RicoS321

I don't believe it was a defensive setup Manc. It seemed to me like the same approach he took in the home game against hibs but with a glaring deficit in midfield and Rooney up front doing the chasing where May was previously (McGinn seemed to be very central today where May would have been at times in the last game. Chidi was asked to play a central midfield role, which is his position, but he was tanking about like a shite Flood. McLean's booking was taking one for the team after another player's fuck up, Chidi's was because he was chasing the ball around like a 5 year old in the playground. The reason we're struggling to score against the top six isn't just tactical, it's because we're not that good in key areas of the park and that's made worse if we have one or two missing. With that midfield today and Rooney up front, we're a worse team than hibs. I genuinely don't know how I would have set up differently today with those players. I'm surprised more folk don't see it, I think it's bloody obvious. If anything, we're doing better than we should be with some of the players in that squad. Look at the bench today too, it was dire. We'll get a doing against the Tims unless we load up on the defence and midfield with May up front to at least put pressure on the defence in some way (he wasn't great either today like). Arnason is pish, O'Connor, Ball and Chidi too so fuck knows who's going to play right centre half and in midfield.

Nwakali was pish, all over the place as expected. McLean was our only midfielder today, we were completely over-run without Shinnie. If anything O'Connor should have been in there earlier as at least he can hold his position. Hibs were good like. It wasn't tactics that made us sit deep, they were just far stronger through the centre and pushed us back. Christie was fairly gash again too. We don't have the squad to finish second I don't think. We're pish without our best 11. Look at the bench when we went a goal down. You wouldn't have played any of those willingly. We're way short in midfield.

Jizzy Yarnold tanked the sledging, with Christie spazzing it big style again.

Sly fae McInnes. Chidi in for Shinnie. Unexpected like, Ball must've been a decoy. Otherwise the same team. Good move hopefully, l rumble in aboot them like a heedless chicken. I'm going for a red card.

Make sure you get written agreement afore biffing her like, just in case.

Was it on that mong-fest, Peter and Roughie? Fucking hell, thon's a program.

It's a decent point actually. I seem to have complete double standards when it comes to managers and players and think that foreign managers should be given a try. I think I'm probably wrong about that. The national team is about showcasing the best Scottish talent, so yer right, it should be a Scottish manager. With that in mind, I'd still rather have seen someone like Clarke or Alex Neil or even Jack Ross. McLeish is a better manager than Strachan and a lot less of a dick though. Succession planning should be possible at international level and hopefully the new CEO will address that as and when they turn up. Lencarl, I think the CEO job may take a while, hence the need to get a new manager in now. They could potentially have a long notice period and also the shortlist of one (Leanne Dempster) has ruled herself out so it might be next year before they have anyone.

Good post min, very interesting. Aye, that was the weird thing about Killie's pitch, the grass one always seemed in decent nick. I don't have too many issues with their plastic one if I'm honest, it seems a lot truer than Hamilton's. I expect we'll keep oors hingin on until we move.

It was both May and Rooney last time round. I think May did a lot of excellent work against the HIV cunts in the last game, completely upsetting their midfield and defence with his harrying. His positional awareness is very good (night and day compared to Nicky obviously) and he gets his body in front of the man. That said, he's looked (and that game included) average at best on the ball and in front of goal so hopefully we'll see that improve. The jury is very much out on him, and definitely him and Rooney as a partnership, which I never see working. I don't think May will start, but hopefully a good run out from the bench is in order, with a goal for his confidence. Out etc. Rooney, May 0-2

I'm surprised that it still makes the UK news. It's no more newsworthy than another bomb going off in Afghanistan. The gun debate is so far removed from anything that the British public can understand that it's not worth bothering. Maybe armed school security is the best way to deal with a country that is saturated in guns? If that's what a country sees as their normal, then good luck to them. Fucking wierdos.

