MJC

It’s starting to feel like a bit of a ‘perfect storm’ for us this season with a shite squad, rookie manager, can’t do the basics and now injuries mounting up. Whatever team we are able to put out on Saturday it is a massive game for us and we need to win it. We’ll have a better idea after the next three games where we are at but we really need to get points on the board otherwise relegation is a distinct possibility. I wouldn’t fancy this team in a proper all out relegation scrap towards the end of the season so we need to avoid that if atall possible.

Like everything else Scottish football does VAR is a shambles. The footballing authorities in this country couldn’t run a tap.

We have to win this one. 1-0 with Tierney scoring again.

FT 1-2 On paper not the humiliation that it might well have been but it’s another poor result and performance.

God we’ve actually scored 1-2!! Tierney!

We actually look like we’ve grown in confidence the last 10 minutes.

I don’t see how it was off either. Though if it makes Tom Boyd angry and upset then I’ll not complain!

I love VAR!

McKinstry looks like he’s injured now too

This sub also says alot about Moult’s fitness in my opinion…

Shields on for van Veen at HT. I take it KvV is injured then?

Well HT 0-1 and it’s pretty much what you’d have expected pre-match apart from the scoreline. We’ve not really been in it and Celtic look as though they will score every time they attack. I actually think we’ve looked a bit more confident tonight than we did in the League Cup game a few weeks back but we’re still nowhere near in a position to actually hurt them.

3-0 Utd at Killie.

Dundee Utd 2-0 up away to Killie. On one hand it’s good for us that Kilmarnock aren’t gaining any ground on us but on the other it pulls Utd to within four points of us tonight if that scoreline stays the same.

Mugabi’s return didn’t last long then.

Played ourselves right into trouble there.

To be fair Sol has been poor of late getting caught out by Duk for Aberdeen’s winner the other week though Lamie was equally culpable for that one, and then Sunday’s handball for the penalty. Bevis is probably a bit more mobile but I’d say he’s even more likely to have an absolute brainstorm and I definitely don’t think this is the type of game for him. Time will tell though.

Cornelius in for Shields is definitely an upgrade so I’m pleased to see that switch. I don’t understand the Mugabi for Sol change though, unless Sol is carrying a knock? By the looks of their line up they are going with a front three of Jota, Kyogo and Abada so if they are on their game they will do some serious damage tonight.

Mugabi at the back against their rapid front line is a terrifying thought.

Team announced, SO’D in for McGinn as expected and Mugabi starts in place of Sol who’s benched. Shields drops to the bench too with Cornelius in. Moult remains on the bench.

Sadly true. Tonight can’t be over quick enough and then we can focus on Perth on Saturday, which in reality is a much bigger game for us than this one.

That’s the only way we would see a “get intae them” type performance from us nowadays in this fixture. Saying that we could do with a new attitude and ethos too. As it is our performances in this fixture can usually be summed up in six words. “Welcome to our great wee club”.

Exactly there is absolutely no point in saying “should have, could have” because all that matters is we didn’t get those points and we only have ourselves to blame for it. We need to cut out basic errors, defensive lapses and start taking chances when they come. We also need to start showing more character once we fall behind in games.

Well no arguments about your last sentence, that’s entirely fair. I think we also differ on definition of what the relegation zone is though. You obviously see it as just 12th spot whereas I consider the playoff spot, which we are only four clear of as the relegation zone too. But after tonight is out the way we do have a much more favourable run of fixtures either side of the WC break. St.Johnstone then two home games against St.Mirren and Kilmarnock are the type of games you would hope, expect perhaps, to pick up points in.

That game still annoys me to this day. A classic Motherwell bottle job. As has been said we are only four clear of the playoff spot and in poor form. In a league which is as tight as this you need to pick up points and we haven’t been doing enough of that over the past month. Ross County beating Hibs last night bringing them to within a point of us isn’t great for us either, especially given that we will get nothing tonight.