milo

I went up to that game on my own. It was truly horrific.

Missed the game due to a wedding but from the highlights..... McManus and Hutchy getting in each others way for the Killie goal. Could've/should've been dealt with quite easily. I've been far from convinced by McManus so far and another calamity like that isn't doing anything to convince me otherwise. Possibly Hollis could've came for it, but this doesn't seem to be something he's ever going to do. There was a cross in the 2nd half as well which he looked like he was coming for then stopped and Hutchy then scooped over the bar. He did have 1 good and 1 outstanding save at the end right enough. Any abuse going his way is unwarranted but personally I would still like to see Neilsen start. 2 decent penalty shouts. Seen them given. Our luck is bound to change soon with these!?? Pleased and not surprised to hear Carswell had another good game. Concerned and not surprised to hear Faddy had another bad game. I would play Ainsworth instead of him next game. We are sitting 3rd going into the international break which is always great and have picked up more points than I thought we would've considering we look really ropey and have a largely brand new team. Cannae complain really but hoping the under performers can up their game before long.

Having watched the mfctv highlights I was harsh about Sutton I admit.

I do remember that and I thought that was a nice gesture. The applause was almost certainly a way of acknowledging his wonder goal last season.

My thoughts on yesterday’s game. Until the goal there really wasn’t much going on and the goal when it came was really encouraging as it looked like a reasonably deliberate passage of play from us. Pleased for Sutton to get off the mark. I didn’t think he did much else to be honest! After that I was quite surprised at how much we dominated play. Aniers volley was well executed but the keeper made a good but reasonably comfortable save. He snatched at, or didn’t catch right, another couple of chances though but at least got himself in decent shooting positions. I didn’t think Thistle offered much at all in the first half at all really and whilst we weren’t great we well still well on top. The second half was a different proposition altogether though. The turning point was a combination of the excellent Carswell going off and the excellent Higginbotham coming on. I can’t remember which happened first but all of a sudden we were pegged back and Thistle were allowed far too much room to advance. We still had the best chances to score though and Lasleys miss was really poor to be honest. Still thought he had a great game though. The last 30 minutes was brutal and nerve wracking to watch! Hollis might not have had a save of note to make but we sat far too deep. I thought the back 4 were excellent. I have been critical of McManus and I’m still not convinced his hearts in it but he was good yesterday. He had a tackle on Forbes at the end that if someone had did that to a Motherwell player I would’ve been out my seat! Took the ball cleanly but followed through as well! A bit naughty I thought. I thought we gave the ball away continually in this period and were unable to keep the ball at all. Jury is still out on Lawson and Vigurs for me. Kerr at right midfield is no use and that’s the second time he’s been brought on to play there. He got skinned by Ross Forbes in the right back position at one point also so I’m not sure if he’s a right back either! If he’s a centre half then playing him in either of those positions is even worse! I’m not sure re-signing him was really what the team needs. The right side was woefully exposed at times in the last 20 minutes. I thought Faddy was marginally better than he had been the past few games but he is still a passenger. It’s quite worrying how out of sorts he looks. His run through on the keeper right at the end where he eventually fell over was Omar Daley-esque. Need to get him off the right wing maybe but he’s not contributing anything I’m sorry to say. He looks a shadow of the player we saw at the end of last year. Would it be worth a shout playing Erwin or Moore out there? Can’t be any worse. I’m a big fan of the noise and singing coming from the end section. I love the new song where they all point at each other and throw their tops in the air! However the abuse Higginbotham took from them on mass was embarrassing and disgraceful. There are times when former players returning deserve at bit of stick; and it’s all about opinions I suppose, but I thought that, along with the stick Reynolds for instance took to be cringe worthy and does not reflect well on us as a fanbase. In my opinion of course. I can see both sides of the argument for kicking the ball out when someone was injured but I can understand why Thistle didn’t put the ball out when they were on the attack. If we were on the attack chasing an equaliser and we put the ball out I would’ve been raging. It’s worth noting Higginbotham returned the ball after that and at the end in the drop ball after the McManus/Forbes tackle. Oh, and I thought the ref was murder!

Anyone still think Higginbotham is no great loss?!?! He would WALK into our team this season.

