RicoS321

68, I was just informed by text as I was reading this by an equally surprised dandy. Mental.

Miovski scores in his nation's 2-0 loss to Georgia.

There probably aren't any available right backs better than Ralston and he's not as good as Hickey is playing there. Doig is a very good player in my opinion and as good an opportunity as any to get him involved in the squad. Having to choose over having a third choice left or right back probably isn't a decision Clarke spends a huge amount of time on.

Other than our game, he's apparently been very good for St Mirren, who are doing well I suppose. I'm very much for players in our league getting called up if they're on form and Clarke has generally been quick to do so, so even though I was glad to see the back of him I think it's fair enough. Right centre back is a problem position for us it seems, hence likes of Kingsley at the diets not being called up first. That's more than a little biased.

A quick Google search suggests he's making Joe Gomez, whoever that is, excited, whatever that means.

Not before time, Dons legend, Declan Gallagher recalled to the squad (and Josh Doig).

Some performance. Really battered them, and the result possibly flattered them. The 4-2-3-1 worked really well, that's the best I've seen McTominay for Scotland, and McGregor was excellent too. McGinn's airse just gets better every match. Fantastic to see Dykes getting a couple too, he deserves it. McKenna and Hendry didn't put a foot wrong all night either. Hickey was an improvement on Patterson, class. Great team performance.

Good half from Scotland, by far the better team. They should be down to ten. Total shocker of a challenge. The commentary team (and perhaps the ref) focusing on whether the other defender was getting back or not, but that's irrelevant. The challenge was reckless and out of control. He could have easily knocked the player out. It's weird that challenges of that body check nature are treated differently to a lunge with a foot, both are dangerous. Playing well though, McTominay and McGregor looking great in that 2 (4-2-3-1, we should have guessed) and Christie's movement been very good. Adams doing well and especially that run at the end.

Missed the applause. Guessing it was impeccable (mics turned down).

3-5-2 I think. McGinn maybe up front with Adams? Keep him out the way.

You'll make it in time for God save the king though. Hopefully those bastard Ukrainians will show some respect at our time of grief and sadness. I suspect they'll never understand what it's like to lose someone important.

Aye, that's maybe a good way to get the crowd not to boo through the applause, assign them a boo quota and make them aware that they may need to save some for later.

And remember to tune in early with your clapping hands at the ready.

Yes. Isn't that the way it's used though (the wrong way round)? The ref makes his decision as he sees it, then VAR corrects? I'm guessing that a ref is less likely to make a call knowing he has VAR as a backup, so that could indeed have happened on this occasion. There's little doubt though that the ref did spot what he thought was a clear foul, and it's very likely that he saw Scales put his arm round the player, hence he was pretty quick to give the penalty. Unless you think that refs are holding back on decisions under the VAR system? I've only seen it once in the flesh, so it's difficult to tell without seeing the actions of the ref. In the Scotland v Israel game, for one of the goals, the gave a foul (by Dykes for high feet, from memory) but immediately signalled that he was going to VAR. On that occasion, it looked to me like he wouldn't have given a foul but for the fallback of VAR that he knew he could rely on. However, on the telly it looks like refs are making decisions and then being asked to look at them by the VAR team. Your suggested way sounds like how it should occur, are you certain that's how it does happen? I don't know, as I say. That said, I could well imagine the ultra slow motion VAR cunts seeing Scales' arm go round the player and give the pen. I'm basing that on decisions I've seen in England and internationals, where the merest of contact in a contact sport is penalised.

I do agree, it's good to here him be forthright in his opinion, but he doesn't "tell it like it is", as that would suggest there is only one way to look at it. He doesn't spot Scales putting his arm round Porteous after he loses him, which I think is fairly clear (apologies for the poor screenshot). A fairly glaring omission from his analysis, despite the fact he says it in a firm manner. Again, I personally don't think people should be getting penalties for minor tussles like this. When considering VAR, I think that we have to remember how refs (and all humans, especially me!) are wired and how difficult it is to get them to change their mind once they've decided on something. When a ref goes to the TV screens having made a decision like that, he's not going there to change his mind (unless he's already having doubts and looking for a way out, which I don't think was the case yesterday), he's looking for something, anything, that will back his original decision. For me, it's another fault in the giant list of faults that VAR posseses. I don't think it's clear and obvious, because Scales puts his arm round the player's neck as soon as he loses him. The fact that Porteous drags Scales down is utterly irrelevant at that point, because Scales would already have fouled him (in the ref's eyes), which nullifies most of Stewart's analysis. Thus the only thing that VAR can legitimately look at to overturn the decision would be the initial tug on Scales, and I think if we're giving fouls for that then the game's gone. I think this highlights VAR's ineptitude perfectly. If I can make a good case, then so can the ref. I'd hate to see VAR being used to turn over decisions like this, it really isn't obvious enough to warrant it. There is no correct decision here, merely an interpretation of the incident. The number of incidents that can be "solved" by VAR is minimal. Similarly, I could build a very good case for McRorie and Polvara's incidents not being penalties, but had VAR existed I think at least one of those would have been given.

Yes. Madrid is often described as the home of socialism....

