MelvinBragg

Given he's first team coach at our first opponents in the league, scouting would be the order of the day...

That same thought occurred to me at the time. Having said that, had Sutton stuck away the chance right after they made it 2-1, I reckon that would have knocked the stuffing out of them. First impressions of the game... Wrong goalkeeper. Nielsen was shafted towards the end of the season, dropped as he was finding form after his penalty save against Celtic. Twardzik looked very shaky tonight. Not that he was helped by the entire left side of defence being exposed/posted missing. Can't make up my mind if Hammell really was that bad tonight or if Vigurs "free role" left him exposed. Thought Carswell was good tonight. Lasley, a bit too headless chicken. Ainsworth, we didn't get the ball to enough early on when it was clear he had the beating of them. Law, too early to tell, but looks comfortable on the ball. Vigurs did a lot well but also made some terrible decisions. Sutton won a lot of ball in the air but was feeding off scraps. My last thought, a question really. When did putting Kerr on at right midfield ever work? Not having a go at Kerr, think he has a lot of potential and attributes to be a solid defender but he looks a fish out of water at right midfield no matter how often McCall plays him there...

Team Twardzik Reid Ramsden McManus Hammell Lasley Carswell Vigurs Ainsworth Law Sutton

Can someone please stop this guy getting to the game tonight..?

In my opinion, that's where we should be playing Vigurs. No real pace required, just an ability to pick a pass. I'd like to see us play a 4231 Nielsen/Twarzik Reid Ramsden McManus Hammell Lasley Carswell/Leitch Ainsworth Vigurs Thomas/unnamed left winger Sutton For those saying Sutton can't play up front himself, I'd be hoping that it would turn into almost a 433 with wingers pushed forward when attacking...

Anyone watch the Celtic game and think on that basis we'll have a hard game on Thursday?

Stealing my material? I got slated last close season for asking about McHugh's minutes to goal ratio. From what you've said about last season, I'd imagine that it's still pretty good...

God, I hope the season starts soon...

As you know, I don’t really buy tops so quality less of an issue for me. Design was to my tastes. Simple collar, quite a plain design. And we've had a few tops with more loose definitions of claret and amber...

The white away one where it ran down the side was horrific but the two kits we used the season we were in administration are two of my favourites. Plain, no nonsense kits, the a way the inverse of the home...

Having "The Untouchables" on the kit wasn't too shabby...

I'd imagine a fee would be involved. Hibs could afford that, we couldn't. Not that I see it happening... Also says Murray is on trial with Sigma Olomouc...

Anyone questioning McCall's record in the transfer market is insane...

I'd be interested to know how often Sutton and Anier started together last season. My gut feeling is that it wasn't that often. Point is, we seldom started with two out and out strikers. Normally five in midfield or with McFadden as a link man in a 4411. For me, it makes a Shiels type a more likely signing. Could Clarkson do that? Well, I seem to recall him playing winger for Bristol but does he have the footballing intelligence to play the McFadden role? He certainly could fit the bill as a replacement for Anier in those situations when we threw Anier on alongside Sutton. Would be a decent signing but would he start every week and would he be better going somewhere like Hibs where he probably would...

This. McCall has a good track record. Guys like Clancy, Ramsden, Reid, Ojaama and Ainsworth didn't have stellar careers before arriving at Fir Park but we've got the best out of them...

A lot of faith in Erwin then? No disrespect to the Welsh, but I'd maybe see us beating them. But not sure where the goals would come from. Ainsworth? Vigurs? Maybe but we'd still need a striker to occupy the central defence and create space for Vigurs and Ainsworth...

Even if big Handsome gets injured...?

Looking at his career, assuming he's someone that Neil Warnock recommended. Only concern with going down the loans from England route is that I seem to recall previous seasons managers saying that loans from England tended to arrive later, when clubs down south have finalised their squads. We probably need someone in before the European games...

Where did you read/hear that?

Assumption was that Cummins was staying but Murray wasn't being offered a new deal. Whether that's simply a reflection on who was out of contract (as it seems to be with the keepers) rather than what McCall thinks of them, that's a question only McCall can answer. Have to figure contract status comes into it when there's not much between players' abilities...

Not saying these things are definite, just rumours that I've heard from people who're not known to simply make stuff up. We have been pretty good at keeping our cards close to our chest, transfer wise. But not always down to the club if stories leak out. Agents, players, players' friends, how these things have always leaked out... Being honest, the centre back story is the one I put most stock in given the lack of detail. When rumours that have been doing the rounds turn out to be true, it tends to be the "heard we're bringing a winger in from down south" vague types of rumour...

One thing is sure, we need another attacking option. Right now we have Sutton, Erwin (untested), McHugh (not rated by many) and Ainsworth (a winger). That's putting a lot of pressure on Sutton and Ainsworth to repeat their return from last season. We need to somehow replace Anier and McFadden's goals and assists from last season. I also heard yesterday that McCall had a centre back in mind to replace Hutchinson. To me, this doesn't seem a priority unless Ramsden is further away from a return than first thought...

I reckon Shiels is more likely than Burke...

Speaking to a few Rangers fans, Shiels seems to play well but McCoist doesn't pick him as often as some of the fans would like. "Didn't get a fair crack" is a common phrase used...

I hear talk that Dean Shiels is one of the players we're looking at to replace Anier...