MelvinBragg

Oh, I know. Results dictate everything. Concerned that the back five (including the goalkeeper) features three players who didn't play last season. With the unusual nature of the preseason, there's not been a lot of time to get them to function as a unit. Time will tell...

Aye, I'd imagine it's Polworth on the wing. I thought Campbell wouldn't play. I thought it would be a midfield three of Donnelly, O'Hara and Polworth with Watt, Long and Hastie up front. Not convinced by the lineup...

We'll finish 8th and go out of both cups in the quarter finals. We always disappoint when the squad looks decent on paper...

In your dreams...

Can you suggest why 10 days before the start of the season we look so much less fit than another team in our league?

Irrespective of opposition, pretty sure we could have arranged more games than we have so far. If the club feels that it's a better approach to play two games this weekend and one next midweek then that's fine. But to simply say 'Rangers are further ahead in their preparations' makes it sound like we are behind schedule...

Can I ask a question? I've seen lots on here about how Rangers are ahead of us in terms of preparation. Given we both start the league on the same weekend, why is this the case?

My feelings are similar. On the bright side, I was a bit concerned that people were feeling too confident ahead of the new season on the basis our business looked alright on paper. Overconfidence shouldn't be a problem now...

We're playing Celtic in a friendly anyway apparently. Have to accept that this is a weird pre season when pretty much the only teams available for friendlies are other SPL sides. Not going to be many secrets before the season starts...

We really need to sign someone. Or start a thread with a poll 'Should scouts be allowed inside closed door friendlies?'...

No word on the front of shirt sponsor yet?

Had heard this rumour but also heard from someone else that they had lined up Leeds U23 coach for the job...

Just out of curiosity, have any season ticket holders had their streaming logins sent out to them yet?

Haven't seen any announcement regarding Scottish transfer window but I note that the Rnglish window is going to run til early October. Would be surprised if Scotland isn't vaguely in line so this thread may have legs for some time yet. I could see us selling a midfielder as we seem to have plenty of bodies in there...

I don't disagree. But there will be those who take that approach. And the club may be trying to talk them round...

I think all it says about me is that I'm getting old and have seen clubs try every PR trick under the sun. I remember when Trevor Steven was at Rangers, he was voted MOTM every week as they tried to justify buying him back from Marseille...

Cynical of me to note how much the match report talked up Hastie? He may have played well, but I suspect others did without quite so many mentions in the match report. Trying to win over those fans unimpressed with his signing...?

Like I said, just a niggling feeling. Perhaps because, like you, when it looks like there's reasons to be optimistic, that's when I expect Motherwell to boot me in the nether regions...

I wasn't a huge fan of Chris Long, but nor did I think he was dreadful. An ok signing.. Balance of the squad looks slightly off to me. Three players that cam play left back, only one right back. A vast array of midfielders (particularly if Semple and Cornelius are considered part of squad) but very few options on the wing. Vast majority of the first eleven that took us to third place are still there but have a niggling feeling we might struggle this season...

I would guess that Fox won't be earning as much as Gillespie but don't know if the difference will be that significant. We've already brought in two defenders this summer and I'm guessing that whatever we're paying O'Hara will be costing more than the proportion of his wages we covered while he was on loan. How much we've saved by not having Manzinga and Ilic on the wage bill, I don't know but again I don't imagine it'll be a massive amount. If we're going to persevere with 433 with two wingers, then four centre forwards seems excessive. Lang may well be able to play on the wing but Long is a centre forward, nothing else. The same has to be said of White and Watt. Long or Lang, not both. Have never seen Lang play but didn't really rate Long so not fussed. Let's not waste a wage on a fourth striker though. .

Look on the bright side. If we were to get through to the third qualifying round and were drawn away to some Eastern European or Turkish side, absence of a hostile crowd might not do us any harm...

As much as I'd love Turnbull to sign for Newcastle or a decent English Championship side, I fear this story is a forerunner to a 'Turnbull chooses Celtic over move to England' story. If he leaves, I'd far rather it was to an English or foreign side but I suspect I'll be disappointed...

Never mind all this Hastie chat, is Allan Campbell going to Huddersfield..?

Any administrator at Wigan wouldn't be doing their job if they let assets go on the cheap and £1m for a young player with 2 years experience in the English Championship is cheap...

No way Robinson has agreed to that..