Dreading this game as we really shouldn't lose to a Partick Thistle side thats spent 10 years in the 1st division at home under any circumstances, but unless a massive change in attitude and the most basic pre-requisites of football are applied then that's exactly what will happen. Incredibly I would settle for a point if only to stop the rot but can see at least one of Higginbotham, Lawless and Forbes coming back to haunt us. Thistle looked pretty good against Hearts I thought; way better than anything we've strung together so far. Hopefully McCall has sorted everything out but we hoped that 2 defeats ago. Several players deserved dropped (not Hollis I might add but I would prefer to go with Neilsen) but I can't see that happening. Rightly or wrongly, if we lose this one I'm pressing the panic button!

I can't believe we didn't get a penalty for that! Brines is a cheating incompetent bastard. Always has been. Especially galling when you consider Aberdeens 2nd penalty last week.

Anybody still think we're not missing Hateley and/or Humphrey?

You've confirmed my worst fears GazzyB. So identical performance to the Hibs and Aberdeen ones then? Edit: I've not heard any of McCalls interviews yet, but if Anier wasn't injured/jet lagged then not playing him is just fucking insane.

Next week is already looking like a 6 pointer in terms of how the season will go. I would honestly take a point at this moment. Had to read that back there. I would settle for a point at home to Partick Thistle. Incredible.

They most certainly are, but we don't look even remotely near mediocre.

So what's the excuses this week? No Europe to be tired from, no injuries, another week working together. I'm starting to think McCall has made several wrong signings. We are top heavy in areas, yet have literally not one option in others. Something is seriously wrong with Faddy. He's had a full pre-season after playing 13 games last season wo the "he needs games under his belt" wullnae cut it for me. If he's injured, don't play him.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but are you not concerned at how bad we look yersel?

Anier must be injured or knackered to not be starting. It can't possibly be down to form. Otherwise it's just madness not to play him.

I'd take a point right now from this game, and hopefully some cohesion in the play. I think Inverness will win with a bit to spare though. Don't know what's wrong with Faddy, and it pains me to say it, but he has been worse than a man down so far. Even if he was firing on all cylinders he's wasted out on the wing, but who else can we play there? I'm starting to question the signing of 3 defenders when it was clear from the get go we needed at least 1 wide player. We also have an abundance of central midfielders and it's not only a waste of a wage when we need cover in other areas, but square pegs in round holes etc won't work for the whole season. We've been very pedestrian so far and the movement off the ball has not nearly been good enough. I know it's early days but I've seen precious little to be optimistic about so far. Hopefully I'll be proved wrong! McCall being away all week isn't ideal as we've clearly a lot to sort out.

I'm sure Reynolds wanted Motherwell to get money for him hence why he left in the window he did?

Their number 27? Unless I'm mistaken and then I'll shut my face!

Same back 4 with the exception of the brand new centre half of course!

Whilst a winger would be good, people are kidding themselves if they think it is going to solve all our problems. A winger might help Sutton become more effective but its not going to address the form issues of several others. Our budget is surely at breaking point also?

Sutton was no worse than several others.

As much as Hammell should maybe just have blootered the ball instead if bringing it down, he killed it beautifully, but was just robbed instantly. He was partly to bland but McManus's tackle that gave away the penalty was horrendously naive for someone of his experience. I don't know about him at the moment. I was hoping he would be a great leader and "thou shall not pass" but I can't help but feel he's got the look of a player than only wants what's best for himself rather than the team. Maybe I'm being harsh, but in that area if the pitch you have to make damn sure you're getting the ball and for me McManus wasn't even nearly careful enough. That said, I've watched the 2nd penalty incident several times now and I still can't work out why it was given! Shocking decision. Who lost Reynolds for the goal? Good header but a free one, and perhaps at 18 yards out you're looking at the keeper maybe getting to it? Still don't like seeing Reynolds play for them.

I think I could offer more than Faddy at the moment!

Why did McCall leave if so late before making changes then? Everyone round about us could see a change needed to be made so what was McCall waiting for? Was Lawson injured from Russia? Why has Faddy been so poor? He played 13 games last season and has had a full pre season! He's contributed absolutely nothing do far in sorry to say. I might be sounding like a broken record but Higginbotham could've been a really useful addition to our team. I think we will live to regret letting him slip.

I was hoping we might make better use of set pieces. In McManus, Sutton and Hutchison we have a formidable presence but nada so far... If has to be said the delivery has been fucking atrocious so far though. If Hateley had hit any of these free kicks/corners he would be getting slaughtered!!