MJC

You’re right about that unfortunately but finishing top six only papers over the cracks. The fact that we have won one single league match this calendar year and got into the top six is more a reflection on how poor the league is rather than any achievement from us. And as things stand with both Hibs and Livingston winning we now have less points than both of them despite being 6th.

Went for Tierney, for at least giving us something today.

Absolutely pathetic second half showing. Created nothing and conceded two cheap avoidable goals. We need a full clear out of that squad in the summer, starting with Graham Alexander and no spawny top six finish should keep him in the post. We have been dismal all season and won ONE league match in 2022 and we are almost into May. That is unacceptable. Alexander OUT

It’s a real pity he’s not, he could have done some damage today. Still, I think if we get the next goal then we’ll win.

Decent first half, though still too slack at the back. The red card and our leveller has this mob rattled, if we don’t beat them today then we never will!

Yes.

I’d take three 1-6 defeats just for one win in this fixture tbh. That said I’d be happy with a draw today and still quite fancy it.

Andy Goram in hospital being treated for cancer. Best wishes to him, horrible illness.

Was he? I thought that was Celtic and their media cheerleaders? Again, I’m happy to be corrected if wrong on that. I have no doubt whatsoever that the reason that the proposal was put forward and eventually pushed through to bring the break forward was was Celtic wanted it, but Burrows by echoing that was done with our best interests, as he didn’t want us to lose out on gate money. After a full season of BCD last year then I can completely see why he’d be against a couple of games with crowds limited to 500, as that would have been a hammer blow to the club financially. I don’t remember when the SFPL meeting was but as I remember the Scottish Govt decision to bring in the restrictions which included the 500 limit to football crowds was announced on the 21st December, effective from Boxing Day. Celtic then kicked up a stink because they didn’t want to play games, particularly a game against Rangers, BCD and the decision to bring forward the break wasn’t taken until about the Thursday (23rd) of that week. I can see why Alan Burrows would have been for bringing it forward, even though he possibly wouldn’t have agreed with the Boxing Day Livi game going ahead as it did. By the there wasn’t much he could have done.

I don’t see how you can blame Burrows for that, or even for getting the winter break moved as you have done a few times. Forgive me if I’m wrong but you appear to dislike Burrows for some reason.

Yeah I get that and as I said ties against big European names like Borussia Dortmund are that bit more special than one against a virtually unheard of side like Kuban Krasnador. Dortmund was a glimpse into a level way beyond our reach and you could see that with the gulf not just in quality but how much more ‘streetwise’ they were on how to play the game at that level.

And I’d swap any of our recent European ‘adventures’ for St.Mirren and Ross County’s League Cup wins. I’ve said this before, to be able to properly enjoy Europe for us and clubs like us you need to be able to afford to travel to the away legs, especially if it’s a tie worth travelling to, ie. Dortmund. And then it’s more about the jolly abroad with your mates than the football itself if we’re honest. And that’s not a criticism of anyone btw, if that’s part of the football ‘experience’ for you then great. Me personally? I’d settle for winning a Cup match and celebrating with a few pints down the Electric with my usual crew afterwards rather than the ‘European tour’.

Obviously we are not going to go all the way in Europe, but by ‘something to shout about’ I was more meaning just scoring a goal instead of three consecutive 0-2 home losses where we never laid a glove on the opposition or utterly embarrassing ourselves against part time Icelandic outfits. Did anyone really enjoy any of those games? Fair enough it’s different if we get a glamour tie like Dortmund or are beating teams 8-1 or taking the lead against Steaua Bucharest but those ties under McCall were awful.

I think perhaps a lot of the excitement of Europe was sullied for a lot of fans with our dismal showings under McCall ten years ago. After we’d done all the hard work getting there we whimpered out every time without having anything to shout about. Obviously there was a bit of novelty with the Panathinaikos tie in the Champions League and obviously they were a reasonably big name in football, but the games themselves were a bit of a non event. The same goes for the Europa ties against Levante in 2012 and Kuban in 2013 where we failed to score a goal and didn’t even look like we believed that we could do anything. And then of course there was the debacle that was the Stjarnan tie in 2014. Say no more. I can’t speak for anyone else of course but that’s certainly how I see it. I can honestly count on one hand the number of European matches at Fir Park that I have actually enjoyed. Perhaps the wee run in 2010 under Craig Brown and the run in 2009, albeit that was played at Airdrie.

I quite like the League Cup Group Stages as a ‘pre-season’. Obviously it helps matters when we actually take it seriously and not half arse it against our local rivals like we did last year but it’s usually a good start to the season and has some meaning to it. If I’m being honest I’m not overly fussed about us playing in Europe as all it amounts to is two, maybe four games at the start of a season and a seeded spot in the LC16 draw which inevitably lands us the most difficult draw we could get against another top flight side. However obviously for the club playing European football is massive.

I think we might just get something from this. I can see this being a crazy score line in an end to end game. 4-4 with us scoring a last minute equaliser and Rangers raging.

Shaun Maloney has left Hibs

I can’t say I’ve ever noticed an obsession of us from either of them. The other way around, most definitely, but we are not unique in that regard. There have been periods where there has been a bit more needle between us and one of them, for example Skippy Sunday with Celtic and the whole episode of John Boyle asking us to give the Cooper Stand to them just before that game, there was definitely a bit more raised tension between the clubs at that time. The same with Rangers and the playoffs and the LCSF where Ryan Bowman broke one of their players noses and they got quite upset about it for a while. Apart from that I’ve never noticed much in the way of an obsession with us from either of them.

Big brave men kicking off with women and young families. Liberty taking cowards. No doubt the same mob of wee fannies who spray painted the walls around FP late at night last season before a closed doors game between the sides the next day.

Historically Hearts have dominated that derby. Indeed I believe they actually have won more Edinburgh derbies at Easter Road than Hibs have! It was also mentioned today that Hibs have never beaten Hearts at Hampden and that includes a 5-1 thumping against them in the final 10 years ago. That has got to be some level of torment if you’re a Hibs fan.

No sympathy with Hibs, or Maloney (his dive against us in 2001 to win Celtic a last minute penalty still irks me). The Edinburgh derby must be one of the most one sided derbies in world football. Hearts well and truly have Hibs number.

Wouldn’t have a problem with this if I’m honest. As long as the club have been approached and involved in the relevant discussions and are okay with it then it makes no difference moving it to the Saturday.

Yes all the best to Keith Lasley. A proper ‘club man’ and deserving of the ‘legend’ status given to him by so many.

It’d say it’s highly unlikely that Rangers will win the EL, if anything they’ll be lucky to reach the Final as they are easily the weakest side left in that tournament. That said it’s going to be amusing over the next few weeks watching the amount of folk shitting their breeks at the very thought of them being in with a chance of winning it.

Magloire? Let’s hope that that’s Daily Record lazy journalism in play there. If we are genuinely looking to sign him again then there really is no hope for this manager.