Kmcalpin

Another odd selection. Good to see SOD on the bench though. No Kaleta or Maswanhise. If, as expected, St Mirren block our wing backs then what? Cautious midfield. I can understand why Balmer has been dropped but Blaney? What was wrong with Seddon in the back 3? Halliday for Paton?

Yes, this is true, irrespective of the venue or who is in charge. However the SPFL (or SFA) has a bit of a cheek in this instance and is being hypocritical. The 3 clubs would have had little or no control over security at Hampden. It would have been 95% + responsible itself. So why charge the clubs concerned? The wider issue of strict liability - the SPFL/SFA cannot pick and choose which issues for which to invoke strict liability and we all know what thats about. There is also a wider issue about pyrotechnics, which is one for the Government to address, if it has the backbone. They are not just an issue for Football but for society as a whole. Its not ok to use them inside a stadium but what about in the streets outside? What about their use in crowded and packed demonstrations and marches, which have nothing to do wth football? We have to have a clear set of guidelines or laws to ensure consistency and fairness buit not only that, they have to be fairly applied.

Good on you. So they're not insisting on physical tickets for PATG home fans? Sounds as though St Mirren are getting too big for their boots.

You've hit the nail on the head.

Right folks. Time to contact the Society about this ridiculous situation. The more feedback it gets the stronger its case.

Great post. Can I ask which organisation employed the stewards? If MFC had reasonably said to the SPFL, "In addition to your stewarding, can we also employ our own stewards as a second line of defence (as we could be held liable)", what would the response have been?

I totally get this and we can't say that we weren't warned. However, presumably it would have been perfectly ok to set off pyrotechnics outside the stadium? If the SPFL is going down the road of strict liability, then what about other common offences inside stadia, for example sectarian chanting?

I think the difference is that he has now less credit in the bank than he had last season. Last year, he came in and rescued us from the mess that Stevie Hammell left. He didn't have time to overhaul the squad. This season, although he has taken us to a semi final, we are now playing with his squad, which he himself has built. For those reasons, if things go badly wrong then the fans won't be as forgiving. I can thole his brand of football, as long as we are picking up points and doing well. I suspect that many fans are in the same boat.

I agree to a large extent. We need to move to a back 4. The problem then is who to play at left back. Ewan Wilson is fine defensively but attacking isn't his forte. If you want that aspect built in then its Seddon who starts there. As things stand, room must be found for Miller, Paton, Manwhanise, Watt and Stama. Wilson is not a midfielder.

Changes required for Saturday please, but sensible ones this time. We might be on the verge of equalling last season's worst losing run, but the 3 points are still up for grabs.

Can't fathom out why Maswanhise and Kaleta were dropped and Tavares brought in. Changes were required after Saturday, but not those ones. Has SK lost the plot?

Well SK"s changes worked a treat. A lesson in how to make a poor team even worse. Looks like this poor run is gathering pace.

Stama to the rescue. Get in.

Well taken goal but a Christmas gift from us.

I wonder what the formation will be. Hopefully Watt isn't played wide and Wilson isn't wide right, as BBC suggests (3-4-3 set up)

He's obviously not rated. Good striking partnership but wild defensive selections. Hope Wilson isn't played in midfield. No RWB. Tavares brought in! A masterstroke or a brain fart? We"ll soon find out.

Our granddaughter's partner picked up the same injury playing footie. He couldn't walk for 6 months and is still recovering. He reckons Zac Robinson will be out for 9-12 months. Not good. Good luck to the lad.

I keep thinking can our injury situation get any worse, but it does. Will Stuparevic be recalled?

Whatever striker we deploy, we should either play it over the defence or keep it on the deck. O for Davie Cooper now. He was great at slinging in low hard balls against big defenders.

Absolutely Allan. I'm happy with this draw. I was expecting teams like St Mirren, Dundee United or Aberdeen away. We'll save those ties for the next round. I wonder if Saints will be forced, kicking and screaming of course, to give us the away end.

Agree about Paton. I get why you'd bring Seddon into central defence, but its swings and roundabouts as Wilson is an old fashioned full back as opposed to a modern day wing back. Ebeye and Maswhanhise wouldn't work up front as the former is a penalty box poacher and the latter is a winger.

Absolutely. Didn't really understand yesterday's subs. I would have swapped Seddon for Wilson at HT and brought on Paton then as well. Watt comes on, fair enough, but then plays wide right. Ebeye was also the wrong choice. He's fine in the box but you have to get the ball in box for him and we didn't do that.

Some good suggestions but I don't get playing Wilson in midfield. He's not impressed there. It smacks of trying to shoehorn him into the team.

Yes, we have no leaders on the pitch and I don't think Lennon Miller being made temporary captain is helping him or us. 100!% on the nail about bullying. A bigger, physically stronger, team with a more aggressive attitude bullied us. I recall poor wee, but game, Davor being absolutely flattenend several times and Hibs also had that wrecking ball Bushiri going wild at the back. Apart from central defence, we really are soft as s**t.

I like open attacking football, but as you say, am quite happy to accept a defensive approach, Jim MacLean style, as long as we win. However despite adopting an overly cautious defensive approach and defending deeply in depth, we still can't achieve clean sheets. If the strikers aren't doing the business then we're in trouble. The defence, especially in the centre, needs sorting out. Its just as well we build up a bank of points early on.