Andy_P

Your thoughts and votes please...

McFadden money from that deal has long since been banked and moved on.

I'm sure you must say that about 90% of the time before our fixtures!!

If we're bearing our souls the 3-0 loss at Fir Park in 1992 is the one I regret most. In those days I would never, ever, leave a game early regardless of the result but that one was just too much to stomach and I began to storm out in disgust after their third. I regretted it almost immediately as I knew my Airdrie mates behind the goals would be watching with increasing glee with every step up the stairs. As I have been reminded on countless occasions since...

This is an intriguing draw on a few levels. There have been games against Accies in recent times where perhaps we haven't been favourites, even if there has still been a high level of expectation on us to get a result, but It will be a little odd going into a Lanarkshire derby where the the pressure is all on the opposition. A full-time team with half a dozen games behind them against our U20's, with our range of ages down as far as fifteen year olds and with just one or two games behind them. When viewed in that context they really should be strong favourites. But the underdogs tag I think will suit us nicely in this one. We've nothing at all to lose. Even if we're beaten it'll be a great experience for our 20's team. I'm sure if the tie is played at Fir Park there will a decent Motherwell support keen to back them hopefully that will inspire the youngsters in much the same way the larger backing they had at Hampden did. And personally with a number of good mates who are Airdrie fans if our U20's were to turn over their first team? Oh I could dine out on that one for years!!!

Despite my belief we shouldn't be involved I went along and enjoyed it also. I was impressed with the possession based style of play and many of the team looked to have good ability. Lots of good close control, confidence and patience whilst on the ball on show. We only really wavered from that towards the end when the City goal knocked us out of our stride and the focus changed to just getting over the line. Again though despite my reservations I would concede that last fifteen minutes in particular will prove to be good experience for the team in seeing the job through against what in many cases will be more senior experienced opponents. Good goal from Mackin and persistence from Fry for his. All in all a good evening for the 402 there.

Going by what the Bully fan at work saying, Clyde objected more than most at the inclusion of U20's and had threatened to play their own U20's if they faced an U20 side.

You could have saved yourself about a half a dozen posts and numerous accusations of trolling if you had simply said your preference for developing the team was the highlighted line above - and plenty would likely have agreed with you. But how you attempt to reach and justify that opinion is in parts utterly bizarre and completely contradictory.

You tell us. You're the fella that deals in facts.... But in all seriousness who are the defenders in the U20's that you believe are better than McManus and Heneghan? And what is your opinion of Moult and Johnson? English league dross?

No games have been played yet.

East Stirlingshire and Stranraer. There. I deal in facts too!

Yeah with two games to be shown you would think so but interesting to see who they come up with and when. Celtic v Motherwell and St Johnstone v Hearts seem the pick of the bunch to me but there's a bit for them to consider. I noted Derek Rae said on BT the fixtures would be spread across Tuesday 9th, Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th August. There seems no obvious reason to play one on a Thursday night unless it's going to be shown live but with all the top flight fixtures scheduled to play on Saturday 13th August that means at least one fixture will probably need moved to the Sunday, unless of course they go with Dundee Utd v Partick Thistle who are stuck without a game because Celtic, their scheduled opponents, are off selflessly sacrificing themselves "for the good of Scottish football" on Saturday 13th August across in Ireland. I suspect the authorities aren't going to ask Celtic to play on Thursday ahead of that vital missionary work on the Saturday. Not unless they want to be subjected to ear pearcing whines of Celtic fans crying fix, foul play or whatever. That rather long winded and painful thought process could be shortened a good bit to say if we are selected to be on live and get our mitts on some additional revenue, I suspect it'll be the Tuesday or the Wednesday, not the Thursday.

First reaction meh......I suppose though they'll have priorities with their European campaign and their money spinning European friendlies so the League Cup will be down their list of priorities at that particular time of the season. Motherwell on penalties.

Yes, we could. As could Thistle and Queen of the South be drawn together again also.

Your thoughts and votes please..

I'd say so. I've previously stated my belief that U20's shouldn't be in this competition but now that they are to me you play the tournament in the spirit intended. By that I mean getting as far in the Cup as you can and getting the most from the experiences of playing against league sides. And obviously to do that you need to win matches so therefore in this competition at least the results do matter.

What I've taken from what I've seen of Heneghan thus far is that I think he's going be a real asset for us when it comes to corners and set-pieces when he's in the opposition box. He's definitely earmarked for this season's anytime scorer.

