wellfan

Job done. Time to hump them at Fir Park now.

Crap ref and an even worse pitch. We’re also struggling to get the ball up the park without Said. That said, Helsinki are pressing us well and making it much harder than we’ve faced in recent games.

We should fully expect more of the same this season from the SFA and its referees, if not worse. Even less accountability, more incompetence, and the same old arrogance. They’ve got away with it in front of the footballing world and simply doubled down. They’re beyond redemption now. It’s only a matter of time before one club, or a group of clubs, takes collective legal action against them.

Our settled midfield double pivot is Priestman and Fadinger. However, if we move to a 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1, then maybe Girdwood-Reich comes in to play that defensive midfield role.

I was quick to criticise Vogt after his Fir Park debut because he was utterly shite. Since then, though, he’s started to show flashes of real quality. He’s still rusty and can look a bit off the pace or, at times, like he’s never played football before, but I’m happy to see him proving me wrong.

If we beat Helsinki, the draw order means we would play Freiburg: 20 Aug - Fir Park 27 Aug - Away

Ibrahim Said was MOTM before he scored the winner. What a footballer.

I’d put Longelo to LB and Williams further forward. The latter plays better in the spaces and will create problems for Hibs.

Today will be a tough test, but Hibs will probably be thinking the same. The key will be to keep the ball, stay patient, and stick to our game plan. Hopefully Longelo and Maswanhise get plenty of minutes too.

I don’t think we need another striker from the A-League.

Priestman, again.

We’ve been much better since getting the first goal. It has the feel of those early JBA days against Clyde, with the continual slack passes and brain farts, but you can already see the difference in approach between JBA and AJ.

Third time lucky for RCC.

Good work from Willy to get into the box and win the penalty, then a fantastic hit from Fadinger.

Can’t figure out our midfield and attacking shape, and I’m not convinced the players can either. It’s looked a bit all over the place and is the complete antithesis of JBA ball so far.

Be careful if you’re in the UK. Premier Sports hold the UK broadcasting rights for the game, so while that link itself may be legit, it could still be blocked for UK viewers.

A satisfying collection of the usual gormless cultist gimps.

I’ve said here before that loans should be the exception rather than the rule. The injuries might be forcing us down that road at the moment, but I do worry we’re starting to head down the Kettlewell route. Injuries aside, we’ve got the finances and the model to sign permanent players for the key roles we need. Loans should supplement that, not become the solution.

Eythor, if he is injured and all the forum speculation to the contrary is just that, deserves time once the season properly gets underway. He looks like the type of player who could do well in AJ’s system.

It’s a centre-forward we need.

I’m not so sure. Whenever the ball’s gone into the box, he’s either been caught on his heels, been a step behind it, or fluffed his lines when he has got on the end of it. The only thing he’s really done in the penalty box is score penalties.

I struggle to understand how, two years into Stama’s time with us, some people still think he just needs more time or that there’s a player in there at our level.

I think he’s probably more of a replacement for Just. He’s also been given the number 11 shirt, which points in that direction. I still think we’ll see a Slattery replacement at some point who’s more of an 8/10 type. Although having said that, Fadinger has been given the number 8 shirt. Then again, shirt numbers don’t really mean as much as they used to.

I guess Lowry is a decent option to start addressing the gaping hole left by Slattery and Just. With Whyte and Booth hopefully stepping up this season, that’s encouraging too.

Lots to comment on, both good and not so good, from last night, but I think Dylan Williams looks a real find. His versatility will be a big asset, and he slotted into the left attacking midfield role effortlessly. It’s already pretty clear that he, along with a few others, will do well in our 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3.