegie hipster FC currently 2-0 up against the diamond scum, Graham with his 800th of the season. First step on the way to shiting the bed again.

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.