weeyin

Strapp makes 3 wild challenges and avoids a yellow. Handsome John is replaced McHugh. Ilic plays a nice pass to Hylton for 3 - 0.

Grimmy on for Carroll.

Hylton and Polworth combine to set up Scott for our second (and while we were down to 10 with Donnelly off for treatment). Scott looking more confident this half.

Scrappy start to the second half, then Scott unleashed a 25 yarder the keeper did well to push over the bar. Then a clever corner almost let Seedorf in to score. Hylton still causing problems out wide on the left. Ilic on for Seedorf.

I've never engaged with the official tweets out of pure being in my 50s.

A wee bit of confidence would have seen Scott with his hat trick, but apart from the last couple of minutes there, Morton not really threatening. Our wingers have put the fear into them, so hopefully see more of that in the 2nd half.

Nice goal. Scott just onside looking at replay. Like the look of Gallagher at the back, always looking to put a foot on the ball and find a pass.

Flexible 4-1-2-2-1

And I think McGhee had tried to bring him in to replace Marvin Johnson, but because that deal was finalised right at the end of the window, he ran out of time to complete the signing.

Not a competitive match, though. If we're including friendlies, then the entire Ajax team we played and most of the Liverpool team would be up there too.

Because Motherwell.

Do English team's players count as "overseas"? If so, then a few decent candidates in the Spurs team we played in the Texaco Cup.

In theory, as their league starts later than ours, Killie should have been further in to their pre-season schedule. Maybe the new manager has been working them on grass by mistake. CQ's stadium has a grass playing surface and Killie won on that.

I can understand being a wee bit rusty at the start of the campaign, but to win the first leg scoring 2 away goals and then blow it at home in the second leg is pretty spectacular.

Regardless of the ins and outs of whatever deal he ends up with, Cadden should be be one of the poster boys of our development model. Coming through the youth system to make over 100 league appearances and winning a couple of international caps is a pretty impressive example. And still only 22, despite the fact he feels like one of the senior players.

Even if FIFA decide that Oxford is a higher Category club than Columbus, it seems like an overly complicated arrangement that, as well as raising the interests of the tax man both sides of the Atlantic, is a pretty speculative deal for Columbus. Surely they could use that money (and space in their salary capped roster) to bring in a player that would actually play for them and that they could trade later for future MLS rights. I don't see how this loan arrangement would be better for them.

Not sure how the scam would work. Are Oxford going to give Columbus the fee Columbus pays us, then take him on loan while Columbus pay a portion of his wages then pay a transfer fee? I think the lawyers and agents would end up earning more than any money they'd save.

They do, but generally not the full whack. (And in the case of guys like ATS, their contract was just run to expiry).

If it wasn't his idea to change the formation (although I think it probably was), he should get even more credit for being able to change something imposed on him in such a short space of time. Some teams take months to adapt to new tactics - we had to make the change over the winter break.

Of course there is a always a risk that a player will not work out - where they come from doesn't alter that fact. The greatest managers with budgets in the hundreds of millions are deemed successful if 50% of their signings turn out well. Similalrly, if an academy produces one first team quaility player in a season, that is a high success rate. We measure up well on both those stats the past couple of seasons, but we can't depend on producing an entire first team squad from our U20s. Our model means we need to bring in older players that we can also develop and move on for a fee. The fact we need to sign free (or low fee) transfers means it will always be a risk. They need to have potential to develop while, at the same time, not featuring in the plans of their current employer. For every Kipré in that situation, there will be multiple Strakers. I think we've improved that ratio in the past couple of seasons.

Fraser Kerr, Dom Thomas, Craig Moore and Bob McHugh in a starting 11 would have you beelin'

Certainly possilbe with the weird salary caps and roster rules that US sports teams are subjected to. Not unusual for players to join a squad and then be offloaded without playing to make room for someone else's wages.

Be interested to read your analysis of his tactical failures from the second half of last season.

Vancouver now. Bottom of their Conference and currently losing to New England.

The last year we got to the final, Hibs were unseeded in the 2nd round and played Ayr Utd at home. We were seeded and played Ross County away.