I don't think that's true of international football, just Scotland! Specifically Strachan. I agree with Slim to an extent, but I think we can do both. Where a player is Grant Hanley, for example, you just ditch him and take in a younger player. Where a player is indispensable like Robertson then you keep him in the squad regardless (within reason). With the emphasis on long term over safe choices (picking the guy with most caps). I think we could easily have 7 or 8 places in the team occupied by players who'll be there for a long time without losing anything from or first 11. --------Gordon(can't think of young 'keeper)-------- Tierney------Souttar----------McKenna----Robertson -------------McGinn----Morrison------------------------ --Ritchie------------Armstrong-------------Fraser---- ----------------------Griffiths-------------------------- That holding midfield role that Morrison has could easily see Shinnie for the long term. I was merely using examples of the older players by including Ritchie and Morrison (both of whom have had pretty reliable Scotland careers). Gordon could be replaced by Bain, although I don't think he's up to it - perhaps Gunn Jnr? Nae idea. The point stands though, that team would be as qualified to take us forward as the team that played Slovenia: ----------------Gordon-------------------- Tierney---Berra----Mulgrew---Robertson Bannan---McArthur----Fletcher---Phillips --------Martin--------Griffiths-------------

I fucking hate puppets.

Seriously? McLeish is a far superior manager. Although, it would be fucking hilarious if we employed John Hughes. He's a fucking idiot. He actually said "that's what John Hughes can bring to the job". And then forgot that he signed Stokes for Hibs for £500K. He's like a nicer Jimmy Calderwood.

Couple of points. First, McInnes has been very open - to his credit - about his desire to win a cup and his disappointment at not doing so and his belief that we should be. That is something that previous managers would have shied away from stating publicly. His comments about "getting to a final" are more along the lines of "you've got to be in it to win it" and that the more we get there the greater the chance we have of winning. My taking of his interviews on the subject has always been that his target has always been to win it, but that our previous final appearances - in hindsight - can be used as a positive stepping stone, as the players get more and more used to/experience of the occasion. He seems comfortable that we're getting closer and closer to winning another and that we will. Purely in terms of odds we are increasing our chances by getting to finals. I don't remember him ever stating a target of getting to a final rather than a target of winning a cup however, but I could be wrong. In terms of wages, there's a direct correlation. This boy Szymanski covered it really well in England a few years back before the influx of the really really big money in the latest deals. Basically pointing out that 90% of yer league position's merit can be attributed to wages, with 10% being the manager's additional input. Without doubt rangers wages v our wages are way beyond what we should consider within the boundaries of a manager realistically overturning. It should be unrealistic. http://www.open.edu/openlearn/money-management/management/business-studies/stefan-szymanski-on-the-business-football Success for me would be winning the cup and league. Relative success would be finishing second or winning the cup. Expectation should be a final and third place (given that the odds of facing a team with a higher budget are significantly low).

I'm pretty certain we laid a grass/artificial hybrid a few years back. I was under the impression that was what we have been using for a while now.

I don't listen to 6 Music.

To be fair, the Sun probably did get it from AFC Chat.

This is exactly what it'll be like at Kingsford. 90 minutes of this.

Possibly a little harsh on the second goal, but I agree with the rest. Shaky at best, and will never make it in England with that level of kicking ability. I wasn't sure about Rogers after the County game where he was culpable for their second and looked quite ropey, but he doesn't seem any worse than Woodman. I understand why McInnes attempted to address the problem though, so I'm not going to blame him. In terms of subs, it was strange. I can only assume he was also aware of how gash our bench was.

The whole draw seemed rigged.

That was my thought too. I suspect Ball is our man for the next couple. Chidi clearly is the new Uchechi before he's getting no game time. The bench a huge worry today, nothing on it worth taking on. Wright injured, or just dropped? Maynard being used as the time-wasting sub is too good for him. We better get May back soon and hope that we stay relatively injury free for the rest of the season. The tims in a couple of weeks is going to be a shite-fest with Shinnie and Christie missing. Anyway, GMS played well today which was good to see. Good warm up for his second hattrick against the HIVs next wik.

Don't tell me what to do.

Like the cooler, less wanky Summer Olympics. Some top class events like that make for great viewing. Watching the Japs v Swedes in the bird's ice hockey at the minute. Great game. Didn't realise for about 5 minutes when I started watching that it was birds playing; very fast paced and some hard tackling and good skill. I like the winters like. BBC usually does some decent coverage too.

I'm offended by the use of CAPS in this title. Can you amend please?

Fit's this?