Selling their soul (and club) to move 12km out of town, chairman Stewarto Milneta hailed the move a complete success.

It's initial tug bit that I think Scales fucks up on. You get grappling like that all the time, but he's virtually face on to a player that's running in the opposite direction. Porteous just uses his strength to get past him really. It's something (the grappling) I'd want our defenders doing when attacking at a corner, and something Considine and Taylor both did well. He gets beyond Scales far too easily and as soon as he's behind him, Porteous can either dive or attempt to connect with the ball. The reason I don't think var would have overturned it, is that when Scales initially lets him past, he sticks an arm around him to slow him down. That triggers the dive from Porteous, pulling Scales with him to make sure. In a contact sport, that should never be a penalty, but fitba is virtually non contact these days and pens are given for that sort of shite all the time. We've had a lot worse given against us (Bates v Huns last season), and I don't think it was a clear and obvious error from the ref. I suspect that of somebody like McFadden was in the studio rather than Stewart, there'd likely have been the opposite argument made. That's not to say one is right and the other isn't, just that it wasn't that clear either way. Put it this way, if people think var will solve issues like this one, as Stewart hints at, they're deluded. The fact that Goodwin made such a massive thing of it is the most disappointing aspect, that's some serious deflection going on in a game he mismanaged throughout.

That's what happens when you disrespect the monarchy. Horrendous choice of strips I noticed.

There is a huge difference between respecting a minute's silence for a deceased person and sitting through a religious song for a political institution. It's massively important that we differentiate the two. People can stand quietly for a couple of minutes, they're choosing not to. There's a difference. When you bring a political a t into the realm of fitba and try to force it onto people, a reaction should be expected. There's no more lack of respect in that than there is the scum exploiting a fake love of the Queen in their faux sectarian British v Irish pathetic dickfest. With that backdrop, the Arab's action was both understandable and hugely crass. There was no need for any marking of the occasion at football matches. There's a silence tonight for those that need it, and a funeral and day off tomorrow. Other than the scum, everyone else was "seen to be doing something". A completely disingenuous and disrespectful action from mature adults who should have just politely not joined in. The real arseholes are the people that forced the position knowing the reaction. Also, it's worth putting the Edinburgh crowds in perspective. More people turned out for Hibs' Scottish cup parade, and it hadn't gleaned wall to wall coverage on every single news outlet and electronic billboard. The number of people videoing the passing death wagon showed a distinct voyeurism rather than mourning from a large portion of those crowds.

I completely understood why we were taking ages. Roos could see that Hibs were going to score unless we saw it out until half time. It was a case of slowing it down to disrupt their flow, but it failed (nearly worked). That weird thing where managers are reluctant to make a sub before half-time and try and wait it out. It was probably made more difficult in that the sub would have had to have been Duk, which would have been harsh on him after his goal. The difficulty with Duk over someone like Watkins, is that you can't ask him to play deeper or help out elsewhere, because it just isn't part of his game. He'll end up causing more problems in his own half due to switching off. The only option was to take him off, which is a shame, but we'd completely surrendered the midfield.

Worth bumping this thread for a wee debate on our signings? Was going to do it this week, but out of respect I decided I'd leave it until after the Hibs game. Always a good barometer of where we are. Roos - good keeper, done well so far. Coulson - great player. Unavailable. Scales - good player. Loan from Tims a big problem Stewart - jury out. Really slow. Looks to me like a competent player playing at a level above where he should be Richardson - athlete. Nae good enough. However might come good if managed very well. Ramadani - jury out. Similar to Stewart, competent player that might be at a level above where he should be. Outplayed by Newell today, very worrying. Clarkson - great player, who adds much needed balance to the midfield (like Barron) Duk - good finisher, not a starter due to his inability to track back and hold a position. That good, exciting backup striker we'd been missing. Morris - charlatan. Fire him into the sea. Needs to stop getting minutes ahead of Duncan. Roberts - didn't look great before injury, but obviously needs much more time for us to evaluate Miovski - the only one who I think has the ability to go on to better things (loanees aside). Great movement, decent in the air and reasonably mobile with plenty of room for improvement. If I'm missing someone, it says more about them than me! Overall, it's not a massive success as expected. It was a really difficult task in a single window. We've managed to put together a half decent team, but that's about it. I can see Watkins being given more and more minutes in the coming weeks. Guys like Ramadani and Stewart will be easily replaceable when the time comes and are no better than those that came before (not directly before). Goodwin - jury out. He's definitely been willing to try things (like two up front today) and I think he'll do well given time. Edit: I should add Polvara and Besuijen as they haven't been here long. Polvara - not good enough Besuijen - decent player, just lacks that pace over 20-30 yards that prevents him leaving guys in his wake. Not as good as a young Hayes. Good player to have in the side though and will only improve.

I'd still have him over Stewart so far. Taylor actually gave the ball away less. Reynolds got two goals today though, just to explain my joke to anyone who didn't get it.

Aye, they're honking. Should never have let Reynolds go in my opinion.

He got it all wrong before the sending off, let's be honest. It was hugely risky and it was clearly a matter of time before we conceded. Can somebody fire Morris into the sun?