wellfan

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.

We should probably be keeping Wilson around. While he’s not the dynamic, marauding wing-back that Longelo is, he can do the defensive side of the role to a decent standard. He’s also strong, fit, and I thought he looked fairly comfortable when he was slotted in at left centre-back last night. He’s a useful, reliable squad player.

The owner of the Steelworks couldn’t organise a piss-up in a brewery. A big crowd was expected last night, yet they only opened the small bar and left it understaffed. I was told they kept the larger bar closed because they wanted to keep it clean and tidy for the next morning. Apparently, even if they had opened it, they didn’t have enough staff to run it. It’s another example of a business owner failing to grasp that investing a bit more in staffing can generate greater profits through quicker service and higher sales. And don’t even get me started on trying to cater for a crowd with a single gents’ urinal and one cubicle.

Priestman. He’s stepped up.

I can see Just going further than Swansea. The only place I see Watt going, though, is back to Scotland once the Turks either stop paying his wages or decide to tear up his contract.

You’ve already got it. They’re being vindictive because we had the sense to call a spade a spade and point out their incompetence and apparent corruption.

I’d say you have to judge our greatest signings in the context of each generation, and the financial and playing landscape at the time. If you do that, I think you can easily make a case for both Cooper and Just being on an exclusive list. But then what are the criteria? Greatest signing in terms of financial return, or what they delivered on the pitch in helping us win something or otherwise? That’s why I don’t think there’s one definitive answer. There are probably a few names that belong on the list.

The constraints of the current Fir Park site are plain to see. But with the principle of development for a football stadium already established there, nobody will ever convince me there isn’t a viable proposal that responds to those constraints in a creative yet pragmatic way. Whether that’s a complete demolition and redevelopment or a phased approach of continually replacing and upgrading the stadium bit by bit, I’d take either of those over relocating to an identikit plastic shithole on a soulless brownfield site on the edge of town. Every realistic option at Fir Park has to be exhausted, and sensible compromises made where necessary, before we consider something as drastic as leaving our home for Ravenscraig.

It feels like we’re at the stage where it wouldn’t even be a surprise if Matty took his gloves off and played outfield.