I left with a lingering frustration that we weren't able to put more gloss on the scoreline and a little apprehensive it that might come back to bite us on Saturday, but I suppose we'll deal with that when it comes. As for tonight, obvious as it sounds, I suspect if we had been able to put away one or two of those early chances then the result might have been somewhat more than three. Get that early goal and the confidence begins to flow for us and ebb away for 'Shire. Instead they had much to hold to for a good bit of the game whereas we had an increasing amount of pressure to get a goal and an increasingly edgy support looking ever more readily at the clock. When they came all three of goals were pleasing on the eye. Just a pity there weren't a few more of them. It's perhaps significant and worth remembering though that when the glut of first half chances came against Rangers in the opening tie and across the ninety minutes tonight our most prolific striker was either sitting on the bench or in a hospital bed. Similarly I notice that despite some scepticism about the calibre of our displays we've managed to replicate the winning margin of Rangers over both Annan and East Stirlingshire. Were we to repeat that again on Saturday I would like to think that would be sufficient to see us through.

Your thoughts and votes please folks...

I think there are pro's and con's but then that's no different to the format that went before and indeed the lengthier group stages that finished up in the early-mid eighties. First impressions for me are fairly positive. I had some initial reservations about only playing teams once and when announced the penalty shoot-out idea seemed a bit mental but these haven't inhibited the competition much if anything at all. The qualification format with the best runners-up scenario has held the interest - we need only see our fans attempting to work out the permutations - and whilst admittedly it has in general been Rangers v A.N.Other and meant another three or four summaries from the detestable Chris Sutton I quite like the additional exposure Scottish football has got on TV at a time when England is just emerging from its close season slumber. I'm not so sure about the increase in potential burnout or injury as a result of the group stages. Sure there are extra games but everyone is in the same boat aren't they? It's not like perhaps those seasons under Gannon and Brown where you had half a dozen competitive games on almost all of the teams in the league by the opening weekend of the season. And arguably that did us little harm. I can't remember if it was referred to on one of the live games or perhaps read it somewhere but the statement was that the format was in place until 2019 I think. I would hope whilst committing to that there is a review prior to next season. Suggestions of using 5 substitutes don't appear unreasonable. I think I'd also prefer a pre-determined structure in place so people know the fixtures and layout rather than the "we'll come back to you sometime with the fixtures (once we've carved it up behind the scenes) some time next week. Bye". setup that was in place this year. I think in time it has the potential to throw up repeat fixtures with the North/South split that may lessen the appeal and as ever if the finance on offer could be improved ideal but on the whole thus far it's been a progressive change in my eyes.

Gunni Jonsson, jeez oh. Now that is lowering the tone. A more disastrous hour or so in a claret and amber jersey has rarely been seen before or since. It does however bring back another more amusing memory of his glorious debut- the bold Jim Leighton turning and giving the Cooper Stand the big "Come On!!!" as they scored a last minute winner...about 10 seconds before an irate Cooper patron decided to go on the park to ahem "continue the conversation". Bandy legged fucker...

With the potential for a 'Winner takes all' game on Saturday there's a possibility it might get televised live. According to this there's one live game for the weekend still to be selected. http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/how-much-your-club-make-8488355#6wUymb4aL3cJblTF.97 Not sure how the other fixtures are for Saturday mind you. Also quite an interesting article that gives an idea of the prize money on offer. Apologies for linking to the Record all the same...

I wouldn't be so presumptious as to state the minimum number of goals we are going to win by but that said I do expect us win. A positive of the group stages of the League Cup for me has been the opportunity to face sides we haven't played before or don't cross swords with very often so in that respect I'm looking forward to us playing East Stirlingshire as much as my trip to Annan yesterday. I recall playing them in 1980'81 or 1981'82 when we were in the First Division and whilst I don't mind the game at Fir Park for some reason I do remember watching us play them at Firs Park as a wean. Who knows what we're facing though? What level are they at? Have they built a new team from scratch? How fit are they? I expect there will have been a scout watching their game against Stranraer (kill two birds) and there was an opportunity to catch them on TV on Friday night against Rangers of course. How much did they put into that given it was one of the Old Firm and the circus involved and because they were on TV? All a wee bit of the unknown perhaps but I would fully expect we'll be strong enough to get the win without much of an issue. A similar showing to our last encounter against non-league opposition in the Cups would be ideal really.

My app of choice for scores and results these days is Flashscores (which I'd fully recommend btw and for more than just fitba) I'm sure the info. will be available elsewhere but within their stats they have the eight second placed teams ranked. We actually have a better record currently than the 7th and 8th placed teams, unfortunately there's just the small matter of the fact we're sitting third rather than second at the moment. As has been said already the more games are played the clearer the picture will become and the cut-throat nature of some of the groups is already having an impact in limiting who can get nine points. You look at Dunfermline, Inverness and Dundee Utd all battling away in Group C for example and there isn't much between Ayr, Accies and St Mirren in Group G. Whilst we did get Rangers, in all honesty when you compare our hand of a Second Division, Third Division and a non-league team in comparison to those groups then we've been given a fair chance to get that second spot. A resounding win on Tuesday night and any win in 90 minutes next Saturday I would hope would be enough.

Nothing major, just the sightlines of the goal from behind the goal weren't the greatest. A view of the goals we were attacking in the second half...